Neil Finn Official Website
Neil Finn talked today to Radio New Zealand’s Emma Smith about “Divebomber”, the first song released from his upcoming solo album Dizzy Heights. Listen to this Music 101 interview below.
Seen Neil’s self-made video?
Dizzy Heights will be released in February. Pre order at iTunes, Amazon or JB Hi-Fi or the Neil Finn Store.
Neil Finn & Paul Kelly – Goin’ Your Way is released in Australasia tomorrow on 2CD, DVD, Blu-Ray and Deluxe editions. More details at www.goinyourway.com.au and in our October 10th diary.
Just quietly, here’s a FIVE STAR REVIEW!!
neilfinn.com team
The video of last week’s webcast from Roundhead studios is now archived online. Watch below! Click on the lower right corner of the frame to make the video full screen.
03:32 Private Universe
09:09 Daydream Believer
11:57 Not The Girl You Think You Are
17:16 Dizzy Heights
21:23 Impressions
31:12 White Lies and Alibis
37:17 In My Blood
46:30 Kare Kare
Neil Finn’s Dizzy Heights concert at Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, has been announced for April 10th, 2014.
Fan club presale: Tues 5th Nov 10am – Thurs 7th Nov 10pm (local time)
General sale: Friday 8th Nov 10am.
Tickets at www.ticketmaster.com
More shows in the Dizzy Heights world tour will be announced soon.
neilfinn.com
NZ On Screen is highlighting classic Split Enz TV clips and documentaries to commemorate 40 years since the band’s first TV appearance.http://www.nzonscreen.com/spotlight/enzeds-greatest-band
From the forthcoming album “Dizzy Heights” out February 2014.
Pre-order “Dizzy Heights” and get “Divebomber” instantly: http://smarturl.it/dizzyheights
Not long to go until Neil’s live webcast from Roundhead Studios in Auckland.
Join us here at neilfinn.com this Friday, November 1st at 10am NZDT.
That’s Thursday, October 31st at 5pm EDT, US.
Click here to find out what time that is in your hometown: http://smarturl.it/neilfinntime
Have a question for Neil? Tweet, Facebook or Google+ your question with the hashtag #NeilFinnLive
We hope to have the webcast available on demand after the live broadcast.
neilfinn.com
Mark your calendars!
Join Neil Finn for a webcast from Auckland’s Roundhead Studios this Friday, November 1st 2013 at 10am NZDT.
That’s Thursday, October 31st at 5pm EDT, US.
Click here to find out what time that is in your hometown: http://smarturl.it/neilfinntime
neilfinn.com
Neil Finn: An Intimate Night of Dizzy Heights
An acoustic performance of new songs from his first solo album in over a decade – Dizzy Heights.
November 19th – Los Angeles, CA
Largo at Coronet Theater
On Sale – October 25th at 10am Pacific time
November 21st – New York, NY
Le Poisson Rouge
On Sale: October 25th at 12pm Eastern time
November 27th – London, UK
St James’ Church
Pre-Sale: Wednesday 23rd October 2013 starts at 9am GMT
General On-Sale: Friday 25th October 2013 at 9am GMT
The showcases will be about an hour long and will focus on the new songs. A little different from the usual Neil Finn concert – and not to be missed. Tickets for Neil’s surprise show at Largo in August sold out extremely quickly, so be ready on the 25th!
This month we’ve been celebrating the 20th anniversary of Together Alone, the fourth album by Crowded House. See our posts on Neil Finn’s Facebook page in which we discuss various singles from the album. There’s a lot of love for these songs, it seems. We’ll highlight more tracks from Together Alone throughout October.
ABC Arts Online published a new interview with Neil today as he reflects on his favourite Crowded House album, twenty years on. The interview’s by Barnaby Smith.
neilfinn.com
“…this was an unforgettable concert.” - The West Australian
“…ultimately it's the interplay – visual, verbal, musical – between Kelly and Finn that elevates the show to something more special than most.” - The Sydney Morning Herald
“Listening to the two stars use their unique vocals to put a new spin on each other’s classics was a truly fascinating experience.” - The Age
“The night was a lesson in song writing, courtesy of two of the best in the business.” - The Australian
In early 2013, Neil Finn and Paul Kelly - two of the best songwriters of their generation –– put together a concert tour that was in every sense the highlight of 2013. Kelly and Finn delved into each other’s catalogues rummaging around for their favourite tunes; trying new things on songs that had become part of the nation’s fabric.
Now – on 8th November 2013, EMI Music Australia is proud to release ‘Goin Your Way’. It will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray and 2CD – and also on a limited edition Deluxe format – combining all the formats (DVD and Blu-Ray and 2CD) beautifully housed in a superb box set alongside a 54 page booklet featuring memorabilia from the tour.
Recorded at the Sydney Opera House, 'Goin’ Your Way' is a sublime meeting of talents, a once-in-a-lifetime reimagining of Australia's favourite songs. Simply one of the greatest concert experiences of this century. Bob Clearmountain, known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and many others mixed the tapes while VMA-winning director Paul Goldman (Suburban Mayhem) directed the concert DVD. Their peers at the prestigious Helpmann Awards voted the event “Best Australian Contemporary Concert”.
Finn and Kelly have been friends since they first met in Melbourne in the early 1980s when they were both starting out in the vibrant Australian pub rock scene. In 1987, Neil invited Paul and his band the Messengers to support Crowded House on an American tour and their paths have crossed regularly since. In 2012, the idea of a joint tour was raised.
“We didn’t want this to be in any way a token romp through each other’s songs,” said Neil at the time. “We wanted to put the work and time into creating distinctive versions that are unique to this tour and are never going to sound the same again.”
"We're different songwriters but there's a lot of common ground," said Paul. "We both like melody. We're roughly from the same era. We've grown up listening to a lot of the same music. We both like pop music and probably both could sing a lot of Beatles songs."
Potential set lists were exchanged via email. In late 2012, Paul and his guitarist Dan Kelly (who is also his nephew) flew to Auckland to play with Neil and his drummer Elroy Finn (who is also his son). When rehearsals moved to Melbourne, Zoe Hauptman joined the crew on acoustic and electric bass guitar and harmonies. As wish list of 50 songs became a ever-changing set list of about 35. The choice of material covered plenty of hits but also some personal favourites, new songs and a few surprises.
Former Split Enz spoon player and art director Noel Crombie was enlisted for visuals. Together with Sally Mill he created a multi-faceted backdrop that suggested a mythical bush glade. Taking their cue from the staging, Neil and Paul opened the show walking on to a darkened stage carrying campfire lanterns. They exchanged a joke and then went into the show proper.
For more than two hours they explored the craft of song writing; swapping verses, rearranging songs and memorably taking over one of the others’ classics: Paul reinvented the Crowded House classic “Into Temptation” while Neil brought a stark new light onto Paul's “(You Can Put Your) Shoes Under My Bed.” The band brought freshness to the material - rocking out “Distant Sun” and “Love Is the Law” or exploring the subtleties of “New Found Year” and “Private Universe”. The shows blended the hugely popular “To Her Door”, “Four Seasons In One Day”, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “Fall At Your Feet”, “How To Make Gravy”, “Leaps and Bounds”, “One Step Ahead” “Better Be Home Soon” “Deeper Water” “Before Too Long” with some more obscure tracks like “Sinner” or “Don’t Stand So Close to the Window” and finished with a version of “Words of Love” from Buddy Holly via The Beatles and a haunting rendition of “Moon River”.
The tour kicked off on February 16 with a 7-night stand at the Palais in Melbourne and then romped around the country playing to 30,000 at the opening of the Adelaide Festival and finishing with 5 nights at the Sydney Opera House. More than 100,000 people came to the 21 sold-out shows.
Goin’ Your Way – out on DVD, Blu-Ray, 2CD and Limited Edition Deluxe – November 8th.
Pre-order at www.goinyourway.com.au
Please note that Going’ Your Way will be released in Australia and New Zealand only, but the site above ships internationally.
UPDATE, DECEMBER 2014: We’ve heard from Get Music’s customers that the DVD is not region free, as previously advertised, but is set to Zone 4. Blu-Ray region has not been verified yet. If you live outside of Australasia and do not have a disc player capable of playing all regions, it might pay to hold off for now until EMI/Universal can rectify the error.
Goin’ Your Way (2CD)
CD1
1. Don’t Stand So Close To The Window
2. Four Seasons In One Day
3. Before Too Long
4. She Will Have Her Way
5. Not The Girl You Think You Are
6. For The Ages
7. Sinner
8. Won’t Give In
9. Careless
10. Leaps And Bounds
11. Only Talking Sense
12. New Found Year
13. Into Temptation
14. You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed
15. Private Universe
CD2
16. Dumb Things
17. One Step Ahead
18. Deeper Water
19. Better Be Home Soon
20. How To Make Gravy
21. Distant Sun
22. Winter Coat
23. Fall At Your Feet
24. To Her Door
25. Don’t Dream It’s Over
26. Message To My Girl
27. Love Is The Law
28. Words Of Love
29. Moon River
DVD and Blu-Ray
1 Introduction
2 Before Too Long
3 She Will Have Her Way
4 Not The Girl You Think You Are
5 For The Ages
6 Sinner
7 Won't Give In
8 Careless
9 Leaps And Bounds
10 Into Temptation
11 You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed
12 Private Universe
13 Dumb Things
14 One Step Ahead
15 Deeper Water
16 Better Be Home Soon
17 How To Make Gravy
18 Distant Sun
19 Winter Coat
20 Fall At Your Feet
21 Love Is The Law
22 Message To My Girl
23 To Her Door
24 Don't Dream It's Over
25 Moon River
26 Words Of Love
DVD/Blu-Ray BONUS MATERIAL: Finn / Kelly : Orientation Day
Limited Edition Deluxe (2CD + DVD AND BLU-RAY + 54 page booklet, with exclusive tour artwork).
Pre-order at www.goinyourway.com.au
Excavated from the archive and added today to The Kitchen Sink II is “Platform Three”, composed by Neil and performed by his short-lived band After Hours. This demo was recorded in Auckland on the 7th of April 1977. The very next day, Neil headed for London as the new guitarist for Split Enz.
After Hours line-up:
Neil Finn: vocals, piano, guitar
Geoff Chunn: vocals, guitar
Alan Brown: bass
Mark Hough: percussion, accordian (Mark had left the band before this demo was made)
Brent Eccles: percussion (replaced Mark)
You can hear more about After Hours in the Radio New Zealand series Enzology – The Story of Split Enz
Neil’s early recordings begin 40 minutes and 50 seconds into Episode 3 below.
“Old enough to know who you are…”
Together Alone, the fourth album from Crowded House, was released twenty years ago this month! Recorded mainly at Karekare on the west coast of Auckland, New Zealand, Together Alone reflects the wild and isolated location and remains many fans’ favourite Crowded House album.
Watch the making of the album.
Listen to Together Alone in full.
We may well dig out some Together Alone treasures from the vault in the coming weeks, among other items…
neilfinn.com
UPDATE, 2nd October:
The half hour test webcast was successful. Looked and sounded excellent, thanks to the technical team gathered in Neil’s private studio/writing room at Roundhead Studios. Being a practice run through only, it hasn’t been archived online but future webcasts most likely will be.
Neil played three songs:
Only Talking Sense
Wherever You Are
Late In Rome
plus some classical numbers on piano (is it uncultured to call them numbers?) The studio dogs Lorraine and Tess were there as Neil showed us a few instruments, a few Tweeted questions were answered and notes were made in preparation for the first of the proper webcasts later this month. Next time there’ll be more microphones to catch the banter between songs, there’ll be new songs from the new album Dizzy Heights and there could well be a few guest artists and other delights. And we hope to give you a bit more notice before it happens!
neilfinn.com
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Join Neil for a test live webcast from Auckland’s Roundhead Studios, Wednesday October 2nd, 11am NZ time.
That’s…
Melbourne: 8am Weds Oct 2nd
Tokyo: 7am Weds Oct 2nd
London: 11pm Tues Oct 1st
New York: 6pm Tues Oct 1st
Los Angeles: 3pm Tues Oct 1st
To work out what 11am New Zealand time equates to at your place, go to http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html
This is a rehearsal webcast, so anything goes… or doesn’t go (you never know. Hence the rehearsal!) If you can’t be in front of a screen this time, there will be other webcasts in the near future.
The new solo album Dizzy Heights will be mastered at Sterling Sound tomorrow. The final mixes are done and the track sequence sorted. Neil gave the album a good road testing today, disappearing out west for a few hours.
As promised, later on in October we’ll have more news about the album and the upcoming world tour.
Crucible – The Songs of Hunters and Collectors is due out on Liberation on September 27th.
Have a listen to Neil Finn and Eddie Vedder covering the classic “Throw Your Arms Around Me”.
Earlier this week, Neil answered possibly the most important question anyone’s asked him in a while:
@IzzyH4229 yes ..there will be vinyl
— neil mullane finn (@NeilFinn) September 15, 2013
Looking forward to Neil’s new solo album coming out in early 2014. Coincidentally, the neilfinn.com office was playing Pajama Club’s 2011 vinyl release in the weekend. Drop the needle on the video below.
A month ago, Neil tweeted about the upcoming Falls festival:
the @fallsofficial will be the beginning of a the new me , Dizzy Heights !
— neil mullane finn (@NeilFinn) August 14, 2013
It was a big clue, but few knew at the time that Neil was giving away his album title.
Neil talks a bit about his new solo album, Dizzy Heights (due early 2014) in this interview published today:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/a/-/entertainment/18890451/finn-reaches-dizzy-heights-with-new-album/
In further Twitter news, the NZ Listener’s Tony Manhire picks highlights from Neil’s Twitter Q&A earlier this week:
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/an-interview-with-neil-finn-by-twitter/
Another live Question and Answer session is coming up at www.twitter.com/neilmullanefinn
Ask Neil anything… except “What is your favourite…”
The session time will be:
Auckland: 10am, Monday 9th September.
Melbourne: 8am, Monday 9th September.
London: 11pm, Sunday 8th September.
New York: 6pm, Sunday 8th September.
Los Angeles: 3pm, Sunday 8th September.
UTC: 2200, Sunday, 8th September.
To work out what time that will be at your place, go to www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html
Neil Finn’s solo show at Largo, Los Angeles
Only Talking Sense
Silent House
Not the Girl You Think You Are
Message to My Girl
I Feel Possessed
Dive Bomber
Faster Than Light
Pour Le Monde
Wherever You Are
Private Universe
Sinner
Four Seasons In One Day
Strangest Friends
Better Than TV
Recluse
Impressions
Dizzy Heights
Fall At Your Feet
I Got You
All You Need Is Love
Don’t Dream It’s Over
After the first eight songs, Neil was joined by Jon Brion and later Sharon Finn. Six new songs were played in public for the first time. Better than TV!
