Tim and Neil

Last night: the Finn brothers at the Sydney Opera House. And the kitchen blackboard thought for the day has been changed to: “Everywhere you go; you always take the weather with you.”

Neil wears a red waistcoat, and I forgive him. After all he’s the man who wrote: “I don’t pretend to know what you want, but I offer love.”

The wind across the harbour makes my lips, nose and ears numb as I wait for Caroline to come from the ferry, and then we loiter by the tourist shops while I explain just why my hair is orange.

Mercury Rev is the support and we emerge a bit mesmerised. It felt kind of evangelical until I realised that he was singing about rain getting into your head making you think that God is a bit fucked.

The quotes projected over nature scenes made me feel most uneasy, but I liked this one: “If everything is under control, you’re not going fast enough.” - Mario Andretti

Eventually, the projection screen was replaced by a large arch covered in pieces of white tulle and we all stood chanting the words to I Got You. I remembered that black and red and green and white cassette cover purchased from Woolworths Maitland. It was if not the first, then certainly one of the first, bits of music I ever owned, probably advanced only by bootleg tapes of Abba Arrival provided by cousin Di. By Shark Attack I was wondering whether True Colours is still available on CD.

Caroline lost her hat somewhere during the evening. We rounded off with a glass of red at Opera Bar and before I knew it I was in front of the tele and the Tour de France.

My favourite Neil Finn lyric: “I wrote that, some eskimo gave me the line.”