Nick Read

I started playing guitar at the age of 7 when i came across a $10 guitar at a garage sale in North Avoca, I begged my parents for them to buy it for me and they agreed. I took to it straight away taking it home and playing having no idea what i was doing, fiddling with the tuning pegs and strings and gazing upon it.

When my mum came to pick me up from my school at Avoca Primary on the Central Coast of NSW, she noticed a small boy my age leave with his father, this was Micah Dick and his Father Chris leaving. My mum questioned them why they were leaving so early as it was 3:00pm and school wasn't dismissed until 3:15pm. They told my mum they were going to guitar lessons and my mum wanted details right then and there and we found my first and only guitar teacher Scott Bird from a band called the Pale Riders. He taught in table top road in Terrigal off the scenic highway on the Central Coast, just up the road from me where i was in North Avoca. I was introduced to guitar by him and learnt my first song about 3-6 months later "Who'll Stop the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. I was stoked to be playing a song and i performed it at the Avoca Primary School Talent Quest in front of my school, about 300 kids. I was very nervous but didn't quite comtimpate what was exactly going on. Then my dad took me to Terrigal and sent me busking, i played all the little tricks i was taught and played the Rhythm Part for Who'll Stop the Rain until dad tried getting me to sing it.

I watched as money fell on my guitar case and i took to it right away. I sung and people were surprised, i earnt $25 in 30 minutes of playing.

Busking had inspired me to learn more songs so i took to teaching myself songs straight away.

At the age of 10 i performed on the Footy Show playing "Rock 'N Roll Singer" from AC/DC at the state sports centre in front of 4000 people on national television. I played also to Steve Irwin that night as well and was absolutely stoked.

At the age of 12 i formed my own band called 'Peer Pressure' and we did multiple battle of the bands comps and talent quests in RSL's, Clubs, Pubs and bars. We actually came 2nd in the MATS (Music & Arts Junior Talent Search) competition where the final was held in Revesby Club and sponsered by Clubs NSW. We performed on the Today show on CH9 twice playing at both times originals and kept getting positive feedback from viewers asking us back and we were dubbed the "Next SilverChair".

At the age of 13-14 i took up being solo again and started forming another band, we tried calling ourselves Peer Pressure again but decided that a new name was called for. After much consideration we called ourselves PENNYBLACK and till this day have been performing everywhere around NSW. We came 2nd in the Club Menai Band competition and won a free gig with Burgess Bookings, performed at Global Battle of the bands. We did multiple competitions and now play 3hr shows in clubs and pubs like the Coast Hotel Budgewoi and Bateau Bay Pub. We performed at Avoca Pub, Avoca Bowling Club, Avoca Surf Club, Shelly Beach Surf Club, Hidden Valley at Ourimbah, Festival of the Whale at Terrigal and much more.

My influences are...
AC/DC
AEROSMITH
BEATLES
BILLY THORPE
BONJOVI
BRYAN ADAMS
COLD CHISEL
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
INXS
JET
JIMMY HENDRIX
KISS
LED ZEPPLIN
LINKIN PARK
LIVE
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
METALLICA
MIDNIGHT OIL
MOTLEY CRUE
MUSE
NEIL YOUNG
NICKELBACK
NIRVANA
PEARL JAM
PINK FLOYD
QUEEN
RISE AGAINST
ROLLING STONES
ROSE TATTOO
SANTANA
SEETHER
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN
THE ANGELS
THE OFFSPRING
THE POLICE
THE SCREAMING JETS
ZZ TOP
3 DOORS DOWN

And a lot more...

My music sets me apart from other bands as its all from me and it defines my ideas and thoughts and no-one else's. I perform both with my band PENNYBLACK and solo as Nick Read.