Story and photos by

Blair Martin
Contributing Writer

For the past five months, the hard rock band Kilroy has been entertaining island audiences, with hopes of breaking into the Oahu music scene.

The band, which plays all original rock songs, is comprised primarily of active duty and former military service members, choosing to lend their musical talents after hours while juggling hectic work schedules or deployments.

"Being part of Kilroy is a lot of fun and we all hope to be able to make something out of it," said bass guitarist and Army veteran Todd Anthony. "The [band] has taken us places we've never been, to stages we've never thought possible, and we've met hundreds of people who are just like us. It's a powerful thing, man."

The band formed in October 2009, when lead guitarist Richard Barber, the only non-military band member, decided to post an inquiry on Craig's List looking for seasoned musicians interested in a jam session.

Barber, who writes much of the band's original music, said all of his band members share the same common desire to make music.

"Writing songs is my way of making sense of the world," he explained. "The music is a vehicle to deliver that message. After moving back to Honolulu, I set out putting ads on Craig's List looking for like-minded musicians."

Soon, his postings were answered by Anthony, now working in civil service after an 11-year Army career. Later on, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Claude Paddock joined the band as drummer as well as Navy Chief Warrant Officer 3 Doyle Purdy on lead vocals and guitar.

Anthony, a former Soldier in the Army Ranger Regiment as well as in the 10th Special Forces Group, said the common theme of military background helped him and other band members "click" during initial band rehearsals.

"I love being part of a team, especially a team that wants to succeed," he said. "Believe it or not, you get to listen to a lot of music while in the military. I was in the infantry, so every time we were on a Blackhawk or jumping from a plane, we had our music."

In the beginning, Anthony also suggested to name the band 'Kilroy,' which had been an expression adopted by U.S. servicemen during the WWII and Korean War-era. Legend has it that service members would doodle the phrase "Kilroy was here" on the walls where they were stationed, deployed or visited.

The name stuck and the common theme of military service continues to resonate with the band members.

Purdy said the skills he has gained from his 24-year naval career have helped him effectively juggle his responsibilities to the Navy as well as to the band.

"While in the Navy, I am on duty 365 days a year," Purdy said. "The experience I have gained through the military helps me assist other band members in managing band dynamics like scheduling, practices and promotions. Not only am I committed to my [day] job, I apply the same level of commitment to all I do and that includes Kilroy," he added.

Drumming since he was five years old, Paddock said although making music has been a part of his life since childhood, it does not always complement the constant demands of being an active-duty Airman.

"It makes it extremely difficult to commit to a band," he said of his 18-year Air Force career. "I have been hesitant over my career to join a band because deployments and TDYs force time away from the band and that makes it hard. The last thing you want is to get a band rolling (like Kilroy) and then you get a snap deployment or TDY that takes you away for an extended period of time," he added.

Paddock, who recently found out he will PCS in July, is now focusing on getting the band established with regular gigs while they continue to look for an eventual replacement drummer.

"My goal with Kilroy is to provide Todd, Doyle and Richard a good drummer for a relatively short period of time and to get the band going and hope for the best in the future," Paddock added.

Purdy, who is stationed in Hawaii for at least another three years, said immediate plans for the band are to continue finding local venues to perform at as well as releasing a debut CD they are currently working on within the following months.

In addition to their local gigs, Purdy said the band hopes to perform at local military installations, such as Army Schofield Barracks, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) in Kaneohe or at the enlisted club at Hickam Air Force Base.

For more information about Kilroy or for a show schedule, visit www.kilroymusic.com.