Weddings Parties Anything

Wedding Parties Anything uniquely combined the 'bush' music which came to Australia with its original white settlers, and the punk rock attitude of the Seventies.

Michael Thomas started out playing in bush bands when he was 16, and was a solo folk artist in his mid-teens in Geelong, Victoria's second biggest city, before graduating to the pop bands more typical of musicians of his generation. Michael's first appearance on record was with Geelong group the Never Never Band, which issued an independent single in 1981. Michael also spent some time in front of 60s pop revivalists the Acrobats. In late 1984 after struggling for a couple of years in Melbourne's pub rock scene with bands like Where's Wolfgang and Trial, Michael formed the first version of Weddings, Parties, Anything. The name came from a throwaway line during the fade-out on Clash's 'Revolution Rock'. Michael Thomas' idea behind WPA was to combine that punk rock inspiration with his original love for the honest storytelling in folk music. This rock band had a piano accordion player.

In early 1985 the group's original piano accordion player was replaced by Mark Wallace. Michael Thomas had placed an ad looking for an accordion player, and maybe not surprisingly didn't draw a reply. He then looked through the phone book for music schools and lists of their past students. After four or five schools he came up with Mark Wallace, who'd been playing in his dad's Scottish Club band. "Wally" was also listening to rock bands like Violent Femmes. Like Michael Thomas he was keen to put the accordion into a modern context.

Another important inclusion to the line-up was guitarist Dave Steel, "veteran" of pub rock bands like Strange Tenants and Fire Down Below. As well as his guitar Dave brought to WPA a second songwriting option.

With original drummer David Adams, it was this four piece Weddings Parties Anything which released a four track self-titled EP on the group's own Suffering Tram label. By the time they released their version of Tex Morton's 'Sgt.Small' as a single, the line-up comprised Michael Thomas, Mark Wallace, Dave Steel, bassist Janine Hall (allowing Michael to move to guitar) and new drummer Marcus Schintler. 'Sgt.Small' was written in the 30s about the Queensland Police Force, and was the first song ever banned in Australia.

In 1987 WPA released its first album 'The Scorn Of The Women'. They recorded it as another independant release, but on the strength of the group's ever growing live following, the group ended up being offered a recording contract and the album was released by Warners. Eight songs were by Michael Thomas, three by Dave Steel, and one was an adaption of a poem by Berthold Brecht. Written in the Eighties and inspired by the folk music of the past, the songs had a timelessness about them. Just before the sessions for WPA's second album, 'Roaring Days', bassist Janine Hall was replaced by Peter Lawler, adding mandolin to the band's repertoire.

Dave Steel left in mid-1988 after three years with the band, replaced by Richard Burgman of the Sunnyboys. Two years later Burgman left to be replaced by Paul Thomas of Huxton Creepers. Weddings Parties Anything always stayed close to their pub rock roots. After Dave Steel left, the songwriting fell completely onto Michael Thomas's broad and capable shoulders. For 'The Big Don't Argue' Michael Thomas' songwriting took that step forward, no longer relying on an umbilical chord to his folk roots. Michael was writing about his own life, and our lives, inside that musical context WPA had invented for itself. It was a message being heard beyond Australian shores. Weddings were starting to regularly tour the US and Canada.

In 1990 WPA parted company with Warners. It wasn't until 1992 that they delivered a new album. The songs for 'Difficult Loves' were put together during a "getting away from it all" bonding session in the Tasmanian "wilderness". They were still Michael Thomas' songs, but everyone had had a chance to have their input on how the songs were to be presented before the album was recorded, with 'Scorn Of The Women' producer Alan Thorne. It was only when the album was finished that at a new distribution deal was signed, with RooArt. On an industry level it was a make or break album for WPA. The lead song 'Father's Day' (about a separated father's visitation rights) made sure of that. It was Wedding Parties Anything's first radio airplay hit, and won Michael Thomas the songwriter of the year award.

Without compromising, 1993's 'King Tide' did its best to zero in on the new mainstream territory WPA had won for itself. This release was highlighted by the "after the event" sporting anthem, 'Monday's Experts'. Despite the two best selling albums of their career, radio airplay, and a guaranteed audience every time they played, after two albums with RooArt, the band found itself without a record contract again. Rather than leave their fans waiting the next Weddings album was a mail-order release, 'Donkey Serenade', featuring new bass player Stephen 'Irish' O'Prey, formerly of the Badloves. Michael Barclay then replaced drummer Schintler, and violinist Jen Anderson became an official instead of part-time member for 'River'esque'.

The rest of Wedding Parties and Parties could have kept going forever - their live audience looked like it would have kept attending forever - but Michael Thomas felt Weddings was at the point of repeating itself. He decided to mount a farewell tour, and a final album was recorded at the band's traditional sell-out Christmas shows at Melbourne's Central Club, an event which had become an institution over some ten years, part of the beginning of WPA and a fitting end. The title of the double live CD used the phrase often heard about the Weddos, "They Were Better Live".

Mick Thomas continues to perform and record with his new group The Sure Thing.