I told my school career adviser I wanted to be Indiana Jones, just like Harrison Ford.
Indie rock band follows intrepid style of my own action hero, Indy.
I wanted to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex more than anything in the world, I made my arms short and I roamed the back yard ... everybody knew me and was afraid of me, and one day my dad said "Bobby you are 17, it's time to throw childish things aside" and I said "OK Pop", but he didn't really say that he said "Stop being a f***ing dinosaur and get a job" - Dr Robert Doback
Everyone should give up their dreams. It's the only way to move forward.
The Phoenix Foundation gave up theirs before a sold out show in Manchester.
On the surface, performing to a packed room of fans in a foreign land is a dream come true. The band should have been enjoying themselves. Instead they were stressing about UK radio play for their new single.
They were too focused on the big dream to fully enjoy the little successes. Since giving up their dreams things are going great.
They look good, recorded the most upbeat album of their career and released the fantastic Big Mac (Run Rate) - a tribute to Brendon McCullum. It's a must-listen.
In fact the band loved giving up their dreams so much they've called their new album Give Up Your Dreams.
The problem with dreams is knowing when you've achieved them. The finish line just keeps moving away from you. The better you do the bigger your dream becomes. You never get there.
People listen to the Phoenix Foundation all over the world, they've played Glastonbury and performed on Later With Jools Holland. Most NZ bands spend their career outnumbering their audience.
To have any chance of achieving a dream you need to know exactly what it is. Mark it down and don't let it move.
From a young age I had a clear and solid goal. To become Indiana Jones. I told my high school career adviser. She laughed right in my face.
Rightly so. I spent four years studying anthropology and archaeological methods only to still not be Indiana Jones.
No tomb treasures, no casually shooting a Cairo Swordsman in the guts, no jumping off a horse on to a moving tank and no need for a whip. It was a stupid dream and I gave it up. It felt good.
That's when I decided to become a rock star and or Hollywood filmmaker. I've recently given up those dreams too. It's great. Everyone should give up their dreams.
It is worth putting your heart and soul into something for a few years just to feel the sweet joy of giving it up.
Some dreams you should give up before you start. Young people of Auckland definitely give up your dreams of home ownership. Entrepreneurs planning world-changing apps or vodka brands.
Give it up. It won't happen.
That doesn't mean stop doing it. If you love making booze, if you enjoy developing apps do it, if you enjoying saving money for a moving goal house deposit, do it. Giving up your dreams doesn't mean giving up doing what you love. Just because you will never be a Black Cap doesn't mean you should quit your crap little cricket team.
The first thing The Phoenix Foundation did after embracing their GUYD concept was the song Bob Lennon John Dylan. One of their best ever tunes. You can feel the energy of released pressure in that song. Now Sam and Luke are producing Dave Dobbyn's new album. That'd be a dream come true for some.
As Sam from the band says: "It's not about giving up on doing what we love, just taking some expectations away in order to stop pulling our hair out.
"Just allowing ourselves to enjoy where we're at now (which is actually okay, we get to make music and tour for goodness sake) as opposed to freaking out about where we should be."
Whether you dream of being a Black Cap, All Black, homeowner, rockstar, dinosaur or just the PM, give up your dreams. You won't regret it.