This is chapter FOURTEEN – to read the previous chapters from the start GO HERE
For the blog that starts in 2001 with Weekend Warriors – GO HERE
The week after we had concluded our first Weekend Warrior “jam session”, we arranged to meet all those who had enrolled (some of them had not attended the jam, just sent us their enrolment form) after work on a Saturday afternoon at the Ellaways Kedron store. As part of their new “Warrior pack” was a black collared T-shirt with the above logo on the pocket. This became the “tribal” shirt – as many of them had worn ties and suits most of the days. It was interesting to note the diversity of people who had joined up, the ages ranging from their mid ’40’s to 60+ years old.
Bankers, Teachers, Mechanics, Librarians, Electricians, Bus Drivers, Plumbers, Unemployed, CEO’s, Taxi Drivers, Politicians – you name it, we had them all playing or singing in the band. Now the hardest part was putting adults, as individuals into bands, meet their new band mates, introduce their coach…and then get them to decide – and agree – what night/day all could meet up for the four weeks – then co-ordinate the bands to be available for the concert on the last day (in five weeks time). This was Craig Collins function to organise and co-ordinate the bands to fall In line with their music coach, Billy or Bruce.
We had built a purpose rehearsal space at the back of the store at Ellaways Music, Kedron (as part of the new store renovations). We had a “state of the art” line up of new music equipment, (drums, amplifiers, guitars, keyboards, PA system etc) and we introduced them to their new band mates and their designated music coach at the next get together, a week later. All they had to do was agree on a band name, choose about 7 songs each to perform and then rehearse for the concert in 5 weeks time. It was all simple really (well, sounds simple here) and we would give them a real “rock experience” on stage with roadies – all for performing for fun in front of their family and friends. We had booked the first venue, Aspley Leagues Football Club room, which would comfortably seat 200 (plus a dance floor).
So, over the next four weeks, the bands met two hours a week, formally with their music coach, and informally they were encouraged to meet and sort out their vocal parts with band members, do acoustic style rehearsals at a space of their own choosing (like there own home or studios etc). The feedback from the coaches, Billy and Bruce, were quite funny in those first few weeks. These were people, who for some, had never performed in a band, let alone on stage, since leaving school, in some cases this was up to 40 years ago (when they were teenagers back in the ’60’s). The nerves were starting to creep in for a few and we had the odd drop out, or a quick reshuffle of some members from one band to another.
We also had too few drummers, so a couple of drummers got to play in two bands, or in future “rounds” we had too many drummers and we would have two drummers or percussionists enlarging the bands. This was all part of the fun. The music coaches were extremely talented and came from being studio producers, arrangers or performers themselves.
From the outset we had kept the theme that they should all remember that it was all about FUN….SERIOUS FUN!
So over the next few weeks the new five band names arrived to us via the music coaches.
- The Rolling Bones – Band members; Gordon Hockey, Bill Crystal, Pat MacPartland, Richard MacHura, Jim Lessenger
- UB50 – Band members; Christine Harms, Robert Miller, Brian Massey, Victor Tsaoulis, Gordon Hockey
- Started Late – Band members; Craig Collins, John Hurley, Brad Thompson, Tony McCall, Gary Guest, Jules Makk
- Stray Crocs – Band members; Glen Greenhaigh, Les Maud, Bob Kennedy, Jason Gamlen, John Schipp
- Grand Daddy Cool – Band members; Michael Grey, Bruce Lomas, Bruce Bedwell, Michael Himbury, Rob Munton, Jules Makk
You can see from that list that the ladies were totally outnumbered and a few of them performed in two bands.
So the concert was on after four weeks of rehearsals and the stress levels (hence the drinking urges started) were high. We charged $5 per person for the first concert and then thought we should donate those funds to a charity. The first concert being for the Smith Family.
One of our guitarists in the Stray Crocs, Bob Kennedy, had arranged to do a video of the night and also get his friends to take some quality photos. Bob was working for the RAAF at the Amberley Air Base (northwest of Ipswich) and really enjoyed getting back into playing guitar with others in a band. His life, like many others, were completely transformed by the camaraderie formed in those bands. This first concert took place on the Saturday 14th of July and over 300 people attended the night. We raised over $1000 and donated it to the Smith Family.
The bands performed amazingly well and everyone was pumped for more. We had certainly got a taste of great things to come – as this was only the beginning of many new ventures that were spawned out of this exciting, dynamic new programme, Weekend Warriors. To be continued in Part FIFTEEN HERE..
The first newsletter
The POST MEDIA RELEASE
Greg Dodge ~ “Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” 