In 2013, we resurrected some items from Neil Finn’s original Nilfun website. First published in 2000 a few months ahead of the One Nil album release, the site was designed by Rakai Karaitiana with Neil, and featured ”Musical games, art pieces, curious bits of nostalgia and flights of fancy…”
Neil wrote fondly about Nilfun in his 9 April 2019 Journal/email newsletter, noting “Some of you may have trouble getting these pieces to work, so apologies in advance. It took me a couple of days on my laptop to open up the work.”
Sadly, it’s a bigger challenge now. The animation was built using Adobe Flash technology which, two decades on, is no longer supported anywhere. This means Nilfun’s musical games and art pieces are no longer playable.
In time we might rebuild some of these using other tools, to give you a flavour of the fun Neil had with Nilfun.
Team NF
Video: 60 Minutes excerpt, October 2000.
Interviewer: Cameron Bennett.
Video: The nilfun team films the 60 Minutes team filming Neil Finn.
Videoed in October 2000 by nilfun's web designer, Rakai Karaitiana.
Selections from Neil Finn's Nilfun webcasts in the former Roundhead basement, 17th January, 10th April and 13th November 2001. Flash not required. First video starts 9 seconds in.
THA NINEEZ
Neil’s diary post on nilfun.com, Sunday, April 08, 2001:
phew.....what a week, one of the most memorable musical experiences of my life...it was such a joy to play music with Lisa, Sebastian, Phil, Ed, Johnny, Tim, Eddie, Liam, Matt, Joe Paul and Chris ... aside from the music, they are all such wonderful, open and generous people... it felt like a very special thing unfolded through the week ... We became a band in a very short period of time, a band with character and heart and then had the good sense to break up before it all turned to shit... we take away nothing but good memories and a stronger desire to play music for the sheer joy of it.
thank you to all of the weeks audiences.. there was some intense moments between us, some beautiful singing, some memorable heckling, you willed us on to some great heights.. I hear that the webcast was difficult for some of you to tune into.. its still a young technology and there will be trainwrecks but we are trying... hopefully most of you got to see and hear something of Friday nights show... I'm having a permanent setup installed in my studio so that by midyear I can do webcasts at the drop of a hat...watch this space