14 September 2023 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – words by Bec Lee – photo by Monique Pizzica
40 years ago, my Dad played a joke on me by taking a pen and drawing a small booger under Tim Finn’s nose on the cover of his debut solo album Escapade. When I found it, I was furious, almost as much as I was when my Dad, two years earlier casually mentioned that he met the members of Split Enz in a swimming pool at a motel in Ballarat. Apparently, he smoked a joint and drank red wine with them. I was so upset that he didn’t get their autograph for me! I had that cassette in the player constantly in the 2nd half of 1983 and into 1984, until Duran Duran finally took over my life, Split Enz broke up and I moved on to high school the following year.
40 years later I’m sitting at the Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane, which tonight is seated. This I am grateful for as my aging legs don’t feel like standing. Tim Finn has been doing this for 50 years, which totally blows my mind.
Support tonight is provided by Jezabels singer Hayley Mary, and it was fabulous to hear her voice again. I’ve not been following her solo career, but I should have. She’s released 3 EPs since 2020 and her artistry is impressive, she’s not a run-of-the-mill singer-songwriter type, Hayley is all rock and plays her guitar with gusto. Not an obvious choice of a support act for Tim Finn, but an unexpected highlight of the evening. She’s got a great band, and they kick off with ‘The Chain’. Hayley’s website describes her as a “wee pocket rocket with the voice if a giant angel”. I must agree. With a great set showcasing her singles, ‘Fall in Love’ is a highlight.
Tim Finn slowly enters the stage after his band take their places, creeping along until the intro of ‘My Mistake’ begins, and we gasp with excitement, but then the power goes out for a second. I’m almost sure this was staged, as Tim is known for his quirks. “Oooops” he says… as he continues the song, which he wrote in 1977 with his band Spit Enz. They then launch straight into ‘I See Red’ which was released the following year. As I’m watching Tim run around the stage and dance erratically, I think about how prolific the band was, releasing an album almost every year from 1975 to 1984. I also realise that this guy is now 71, but he’s still so energetic.
Even though I love this artist and have done for over 40 years, I do notice that his voice isn’t what it used to be, and he has such recognisable voice – but it is still Tim’s voice, and we must give him a break. There is nothing about his performance that is bland or vanilla…his uniqueness has not faded at all. He can still hit the high notes on ‘Poor Boy’, one of my favourite Split Enz songs. And if we miss his brother Neil’s harmonies on the Crowded House tracks, Tim’s daughter Elliot more than makes up for it. She’s joining her father on this tour and is a gorgeous singer in her own right.
‘Six Months in a Leaky Boat’ is a highlight, as Tim plays the piano and we all sing along. There’s much toe tapping to the singles from Escapade such as ‘Fraction Too Much Friction’. And we are reminded of the time in the early 90s when he joined his brother’s band and was the lead songwriter on ‘It’s Only Natural’ and ‘Weather With You’ – which I think some people perhaps forget is the case.
Between songs, Tim tells us stories about certain songs, places he has lived and tells us how happy he is to be back in Australia. He has said in many interviews that Australia launched his career. This country really took to this quirky, talented musician from across the water, and we certainly haven’t forgotten him.
The encore features Split Enz tracks ‘Charlie’ and ‘Hard Act to Follow’, and solo single, the upbeat ‘Staring at The Embers’. We are a very happy audience as we return from the 80s to 2023 and prepare to leave the beautiful Fortitude Music Hall.
The “Lives and Times of Tim Finn” indeed.
