Biography
Nick’s upbringing provided an ideal grounding in music of all genres. From the time he was born, he was exposed daily to a household full of music, listening intently to our favourite classical blues, rock, jazz and classical records. Musical talent was abundant on both sides of the family, through multi-generations. It was heartening to see that Nick was his happiest around music.
After studying classical and jazz piano, along with flute and piccolo from age four, Nick began to learn guitar at age eleven, then bass. He’d found his instrument and excelled!
At Newington College Nick played wind instruments in the school band and orchestra, while studying theory of music. In Year 12, he came dux of Environmental Science and considered doing a degree in that field, but music was his greatest love. He attended the Australian Institute of Music to study a Bachelor of Contemporary Music degree, graduating with High Distinctions in 2005.
Music Career
A formidable guitar and bass player with a brilliant technique helped by his extraordinarily long slender fingers, Nick Weaver is regarded as one of the best in Australia. He also developed a unique style with effects pedals.
Nick is known globally as the co-founder, bassist, guitarist of indie rock bank, Deep Sea Arcade which began in his early teens from a makeshift home recording studio. The band was active from 2010 to 2019. In addition to several singles, their debut album, Outlands, was released worldwide in 2012 {Ivy League Records}, followed by Blacklight album in 2018 {Universal Music Australia}.
Nick was also guitarist, bassist and co-writer for The Tambourine Girls with founder and singer of the band and close friend, Simon Relf. He also played bass and for The Strides and Watussi. He was a sought-after session player.
Nick toured widely with Deep Sea Arcade, managing the band while playing to capacity crowds at concerts throughout Europe, South America and the UK, featuring at Festivals like the Great Escape in Brighton and Primavera Sound in Barcelona. A Netherlands festival was most memorable for fans floating in boats on a lake lit with candles singing along to every word of the songs. The band regularly headlined sold-out concerts around Australia.
While living in the UK in 2013, they worked with music greats including acclaimed UK mixer/producer Dan Grech-Marguerat. They performed with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Kaiser Chiefs, Cloud Control, Modest Mouse, Temples, The Charlatans, Girls, to name just a few.
Australian music veteran, Michael Chugg, announced in 2013, “Deep Sea Arcade are one of the best bands in Australia, and we’re very excited to be working with them”.
His Fatal Illness
Nick tragically died of a rare, ferocious, metastatic bowel cancer last year at age 37. The disease was totally unexpected, a terrible shock for him, his family and friends. It was not genetic and he was very healthy, fit, happy and productive so it made no sense. He’d also looked after himself, had a nutritious, mainly Mediterranean diet, walked 5 - 10 km daily, saw his doctor whenever he had a problem, had a fantastic sense of humour and enjoyed life immensely. We will always ask why?
Marriage to his muse and inspiration
Three days before his death, Nick married his long-term partner, Tia, all the time believing he would
beat this “beast” as he called it.
His positive attitude, enduring strength against intolerable liver pain and his desire to put on the
bravest front were remarkable, inspiring, downright noble. He retained his sense of humour and
wisdom even at the darkest times. We were in absolute awe of Nick and so were the doctors and
nursing staff who formed close bonds with him.
Nick's Solo Work
Nick was in the midst of many musical projects when he was diagnosed.
A few years before, he began to create his own solo compositions, writing lyrics, singing and playing multi instruments. It was as if he was liberated, bursting with ideas, his creativity surging. COVID lockdown was a boon, providing the time and isolation he needed to immerse himself in composing. He set up a studio in a spare room at home to record and mix the songs, backing up at another studio he hired in Camperdown. He laid his voice on multiple tracks to create depth, superb harmony and a chorus effect.
Nick’s aim was to release these thirteen compositions in a solo album in 2021 - 22 and he was almost finished. All that needed to be done was for drums to be recorded, the songs to be mixed, mastered, packaged and launched.
He also co-composed another set of twelve amazingly beautiful songs in quite a different style, for his new band, Salmon Brothers, which he formed with well-known percussionist Nick Meredith. They did a photo shoot in preparation for an imminent launch. This album is now set to be released in early 2023.
Yet another big project was also well underway with The Tambourine Girls. With founder, singer and close friend Simon Relf, Nick had been recording the band’s upcoming album, playing lead guitar, singing harmony on a few tracks and collaborating on composition.
The cancer put a stop to any more progress on these three albums. Nick was devastated, in deep shock, having to suddenly face such an unlikely cruel disease and an uncertain future.
The doctors told him it was caused by nothing he did. There was nothing he could have done to avoid it. He had no markers at all for this cancer. It was just “very, very bad luck”.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY BRING SOLO ALBUM TO FRUITION
Nick spent his last days at home. The day before he died, as he was becoming weaker, I realised all his wonderful music and lyrics were locked in his computer. It needed to be preserved and completed, nothing missed, as Nick dearly wished.
I asked his friend Simon Relf to urgently come over after Nick had taken his medication and had a sleep. The idea was to ask him to share this data, to retrieve the hard drive and passwords. Simon explained how he wanted to finish recording drums and mixing the songs so they would be ready for Nick to add the final touches when he was better. Nick agreed to share his passcodes, lucidly gave some highly technical instructions about how the drums should be performed, the only instrument Nick had not played and recorded. He then then collapsed back in bed.
We all believed he would have been at peace, knowing the project was about to forge ahead until he was better.
After Nick passed away on 21st April 2021, out of this unbearable tragedy, a truly wonderful thing happened.
His close music friends, Tia and family rallied together. We vowed to finish the solo album to the highest quality, as near as possible to the way Nick, a relentless perfectionist, would have produced it. His devoted mum would direct and finance the process, whatever it took.
In various folders on his computer, thankfully, Nick had left everything in order. Always a great record-keeper, he kept meticulous notes about each song; drafts of lyrics were there, hundreds of digital tracks, special effects; nothing overlooked.
Within a month, we started. Drummers, Carlos Adura, Nick Meredith and Miles Thomas spent several days recording percussion to Nick’s strict specifications - he’d left demo tracks for them to follow. The mixing process was often painstaking as the team agonised over how Nick would have expected notes to finally sound and at what level, how he wanted his voice to be edited etc. His demonstration tracks were always our reference point: “What would Nick have done?” was our constant concern. We didn’t give up until we were satisfied his wishes were followed, to the very
best of our ability.
Pat Harris, guitarist for Deep Sea Arcade and The Tambourine Girls provided invaluable technical skills, including the superb layout and artwork for the album and CD. Simon Relf, Deep Sea Arcade guitarist and founder/singer of The Tambourine Girls guided us along the way on production. Nick’s mother, Helen Wellings, financed and supervised every stage of the project, ensuring all lived up to Nick’s ideals.
We completed the mixing of songs in five different Sydney sound recording studios of his choice. Then they were sent to London to be mastered by Guy Richie of Electric Mastering.
I commissioned LA’s wonderful Section Quartet to play and record orchestral overlays composed by Nick for the title song, “Won’t Let Go.”
The result is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful solo album called “Won’t Let Go”, intensely personal compositions with stunning lyrics, thirteen songs that stay fixed in your head. It’s as if his soul has come to the surface in this music about true love, sincerity, beauty, loss, selfishness, deception and narcissism, revealing his breadth and brilliance.
The album is a memorial to Nick Weaver, a vital legacy honouring his music and allowing his fans worldwide to appreciate his remarkable talents.
Nick’s rapid, aggressive cancer and tragic passing was deeply felt by family, friends, and fans all around the world. His funeral was attended by the who’s who of the music industry, many coming from interstate and overseas. The venue was packed with hundreds of mourners, many having to stand outside to listen to the proceedings. Family and close friends gave astounding eulogies while Nick’s solo music was played throughout. A tearful guard of honour formed along the street as Nick was driven away.
It was the warmest, saddest send-off imaginable.
Other talents
Nick was an avid Scrabble and Chess player. His competitors commented, “No-one could beat Nick at Scrabble!”.
He loved good food, became an excellent cook, making his own pasta, vegetable dishes, delicious fish meals and salads.
He was a book reader, a prose writer; a pod-cast enthusiast; a lover of many music genres; a humourist who was great company.
The lyrics he composed for his solo album reveal a poet adept at expressing his innermost, personal feelings.
Nick was also honing his skills as a photographer. He owned many film cameras, some several decades old. He loved the grainy quality they produced. One photo he took of a soaring bird features on the sleeve of his solo album, Won’t Let Go.
He planted a garden of shrubs and herbs, was knowledgeable about birds, flowers and trees and was fascinated by cloud formations, stars, planets and the phases of the moon. Tia’s and his adored rescue dog, Ellie, and their quirky Selkirk cat Tony Soprano were constant companions.
He mentored many young musicians, helping them refine their techniques and produce their albums.
People Nick knew described him as a “special person”. Many commented, once meeting him they couldn’t wait to see him again. He listened carefully to what others had to say, usually following up with a perceptive or witty observation. He could see through people in a flash!
One friend, professional Photographer Anna Turner states:
He was “wise, thoughtful, considerate, hilarious, inclusive, philosophical, passionate, generous, whimsical. I don’t know how he was so wise and how he knew how to live and love so well, but he did.”
His mother described Nick as her “guiding light”. “He always gave excellent advice based on sound principles”. His friends, {he had a lot of wonderful close friends}, said he was the “most stable person” they knew, always there for them when they needed good counsel. He thought about others.
Nick had confidence but was never driven by ego. You might find him towards the back of a photo, not pushing to the front!
He possessed enormous intelligence, empathy, sensitivity and a great understanding of life and the way the world worked. He had a quiet charisma. Everyone who knew him enjoyed his sense of humour – he had a quick wit that would have people in stitches. Overall, he was a positive person, always knowing how to make life interesting and amusing.
Nick has left us, but he lives on endlessly in our hearts and through his music.