DESERT CHILD

Desert Child originate from the remote pearling town of Broome in Western Australia. The band comprises the talents of Guy Ghouse and Damian Watkiss. Hailed as one of Australia's premier musical acts, Desert Child are an artistic, intense and inventive live act. Guy and Damian are both gems of musical talent and present their music with warm easy-going grooves that blend Classical, Latin, Rock, Folk and Jazz Rhythms on their acoustic guitars. Their repertoire is instrumental and consists only of their own material.

Desert Child formed in 1995 as the next generation of the Ghouse/ Watkiss musical partnership- Guy and Damians' fathers performed together some thirty years ago and are distinguished musicians in their own right. Desert Child have opened for countless Australian and International acts including: Ottmar Liebert, Max Pellacano (Elvis to the Max), The Angels, Baby Animals, Billy Thorpe, The Cruel Sea, James Morrison and countless others

Guy Ghouse
Guy Ghouse was born on the 8th January 1969 in Perth, Western Australia. He is the product of three generations of musicians and began playing guitar at the tender age of 8. From an early age the main influence in his music was his father. In his teenage years, heavy metal and the art of "shredding" became a major influence in his playing. Eddie Van Halen's astonishing classical playing on "Spanish Fly" inspired Guy's love for acoustic guitar music.

In 1988 Guy studied at  the WA Conservatorium of Music and shortly thereafter was commissioned to do a number of soundtracks for ABC film documentaries. For the next five years was a contract musician for successful touring and recording acts around Australia. In 1995 Guy and Damian formed "Desert Child".

Damian Watkiss
Damian Watkiss was born on the 7th December 1969 in Perth, Western Australia. Like Guy, he is also the product of three generations of musicians. He started playing at the age of nine alongside his father. After mastering the bass and drums Damian found a new and exciting challenge in the guitar. Damian's original influences stemmed from rock music. His favourite artists included AC/DC, Angels and ZZ Top. In 1991 Damian graduated from the Guitar Institute of Technology in California USA. When he returned to Australia he entered the Rebel Guitar Challenge and came first in Western Australia and second nationwide.

When the opportunity to play permanently in an acoustic format, Damian and Guy formed Desert Child in 1995.

Desert Child have played with some of the finest musical talent in the world. In 1998, they played at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival. During this trip they also played live on BBC Scotland. To apply to the Edinburgh Festival requires a comprehensive CV and high recommendations. Not only were Desert Child voted in the Top 5 acts to see from the 10,000 performers at the festival, they were also invited to come back the following year. This is a testament to their exceptional musical talent. Since this time the band have toured around Europe including concerts at The Roxy and the International Book Festival. In 1999 Guy and Damian returned to Edinburgh to play the Festival and played another outstanding set of concerts.

Desert Child were invited to perform at the prestigious "Ronnie Scotts" Jazz Club in 1999 as well as various resorts on the east coast of the UK.

Closer to home, Desert Child have established themselves as top billing on the Australian Festival Circuit. They have played at many of the most popular festivals in Australia including the Festival of Perth, the Fairbridge Festival, the Broome Fringe Arts Festival, the Shinju Matsuri Festival and the Nannup Music Festival.