kimbofo

Of Finns and Barnes

So here we have (above) Jimmy Barnes performing a cover version of The Kinks' Lola with Neil Finn*.

And here's the second generation, EJ Barnes (Jimmy's daughter) and Liam Finn** (Neil's son) performing one of Liam's songs, Better To Be.

Is it any wonder I feel old?

* This is possibly the worst hair style I have ever seen on Neil. Who does the think he is? Paul Weller?

** We've got tickets to see Liam at Bush Hall in November.

Accidentally discovering an internet radio station and a new Tim Finn album

Don't know how this happened, but I stumbled upon a great music website this afternoon called last.fm

You type in the name of an artist you like and it creates a radio playlist for you comprising tracks from that band plus similar-sounding artists. It's pretty reliable. I plugged in "U2" and it came up with tracks from REM, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen and Simple Minds.

You can choose to block certain tracks or highlight your favourites.

I enjoyed listening to Crowded House Radio and actually came across a song by Tim Finn I'd never heard before: the very lush, The Byrds-inspired Straw To Gold. It's from his latest album, The Conversation, which I've somehow overlooked, because it was released in Australia last November! Thank goodness, then, for last.fm because I've been able to listen to the whole thing without actually having to buy it first...

'Persuasion' by Tim Finn and Richard Thompson

My favourite Tim Finn song performed on Later with Jools Holland in 1993.

Thanks to Perry Middlemiss for sending me the link to this, I would never have seen it otherwise.

Tim Finn's 'Spiritual Hunger'

The internet never ceases to amaze me. So much trash and treasure from my formative years, which would normally be consigned to the dustbin of history, is there for the finding.

Take tonight's discovery. Tim Finn's Big Canoe is one of my favourite albums, a little-known gem that I picked up for a bargain basement price back in Australia about 15 years ago, and then played to death -- usually on headphones while lying in the dark.

My favourite song on the album is Spiritual Hunger, with its thumping drumbeat and its rousing female vocals, but until now I had never seen the video for it. In fact, I didn't even know there was a video for it.

So tonight I accidentally stumble upon it. Two things struck me immediately. First, he is bloody young. Given the album's from 1986 and he was born in 1952, that makes him 34, but he looks more baby-faced than that. And second, is that Phil Judd playing the guitar in the church? Phil Judd, the joint founder of Split Enz, with whom he had a massive falling out? Can any Finn or Judd aficionado explain?

Music links

Here's a few music-related bits and bobs that have amused me this afternoon:

• A review of Nick Cave's latest concert in Edinburgh.
  
  
• Dumb song lyrics interpreted by a literary expert.
  
  
• Former Blur bassist Alex James admits he prefers classical music these days.
  
  
• A review of Tim Finn's latest album, The Conversation.

Neil Finn's new project

Seven years ago Neil Finn embarked on an exciting project called Seven Worlds Collide in which he invited a handful of musicians to perform a series of shows with him. This festive season he's set to repeat the exercise, but with even more musicians on board:

Over Christmas 2008 and New Year 2009, Neil will bring together the same core band of Johnny Marr, Phil Selway, Ed O’Brien, Sebastian Steinberg and Lisa Germano, along with Liam Finn, to expand the Seven Worlds Collide concept and create a studio album of entirely brand new material in the welcoming surroundings of Roundhead studios in Auckland, NZ.

Neil confirms some other exciting guests will be contributing their time and talent to the album, including four members of Wilco, one of America’s most innovative rock groups: singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, who no doubt will be sharing their exquisite vocal harmonies. Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall is also confirmed, as are Neil’s musical friends from New Zealand, Don McGlashan and Bic Runga. And more guests are expected to be added to the album lineup over the coming weeks.

Click to read the full article.

[Via Fourth Edition]

Liam Finn gig in London, no 2. Alternatively titled I've got sore feet

We saw Liam Finn's second London gig last night. This one was at Cargo, a live music venue in Shoreditch, in a much larger concert space than last week's gig.

We were at the back surrounded by a lot of TALL people, so I didn't get to see much beyond the occasional blur of Liam's beard. But the sound was AWESOME and the set list impressive. He basically played the entire contents of his album, I'll Be Lightning, along with a Neil Young cover and quite a bit of free-fall prog-rocky type stuff that wouldn't have been out of place on a (late era) Split Enz album.

There was also quite a lot of (meaningless but lighthearted) banter between him and EJ Barnes. Both appeared to be having fun (he was drinking whisky, she was on the vodka and lime) and seemed genuinely thrilled that so many people bothered to pay a tenner to turn up to hear them play. (Yes, along with his musical talent, he's also inherited his father's modesty.)

Unfortunately my enjoyment of the gig was hindered by two factors:
1.  It was really bloody hot in the venue ("It's a bit muggy in here, isn't it?" EJ Barnes said between songs), to the point where I could feel the sweat rolling down the back of my leg!; and
2. I was wearing uncomfortable shoes -- high heels, if you must know -- and the balls of my feet were stinging like you wouldn't believe. I kept trying to shift my weight, but it had absolutely no effect whatsoever. I couldn't wait for the gig to finish so I could go home and put my feet up!

That aside, it was an impressive performance, and well worth the pain and discomfort!

Liam Finn gig in London

Subject: Liam Finn
Place: The Cross Kings, London
Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008.
Camera: Sony Ericsson K800i phone.

There were four bands on the bill -- two upstairs, two downstairs in the cellar bar -- but we were there to see just one person. He was the last on stage so we had to wait until 11pm before he strutted his stuff in front of a small, enthusiastic crowd. But he was wandering around the venue beforehand, drinking at the bar, and later on setting up his musical equipment, which is how T took this picture.

(I have to point out that I was too shy to approach him, although T kept egging me on to "go up and say hello" and "go and tell him you remember when he was born"!! Umm, I don't think so.)

Another Finn to love

Don't let the beard fool you. This is Neil Finn's son, Liam.

The eyes are a dead give away, as are many of the mannerisms. I'm not sure the voice is very similar but there's definitely a common musicality.

Having watched this video and listened to this song quite a few times tonight (via Dooce), I am happy to discover that very special Finn musical gene has been handed down. But it does make me feel awfully old. I still remember Neil singing Our Day, a song about his unborn son, way back in 1983!

Crowded House perform Weather With You during their first encore at Wembley -- December 9, 2007