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Looking at the Weekend Warrior Program from a different angle...
An interview with Greg Phillips
 Greg Phillips’ main involvement in the past with Weekend Warriors has been through his work with the Australian Music Association, however in March this year Greg decided to get away from his computer and experience the program first-hand. In this interview he shares some of his experiences from his participation in the Weekend Warrior program operating from Melbourne.
What’s your role with the AMA?
I’m pretty much the publishing arm of the Australian Music Association. Although they do use other designers for certain jobs, I produce (through my publishing business Mediaville) their two main magazines, Australian Musician (which I edit) and Music in Action. I also maintain the magazine websites and handle the national section of the Weekend Warriors website, as well as assorted other print and web based work they sometimes require.
Why did you do the Weekend Warriors program?
I had been threatening to do it for years. Although I have been involved in music media for over two decades, I had never played in a band. When I did get around to doing the program, I wanted to document the experience in a story for Australian Musician. The timing was finally right and the story will appear in the Winter edition, available through music retailers in mid June.
 What instrument do you play? How long have you played for?
I play rhythm guitar... never flashy enough for lead. I started playing as a young teen. Although I was a massive music fan, I tended to spend more time going to see bands than actually playing. Then I got into media, working for a national rock weekly called Juke magazine. Music became my work and I had even less leisure time to play. Then as many do, I was married and had a family. It wasn’t until I started Australian Musician magazine for the AMA that I got back into it. Companies send gear in for review, quite often guitars and amps, and I take the opportunity to have a play before farming it off to my reviewers.
What aspects of the program did you enjoy?
Apart from the playing in a band for the first time (which was a real buzz), just meeting people from all walks of life who come together to share the same goal was fantastic. Also coach Bob Spencer with all his wisdom and knowledge was inspiring. He was always trying to get the best out of everyone.
Did you notice any changes in the people that you went through the program with?
Certainly my level of musicianship improved with each rehearsal. As far as the other guys go, I gradually saw a team mentality coming together. Initial musical tastes and opinions became more and more team orientated. I think a genuine bond was formed.
 What was the experience like of playing in the final concert with your band?
At rehearsals we’d been using amps facing any which way, with our own individual settings, so the levels were never perfect but good enough for practice. At the gig, the sound was professionally mixed and it was the first time I’d played through the Marshall at real volume. So just that initial big sound we created was incredible. Of course I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the cheers from the audience between songs, even if they were coming from friends and family.
The sense of achievement at the end of the set, that we had learnt nine songs in 8 hours and executed them relatively well, was hard to describe.
What did you take away from the experience?
I have a better sense of where I stand as a player personally and an idea of what I need to work on if I decide to play more often. I also have a better appreciation of what goes into putting a live set together and the
myriad of quirks involved.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I’d recommend Weekend Warriors to
anyone who thinks they might get a buzz out of playing music with like-minded people. Whether you’ve played in bands before or not, it’s professionally run, your playing will improve, and it’s mega fun.
Life after Warriors
with Warrior Tim Warmington
 Tim Warmington took part in the Weekend Warriors program early in 2008 and has kept up his involvement since then.
I did my Warriors stint through Kew in February 2008. At the introduction I had a go at ‘Stand by Me’ - I was trying for the John Lennon version which I don’t think many recognised! I was very happy to meet Graham Cameron there playing lead guitar and fills on some sort of Yamaha hybrid. We lobbed into the same band which was called ‘The Hard Covers’. Next was a sax player Grant King, on bass Phil Crew, and on drums Neville Driver. I was on rhythm guitar and vocals. It was a lot of fun and came together pretty quickly.
I was a roadie for the Rondells and others in my early twenties. Now that I’m in my early fifties I have jumped the fence to be onstage. Come to think of it, I’m still a roadie too. I have been a lifelong fan of music, particularly pop/rock (loved Skyhooks Bob!) but I never really got my head around the theory of it. Lucky you only need three chords, right? My guitar playing was (and remains) not advanced - I’m scared of exotic chords, but my timing is not bad and my rhythms can be interesting. I will always remember Bob saying , “watch hitting the 6th string on the 5 string chords”. He could have just said “cut it out!”, but instead he gave me his theory about how he thinks that some people just tune it out and don’t hear it. Much nicer, and now I do hear it!
The Hard Covers did the final concert at the end of the Weekend Warriors program, and I think we were all pleased with how it went. The guys agreed to do a repeat of the set the following weekend at the Kew Festival, which was nice. Bob arranged for another Warrior band (The Ordinary Men) to help fill the bill at the festival and they were great. They are more 80’s focused where The Hard Covers are all over the place from The Small Faces to Elvis Costello to The Smithereens.
 The Hard Covers have continued on with various line-up changes (as you do) and are at present a three piece with me on guitar and vocals, David Waymouth on bass and vocals, and Neville Driver on drums. We keep talking about getting another player, lead guitar or keyboards (or both!) but for the time being it seems to work. I have played about 15 gigs with Neville since the first warrior meeting. David joined us later and was curious enough to sign up and do the Warriors program too. In fact, the Hard Covers got a guest spot for his concert so he got to play twice! Neville played with another band too. He is a veteran Warrior at about six times through!
I joined Weekend Warriors Victoria Association for $25.00 a year and have got great value from it. (www.weekendwarriors.org.au ) Our band has played at their Open Mike days at The Noise Bar once, the Charity Mega Christmas Gig and has done a couple of short notice guest spots at the Central Club. I rented the Noise Bar long room for my 50th birthday bash and had another couple of bands along too. The Open Mike things have been great. At the last one I went to I got Ken on drums and Anton on bass to accompany me on the old Sam and Dave classic, ‘I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down’. I don’t think either of them had heard the song before but they were game and pulled it off! That’s fun. The Association has been great for meeting people and just picking up things. Geoff Wilson and Denis Bourke in particular have been great. Denis had been trying to impress on me the benefits of playing quietly on stage so I was delighted to see him on stage playing lead and rhythm way loud! Bob was even louder! I continue to see the final concerts of the Weekend Warrior programs and really enjoy them. More rock chicks, please.
I recommend this program to anyone who loves music. I was very nervous at the start and end, but then most people are.and now I have a functioning band (knock on wood) and we even get paid sometimes! Rock on!
Weekend Warriors
is not just about playing an instrument!
 Annie Carr joined Weekend Warriors as a singer and believes she got a huge amount out of the program. This is Annie’s story.
I am a vocalist. Many years ago (over 20 actually!) I used to sing in a school band, and occasionally with a pub band in New Zealand. I have been singing regularly at a jam session in Williamstown for about 9 months now (mainly blues) with any combination of musicians from very good to nail- biting country! Prior to Weekend Warriors I had done a couple of sets with two blues bands at an organised gig locally.
Although a lot of focus of Weekend Warriors is on the musicians I felt it also helped me with communicating with the band in terms of how I felt songs should end, and providing emphasis and allowing the quieter build-ups. What I also liked about the program was that it put a bunch of strangers together and challenged us to work as a team. It also assisted in my stage presentation and organisation skills in getting a set together for an organised performance.
The WW program I took part in finished just prior to Easter and then our band, the Black Balloons, played at the Weekend Warriors Good Friday Appeal. Unfortunately the members of ‘Black Balloons’ live quite a distance away from each other and through some ill health within my family I can’t commit to regular playing with the bank…. I would really like to though.
My advice to anyone considering doing this program is not to hesitate as it offers something for everyone that is interested in returning to an instrument or doing vocals. Setting some objectives prior to the program really helped for me to look back and see what I had achieved. Also you only live once (that we know of) so seize the moment and just ‘put it out there’.
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