Kiwi musician Neil Finn is bringing Crowded House to Napier for two shows this weekend. Photo / File
Crowded House, Finn whānau and Split Enz fans could be watching the beginning of the end of an iconic half-century in New Zealand music as the House end a short New Zealand tour at Church Road Winery in Napier this weekend.
The first gig tonight (Saturday) is sold out, but tickets are still available for the extra show on Sunday night, which frontman Neil Finn said after arriving in Napier could be his last show in New Zealand for quite some time.
But dream, it might not be over. With the idea of a Split Enz-Crowded House 50-years celebration in late 2022 or in 2023 at somewhere like Mission Estate planted firmly in the psyche, he said it might be difficult getting them all together, but added: "Put it in the suggestion box. I like the idea."
The phenomenon of the Finn family and assorted musical brilliants as public property has a history dating back to around 1972, when Split Ends, as the band were called at the time, were the under-bill for blues and rock legend John Mayall.
Neil Finn recalls that at the time he was a 14-year-old "watching" Split Enz and big brother Tim, just as a certain greying Hawke's Bay Today reporter was a youth watching the gig in the Wellington Town Hall - and now yearns for a last hurrah at The Mission.
Neil Finn didn't join the lineup until a few years later, and over the ensuing years has done at least nine shows in Napier – at four different venues, according to some researched history.
There was the Municipal Theatre, with both Split Enz and Crowded House, McLean Park in the 1980s with Split Enz, Church Road once before with Crowded House, and a couple with other gatherings.
One, he doesn't particularly recall, adding he "must have been there", was with Dave Dobbyn and a few others, at The Cabana.
He remembers the tour all right, recalling he only learned of the touring title of "The Party Boys" once it was just about on the road. He didn't particularly approve of the name but says, a little vaguely as to whether he means the tour or the name: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Another was Neil and son Liam in Waipawa three years ago.
Crowded House themselves have a history dating back about 35 years of that half-century, with Finn living the dream perhaps more than ever, agreeing that any successful musician would one day love to experience the stage time with his own sons.
In the current Crowded House lineup he has sons and quality musos in their own rights Liam and Elroy, along with fellow Crowded House founder Nick Seymour and stalwart keyboardist and producer Mitchell Froom.
In he relishes the opportunities Hawke's Bay, recognising the aficionados and high quality of the audiences, which he says is evident even in the walks and visits in the region, from the arts and crafts feel about the shops in a stroll up the main street to the recognisable "crazies" up front in the crowd at each show.
Once the lights are out on Sunday night, the band - industry light-show genius Ben Dalgleish and crew swelling the touring party to over 30 - will pack up and Crowded House will take a break.
As the curtain falls on the shortened tour, fans can expect to have heard more than 20 numbers from the band's vast catalogue, and at least three from soon-to-be-released new album Dreamers Are Waiting, including tour title-track To the Island.
With the global pandemic subduing most things in the performing industry, Crowded House gigs scheduled for the UK, Germany and Spain in June will almost certainly not go ahead, and there are tentative plans for tours of Australia and the US from late this year into the northern hemisphere summer next year.
The venue at both shows opens at 6pm, support act The Beths are on about 7.30pm and Crowded House start about 8.30pm.
As for a real New Zealand celebration of that half-century, hold that thought. But, Crowded House better be home soon.