Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway tipped to join Neil Finn in New Zealand

Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway are rumoured to be joining Neil Finn, formerly of Crowded House, for a week of concerts in New Zealand, with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, a long-time friend of Finn's, also named. NME carries the rumour; Radiohead's UK spokesperson says he knows nothing about the shows.

Finn first met Radiohead at a European festival just after they had signed to Parlophone, his label too, and before “Creep”. He went to say hello and found the whole band in the dressing room playing bridge. A young band could have spent the time indulging themselves, he says, and they spent it on the music, which he thinks is why they got so good. They didn't abuse themselves, they abused their instruments.¹

Finn told Rolling Stone in Australia that the shows, due to start on 21 February, are built around guests. For years he and musicians he got on with talked about playing together, and now a gap has opened and several are free. Asked whether O'Brien was coming, Finn said it looked as if he would be.

Since that first meeting Finn and O'Brien have kept running into each other in hotels, and O'Brien, a Crowded House fan, has been to quite a few of their shows. he's just a top gent – a lovely man!¹