Neil Finn Official Website
A few years ago, in a charity auction for Medicine Mondiale, Neil Finn donated two days in Roundhead Studios in
Auckland along with production advice. Michael Burrows was the lucky winner and the results of those sessions are about to be released on the debut album by his Melbourne band Great Love.
Here’s a preview of one of the tracks featuring Neil on backing vocals.
Directed and edited by Liam and Neil Finn
Filmed by Elroy Finn and George Kannavas.
From Liam’s album The Nihilist.
Liam talks about the track on Stuff.
Click here for details of the Neil & Liam shows in Brussels and London this September.
UPDATED THURSDAY 4th SEPTEMBER
The Bloomsbury Theatre is closed due to asbestos problems. Click here for venue change details.
Neil and Liam Finn will combine forces for three shows in September (scroll for more info).
Botanique Orangerie, Brussels
Friday 18th September 2015
On sale: Friday 26th June 2015
botanique.ticketmatic.com (English)
botanique.ticketmatic.com (Dutch)
botanique.ticketmatic.com (French)
Bloomsbury Theatre, London
UPDATE Thurs 4th Sept: The venue is closed due to asbestos problems.
Click here for venue change details (Shepherd’s Bush Empire)
Monday 21st, Tuesday 22nd, Wednesday 23rd September 2015
“Wrestle With Dad” – Liam Finn
Directed and edited by Liam and Neil Finn
Filmed by Elroy Finn and George Kannavas
From Liam’s album “The Nihilist”
Photo courtesy of Double J
Neil Finn is Artist in Residence this month on ABC’s Double J in Australia. Over four weeks Neil explores the elements that go into a great song, from the lyrics to the chords and melodies, the rhythms to the recording methods.
“The third instalment in my artist of residence adventure with Double J is all about rhythm. I’ll be playing some killer grooves that always go down well at Finn Family parties and some new songs I’ve discovered in the past week. I went searching the internet for a few recordings that would represent some modern forms of rhythm and to see if I could find a contemporary waltz. The only thing I could find was very dark indeed!” – Neil Finn
Paul Delisle of the band Smash Mouth writes of his love for Split Enz on Property of Zack’s Bands on Bands site.
“The breadth of their oeuvre defies any kind of categorization. And believe you me, these puckish Kiwis with the fucked up hair-do’s could downright ROCK YOUR ASS OFF live.”
Tickets go on sale on Friday for Neil’s solo concert in Auckland Town Hall. Here’s a hint of things in store. From Neil’s November 2013 concert at St James’s Church in London.
Neil’s interviewed on the first episode of TV3’s Newsworthy, tonight at 10.25, NZ time. The show will be streaming live at this link.
UPDATE 9/6/15 : Watch Neil’s performance of Distant Sun here.
See Neil’s interview here.
Photo of David Farrier, Neil Finn and Samantha Hayes nicked from the Newsworthy Facebook page.
In Neil’s recent chat with ABC’s Libbi Gorr he speaks about the force of “bluff and hard work,” how all creative endeavours are a combination of the former including his most recent album Dizzy Heights.
AUCKLAND TOWN HALL
SATURDAY 18th JULY 2015
Tickets are on sale at 12.00pm Friday 12th June from Ticketmaster.
Frenz of the Enz/Official Neil Finn Fan Club Members will have an opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public from Wednesday 10th June at 12pm until Thursday 11 June 5pm.
For more information on the Club, email peter@frenz.com . Put ‘Fan Club Information’ in the subject area.
Some concerts you simply must see, and when it’s one of New Zealand’s most revered musicians performing at one of New Zealand’s finest concert venues it simply cannot be missed.
Playing songs from his entire career retrospective, Neil Finn will take the stage at the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday 18th July, 2015 for one truly special concert.
The set-list will range right across Finn’s extensive repertoire as he dips in and out of a vast catalogue that spans compositions he’s made famous with Split Enz, Crowded House, The Finn Brothers and through the course of his three solo albums, playing a mix of acoustic and electric, guitar and piano, as well as being joined on some songs by a full string section, arranged by renowned kiwi composer, Victoria Kelly.
Finn said, “I find playing solo to be a very free environment where I’m able to explore strange tangents, reinvent old songs, reminisce with friends and lampoon at will. I love it.”
Recent Neil Finn solo concerts across the ditch were so well received that he has extended the tour to include his hometown of Auckland, New Zealand. Themusic.com.au described the show saying “seeing Neil Finn live is like a comforting hug when you need it most.”
Neil is the patron of Medicine Mondiale, who have developed the Mondiale Lifepod Incubator. Each incubator costs only $2,000 and gives hundreds of babies in the developing world the precious gift of life. All of Neil’s profits from the show will go directly to funding the manufacturing of Lifepod Incubators. www.mondialelifepod.com
Stephen Dowling has photographed Neil at soundchecks many times over the years. His ‘Soundcheck Sessions’ exhibition is on now in London. More details on Lomography’s website. Limited edition prints are available too.
Last night at Sydney’s City Recital Hall, Neil performed the final of four Australian concerts . He was accompanied again in the middle section of songs by members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra on strings with arrangements by Victoria Kelly who backed Neil on piano and vocals. Sharon Finn also sang BVs at the four shows.
And there was a surprise guest appearance for the encore by Jimmy Barnes!
More info in the fan reviews at the Frenz Forum. See photos from the Sydney shows at TheMusic.com.au
The original setlist from Saturday’s concert in Sydney’s City Recital Hall Angel Place. “Golden Child” was replaced by “Better Be Home Soon” and Neil briefly played Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”. See reviews at the Frenz Forum.
For the last of his four Australian concerts, Neil performs at the same venue tonight before returning home to his writing room.
See photos from the Sydney shows at TheMusic.com.au and read Rebecca Neilsen’s review here.
The setlist from last night’s concert at Melbourne Recital Centre. “Golden Child” was replaced by an audience member’s request for “I Hope I Never” – a Split Enz sing written by Tim Finn, but Neil has sung it on the odd occasion in the past and managed to remember most of it. “Never Return” is a new song in progress by Tim and Neil.
Read fan reviews on the Frenz of the Enz Forum.
Neil plays Sydney’s City Recital Hall tonight and tomorrow night.
See photos from the Melbourne shows at themusic.com.au
This is last night’s birthday setlist from the Melbourne Recital Centre. In addition there were snippets of Anyone Can Tell, Cool Change and even I’m Still Here (thanks, Daryl). See fan reviews at Frenz Forum.
Melbourne’s turn again on Friday!
See photos from the Melbourne shows at themusic.com.au and read Bryget Chrisfield’s review here.
Happy birthday to Neil from the NF Team. If you’re attending Neil’s show tonight at the Melbourne Recital Centre, it should be a doozy!
Here’s a highlight from Neil’s birthday in 2010: Crowded House, Johnny Marr and Connan Mockasin covering the David Bowie classic, Moonage Daydream. This was “Five years” ago, fittingly…
While we’re talking about cover versions, here’s X Factor NZ runner up Nyssa Collins with a beautiful Samoan take on “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”
Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande have covered the Crowded House classic “Don’t Dream It’s Over”. It’s part of Miley’s Backyard Sessions with funds raised going toward the The Happy Hippie Foundation, creating digital support groups for LGBT youth and their families.
Neil tweeted today:
“DDIO well covered for a good cause, Miley and Ariana well covered too.”
When Billboard contacted Neil, he said “What a life that song has had. I’m happy to see them enjoying it so much and hope it inspires some donations to a good cause.”
Photo credit: Jeremy Ansell/Radio NZ
Radio New Zealand is highlighting a selection of live performances recorded over the years, presented one-a-day for the month of May – New Zealand Music Month 2015. Today it’s Crowded House live at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios, 13th July 2007.
“You And I Know”, a previously unreleased track from Neil Finn’s Dizzy Heights sessions, kicks off The Kitchen Sink III, the latest volume in our collection of rare studio and live tracks, demos and oddities from Neil Finn, Crowded House, Split Enz, The Finn Brothers and more.
We’ll add more audio from the archives to this album in the coming months. Listen to more rarities in The Kitchen Sink I and II on the Music page
The nilfun team films the 60 Minutes team filming Neil Finn. Nilfun only lasted a few years but a few musical games and art pieces similar to those shown here have been collected on our nilfun page.
60 Minutes interviewer: Cameron Bennett. Video captured by in October 2000 by nilfun web designer, Rakai Karaitiana.
