Neil Finn is pissed. No, not just cos he got bottled at Coachella. From NZ Herald. [saw this online first - just saw the print version -didn't realise it was front page news.]
"It sort of makes me sick to see Helen Clark getting up at the music awards and taking the bows," Neil Finn says in an interview with Real Groove [May edition].
"Being lauded by the music industry because everyone's getting a handout. It's like New Zealand music is taking over the world and it's all because of Helen.
"I think there is a tendency in New Zealand at the moment, because of NZ on Air dishing out large sums of money, for people to have unreal expectations for what New Zealand music can achieve overseas or is actually achieving.
"I think it would be unrealistic for New Zealanders to expect that more than one or two things at a time would even get attention. But there's a perception that is somewhat hype-generated at the moment that all this music's going out and making a big splash, and it's really not."
... and welcome to NZ Music Month. Comments? Thoughts?
ADDED: NZ Herald readers respond to Neil Finn here.
4 comments:
Didn't know that Finn was such a curmudgeon. Not sure if I agree with him. I'm a firm believer in the state supporting the arts, although I do have problems with the hype and the way 'national identity' is being shoved down our throats right now on many fronts, including music. And Helen comparing pop music to Anzac Day seems a bit off. Anyway, if nothing, Neil is timely as you say. And if you'll forgive the plug, I happen to have just finished a piece for an Australia-based academic journal called Perfect Beat which is devoting a forthcoming issue to Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm presenting a version of this in a seminar the week after next. Blurb below:
Department of Film, Television and Media Studies seminar,
Thursday 17 May, 3:15-4:15 pm
Room 426, Arts 1 Building
14A Symonds Street
Sounds Like Us:Popular Music and Cultural Nationalism in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Nabeel Zuberi
This paper argues against 'national identity' as the dominant framework for government, journalism and academic discourse to understand popular music culture in this territory. A critical orientation more attuned to music genres, local scenes, transnational networks, gender and technology avoids some of the conceptual flaws, oversights and dubious political expedients of
nationalist hyperbole and branding.
Sounds very small town anger, the whole thing.
I am more upset at Scarlett Johansson singing with JAMC wearing only a pillow cover.
what, Juha, was a pillow cover too much clothing for you? He he... it was a very pretty pillow cover
GO Neil, you're right the pollie brown noses know it and that is why they are pissed off
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