Look For The Good In Others And They’ll See The Good In You

This past weekend brought the news that Martin Phillipps, the genius behind The Chills had died.

I woke up to this news. My Facebook feed showed photos and videos of different songs by The Chills. Usually the classics, “Pink Frost”, “Heavenly Pop Hit”, “I Love My Leather Jacket”. Some other friends posted photos with Martin, sharing a special moment when they talked about this or that.

I had to digest it. I love The Chills very much. I’ve been lucky to have seen them 3 times I think. Once in New York. Once in London. Once at Indietracks. I think they played a few years ago here in NYC somewhere in the Upper West Side, a wine bar or something like that. I didn’t go. It was just after the pandemic. I regret this.

These days I go to very few concerts. Usually of bands I hadn’t seen before. I have to pick my battles. But I would do anything to rewind the time clock, and be around and available on October 16, 2022, their last New York City gig.

I am going through my photos. 2016. New York City Popfest. The Chills play Littlefield. I had already seen them in the UK. But this was the one and only time I would talk to Martin.

He was hanging out around the merch area. I don’t remember The Chills having any merch, but maybe I am wrong. I had some Cloudberry merch that year, but Chris Jigsaw was helping with that. But I went and talked to Martin. I asked for a photo afterwards too.

What did we talk? About the gig he was going to play that day. We also chatted a bit about the London gigs and Indietracks. Maybe we talked a bit more. I can’t remember. I just thought he was very cool and down to earth. That made me happy, that one of my heroes didn’t mind chatting with me, an unknown guy, just like that.

The gig that day was amazing. I am pretty sure they ended with “Heavenly Pop Hit”. They played their hits too, but not one of my favourite songs, “Brave Words”. I don’t think I heard The Chills play this song live in any of the three times I saw them.

I remember singing aloud “Wet Blanket”, word by word. I was happy. “Pink Frost” gave me shivers. “Eazy Peazy” made me giggle.

Always.

Now sadly Martin is no longer with us. And won’t be able to see The Chills again. Of course the music will always be around and can listen to the songs over and over. Many great records. Many great tracks.

Today I wanted to do a little tribute to one of his lesser known projects, The Pop Art Toasters. I am sure that about The Chills a lot have been written. And probably everyone reading this blog knows about those songs. Then there is Martin and the Moondogs who did a cover of Abba’s “Tropical Loveland”, but I don’t have an MP3 of this song to share.

So yeah, the Pop Art Toasters. They were on Flying Nun Records in the mid 90s. Released just one record, a self-titled EP, on CD and cassette. Catalog number was FNCD288 or FNMC288 depending on the format that is.

The songs on the record are covers. These were “What Am I Going to Do” by The Dovers, “Everyone’s Gonna Wonder” by The Avengers, “I Won’t Hurt You” by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, “Go Ahead” by The Squires, and “Circles” by The Who.

Behind this project was Martin on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, clavinet, piano, organ and vocals. There was also another New Zealand legend, David Kilgour, playing acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano and vocals. On bass, acoustic and electric guitar we find Noel Ward from Lanky and The Strangeloves. Mike Dooley from Snapper, The Dri Horrors, Toy Love, The Enemy, The Snares and $100 Band was on drums and percussion. Alan Starrett from Martin and the Moondogs, Mink, The Magick Heads, Waste the Earth was on organ, keyboards, clavinet and viola.

The songs were recorded and engineered by Stephen Kilroy at Fish Street Studios in Dunedin in December of 1993. The band photo on the back was taken by Peter Hannken, while the artwork on the cover was created by Martin.

Discogs list a UK version of the tape, a promo tape put out by Mushroom Records. I don’t know what happened , but doesn’t look like this label released properly the EP.

The opening track, “What Am I Going to Do?”, would appear on three compilation appearances. The first on was on 1994’s “Kiwi Hit Disc 7” released on CD by NZ On Air. I suppose a radio station was behind this one.

Then in 2006, when a Flying Nun revival was happening, the song would appear on the 4CD compilation “Flying Nun 25th Anniversary Box Set” (FNCD500).

The other appearance is on a DVD called “Second Season – Flying Nun DVD II” that was released by Flying Nun (FNDVD489) in 2004. I wonder then, was there a video of this track?

Yes there was. You can see it on Youtube.

There is also another great find on Youtube. There is the Pop Art Toasters playing live at Otago Museum in Dunedin on February 27, 1993. They play the song “Everyone’s Gonna Wonder”.

Martin was a fan of 60s pop. He picked some top tracks and they made some fantastic covers. I wonder, will there be some cool bands releasing covers of The Chills songs? There should be. There should be plenty of them. In my perfect world, we should continue celebrating The Chills.

I am a fan of The Chills. Will always be. So many great songs, many great records. I am just so sad today. I think it is only normal.

Ideas come to my mind. Like why I haven’t traveled to New Zealand yet. Is there anything to see in Dunedin that screams to a fan The Chills? I don’t know! I must know.

Gigs, records, songs. That’s what I am saving and carrying with me. Another of the good ones leaves us. A giant. A legend of pop music. One I will always be grateful for. For his brave words, for his part past part fiction lyrics.

Goodbye genius, goodbye legend.

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Listen
Pop Art Toasters – Go Ahead