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2005-03-29 - 1:28 p.m.

If there was one thing that made Crowded House one of the best live bands of all time it was Paul Hester. Without his stage presence and comic timing they would have just been Neil Finn's backing band. I always imagined that maybe next November, 10 years on, Paul Hester and Nick Seymour would join the Finn brothers on the Opera House steps for a timely reunion.

Last night the Finn brothers chose not to cancel a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and played on with special guest Nick Seymour who had flown over from Ireland. I can't even imagine the emotion that would have overwhelmed that show. Only the court jester was missing.

"Of all the sad things known to man, there aint too much sadder than the tears of a clown, when there's no-one around"

There are two memories of Paul Hester that seem to sum up the two sides of him that were doing battle. One is on the bonus live album to "Recurring Dream". In "Sister Madly" Neil stops mid song to point out that Paul very unprofessionally hit a wrong note. Paul mockingly apologises, saying it's hard being so good, after 20 years of making no mistakes it's fair enough he should be chastises. Then he goes on to say he probably won't even remember any of this in 5 minutes. "I don't even remember what we were doing just then."

The second is over two hours and two encores into the farewell concert at the Opera House in front of 150,000 people. Crowded House are singing "Don't Dream It's Over", and Paul is bawling his eyes out behind his drum kit, but still going on with the show. The four of them embrace at the end of the song, and take a final bow.

"I hope (he) was dreaming of glory, miles above the mountains and plains, free at last..."

Crowded House- 'Hole in the River

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On another (still musical) note, Blueshoe bestowed upon me this survey to complete, so here it is-

1. Total no. of music filed on your computer:

About 5GB. Probably enough to play for a week without repeating.

2. The last CD I bought:

I think it was Gelbison's "See The World" and the Panda Band's "Sleepy Little Death Toll Town" EP.

3. What is the last song you listened to before writing this?

"Fall At Your Feet" is currently playing on Crowded House's "Farewell to World" video.


4. Name five songs you often listen to or which mean a lot to you:

a) "Indelible" by Bernie Hayes- because it's the most personal account of loss that I've ever heard. Because it has my all time favourite simile in it. Because you can feel the memories and the pain.

b) "Good Day Sunshine" by The Beatles- the most glorious moment in pop music history. Imagine being in the summer of love, turning your "Revolver" LP over to side two, setting the needle down and hearing the piano fade-in to one of the most uplifting songs ever written.

c) "Morning Theft" by Jeff Buckley- The first time I heard the line "I miss my beautiful friend" I thought of my friend Tanya, who I hadn't seen in months. More recently (not so much very recently but in the last couple of years) it's made me think of Annie. "Time takes care of the wound and so I can believe" makes me think of breaking up with Ellie, and the section that starts "What am I still to you..." makes me think of email fights with Cindy.

d) "Happy Days" by the Whitlams- It could have been so many others but this song represents the crazy days of 6 gigs in 6 nights across 3 states, sleeping in parks, cars, on beaches, and all the friends I me along the way.

e) "Somebody" by Depeche Mode. This song pretty much describes how both Jane and I fell into this relationship. Neither of us were really looking for it at the time, but it just worked. "Though things like this make me sick, in a case like this I'll get away with it".

5. Which three people are you going to pass this stick on to: Ellie, Eegs and "Suffer Never"- they're probably the 3 people that read this that may not already have been sent it. And anybody else who I don't know reads me- fill out the survey and send me a link :)

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