7 Worlds Collide project

7 Worlds Collide

Johnny Marr, Radiohead and Liam Finn unite for concerts in New Zealand

BBC 6 MUSIC NEWS

06 January 2009 - For the first time in eight years the 7 Worlds Collide project is back in action, with the first of three concerts kicking off in Auckland, New Zealand last night (5 January).

During the show Radiohead’s drummer Phil Selway made his solo vocal debut and performed an emotive ballad on acoustic guitar, which he had written only days before.

Back in 2001, the solo singer-songwriter and Crowded House frontman, Neil Finn, curated a set of gigs in his home country, featuring a stellar line up of musicians.

Among the artists were Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Lisa Germano, Ed O'Brien from Radiohead and the former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.

Together they created the 7 Worlds Collide album of renditions and one off collaborations for the charity Oxfam.

A new album is being recorded over the next few months at the Roundhead studios in Auckland, a studio Neil Finn has built.

It's due for release in 2009 with all proceeds going to Oxfam and Johnny Marr explained to 6 Music that getting it together again wasn’t an easy task: “We’ve been trying to make it happen for a few years now.

“Everybody’s schedules are understandably very busy and it’s just been a matter of everybody getting their heads up well in advance so we could tell our respective partners that we needed time to do this.”

Spontaneous studio time

The majority of the original line up is involved, as well as the latest addition of Liam Finn, Neil’s son, who took on recruiting duties.

Liam admitted: “Dad [Neil Finn] always feels nervous asking people because he just has these romantic ideas of creating music with friends.

“He would never want it to seem like a chore or like anyone’s obligated out of a friendship but I think it’s a nice excuse to come down and have a holiday, but also to create some good vibes out of it.”

The recording sessions should be pretty freewheeling, as Liam continued: “The idea is that everyone might bring something to the table, have a song that they hadn’t finished or something they had an idea for that didn’t work with their band.

“The studio will be going 24 hours in theory and if anyone feels inspired, they’ll just come down and whoever’s there they’ll play with. It’s supposed to be left up to being quite spontaneous.”

New recruits

Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and the members of Wilco are also on board.

As for the young Finn, Johnny Marr said he’s a big fan of the upcoming musician, who has recently toured with Eddie Vedder and The Black Keys: “Liam’s one of my favourite artists. I’m very excited to get a chance to play with him.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Liam and everybody I know who has heard him has been knocked out by him. We’re seeing the start of a major talent.”

Others involved in 7 Worlds Collide include Soul Coughing's Sebastian Steinberg, multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano, along with NZ musicians Liam Finn, Don McGlashan and Bic Runga.

Were any of you fans of the first project in 2001?