Darren Percival
BEFORE appearing on The Voice Australia, Darren Percival struggled to attract an audience.
Since the show, Percival is amazed how many people now recognise him in the street.
‘‘People are buying tickets and CDs whereas before they didn’t know about it or who I was,’’ Percival said.
‘‘It was challenging to fill rooms and get on the charts.
‘‘Now it just feels like a world away after struggling to get any air play and life is different in that sense.’’
Percival has been working in the music industry for many years.
At 15, inspired by a school visit from jazz trumpeter James Morrison he started to sing with his school’s big band.
A year later he was singing occasionally with Morrison, a gig that was full-time by the time he turned 20.
He has also met and sung with Bobby McFerrin, the American vocalist behind the song Don’t Worry Be Happy.
Percival said being in the industry so long made him the singer that he was today.
‘‘I don’t think that if I was the entertainer and singer that I was a year ago that would ever of happened,’’ he said.
‘‘You have to use your own experience and wisdom that you have going for you at that time to get it to happen.’’
Percival is currently touring the country on his Up Close and Percival tour which kicked off at the end of January.
As part of his tour, he will perform at Blacktown RSL Club on Saturday, March 9, from 8pm.
‘‘Well for all those folks who saw me on The Voice series one I will be performing songs from my album Happy Home and it went gold last year and we are proud of that,’’ Percival said.
‘‘There’ll also be new songs from the new album A tribute to Ray Charles and that is going really well and we are really proud of that.
‘‘The show is very fun and interactive.’’
Tickets cost $30 for adults and $25 for diamond members.
Details: 9622 5222.