Museum relics? Not!

FLASHBACK to December 19, 1998 at the opening of Te Awamutu Museum’s ‘True Colours’. CFC

BY DEAN TAYLOR

When Te Awamutu Museum opened its Finn Brothers tribute exhibition ‘True Colours’ Neil Finn signed himself as a ‘museum relic’. That was 10 years ago almost to the day, but for the Finns being a museum relic is about as far from reality as you can get. And what 1998 museum director David Woodings conceived as a temporary exhibition is today as popular as ever with museum visitors.

Te Awamutu Museum senior curator Stephanie Lambert says Finn history is still being made, so it is important the True Colours exhibition remains current to appeal to its audience. Te Awamutu Museum acknowledges that True Colours brings a significant international audience to the town. There is work currently being undertaken to make some improvements to the display which will be implemented early next year.

The popularity of the Finn brothers has not waned in the past decade, and when they do come home they are well received. Tim played a solo concert in Te Awamutu in December 2006 and this year the Finn Brothers Play Gracelands charity concert at the Te Awamutu College Hall raised $50,000 for the Gracelands headquarters building project. The concert sold out in 75 minutes.

The brothers are also patrons of the charitable True Colours Trust and have played three fundraising concerts in Hamilton in the past three years.

To describe their work over the past 10 years is nigh impossible — but as an example elder brother Tim has released four solo albums: Say It Is So, Feeding The Gods, Imaginary Kingdom and the brand new The Conversation. In 2000 he toured with Bic Runga and Dave Dobbyn, releasing the live album Together In Concert. He and brother Neil penned and recorded the second ‘brothers’ album Everyone Is Here in 2004. It was a huge international success which saw the boys touring for about two years.

Tim and Neil were also together in 2006 and 2007 for Australian and New Zealand toured with the reformed Split Enz which resulted in a live CD and DVD.

Meanwhile younger brother Neil released his debut solo album Try Whistling This in 1998 and the follow-up One Nil in 2001. In 1999 Crowded House released Afterglow — it was the then final chapter in the band’s career as they failed to reconcile their differences. Also in 2001 Neil put together an all-star line-up for his 7 Worlds Collide project — the resulting concerts and recordings raising money for Oxfam. His internationally acclaimed Crowded House reformed in 2007, engaging in a world tour and releasing a new album Time On Earth plus various live albums.

Back in New Zealand he built Roundhead Studios, venue for a number of prominent albums— including brother Tim’s new release and the second 7 Worlds Collide chapter currently in progress. Neil has teamed up with mates from the previous project, plus twothirds of Wilco, son Liam, KD Tunstall and Kiwi collaborators Bic Runga and Don McGlashan for a new Oxfam fundraising album and three concerts at The Powerstation in Auckland on January 5-7.

WIN THE CONVERSATION

The Conversation is being hailed as a brilliant new studio album from Tim Finn—organic, intimate, introspective, celebratory. The album feels like no other record the singer/songwriter has ever produced featuring just vocals, guitar, piano and violin.

The first single Out of this World will also feature prominently in Poor Boy which is the new coproduction between the Sydney and Melbourne Theatre Companies. Written by Australian playwright Matt Cameron, the play is inspired by, and features, new and existing Tim Finn songs. Poor Boy is directed by Simon Phillips and opens on January 26 at the MTC’s new theatre before moving to Sydney in July 2009. It will star renowned actor Guy Pearce for its opening season in Melbourne.

Te Awamutu Courier has five copies of The Conversation to give away. To be in to win write your name and phone number on an envelope addressed to Tim Finn CD Competition and get it to our office before January 5, 2009.