Tim Finn
Warwick Arts Centre
11th May, 2007

Tim Finn’s first solo UK tour in 14 years found the former Split Enz leader with sprightly new band and riding the wave of the wellreceived Imaginary Kingdom. Defying his 54 years, the New Zealander looked fantastic (though danced, as one nearby wag pointed out, like a mad Jon Pertwee) and offered plenty of cheery banter. Yet there was an impression that all was not as it should be at this overly quiet gig. Not only did Finn sing in a higher key than necessary – as on disappointing renditions of Not Even Close and Persuasion – but the setlist suggested he was pandering to a perceived audience. Why else perform more from Woodface (the one Crowded House album he wrote and played) than Imaginary Kingdom? Still, the audience lapped it up and It’s Only Natural and How Will You Go were especially welcome. Throw in a few choice Split Enz tunes (Six Months In A Leaky Boat, Dirty Creature, Shark Attack), and it made for a decent night.