Richard Spencer is a guitarist, songwriter and entertainer from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island who has been dedicated to entertaining audiences since he first learnt his craft at the age of 14. A set with Spencer is an adventure through musical genres. A rocker at heart, he absorbs his influences and turns out originality every time. The Happiness Machine, his current work, takes you on a journey through an eclectic mix of original songs, with sensational finger-style guitar and memorable lyrical seductiveness, concentrating on love and human relationships. Spencer has an exceptional talent for improvisation in his live performances, gifted with the natural skill to compose entire pieces of music on the spot and deliver them effortlessly with a friendly humour that is fresh and joyous. Watching him perform leaves you with the feeling that you have just seen a real artist. As well as his growing success as a solo artist he is also an intrinsic part of the the band Mr. Completely. As we've come to expect, his almost theatrical energy radiates every stage he graces and in the case of Mr. Completely he adds gravy to the band's meat and potatoes rock and roll style. Richard honed his craft over many years in Vancouver, playing and recording with a wide variety of artists and performing at innumerable venues. He also performed at many of the festivals in Vancouver including the Jazz, Folk, Storytelling, Children's, and Illuminares Lantern festivals. On one particularly memorable night at Carnegie's Bar & Grill, he had an impromptu jam session with the bad boy of the British classical music scene, Nigel Kennedy. Throughout his career he has collaborated with many independent Canadian artists and has contributed to the success of five independent releases, even producing a children's CD titled Dragon Land. His ability to connect with children through music has led to him being the part-time front man of the touring sensation Blues Berries, which teaches school children about different kinds of music using a unique song-writing style that children easily relate to. Building on his success with children, there are plans in the works to develop Rock God Camp for the budding rock stars of the Comox Valley, and he is currently developing a interactive show that aims to introduce kids to the joy of playing an instrument, targeted at parents wishing to hire an entertainer for kids' parties. Spencer invites you to climb on board The Happiness Machine - there's something for everyone. www.richardspencer.ca www.sonicbids.com/richardspencer