A Sharp Left Turn by Mike Chunn

Author:Mike Chunn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2019-08-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

The Pavilion Revisited

My taxi drifted down Manukau Road to Parnell. I was home. Each building was a welcome. Each set of lights beamed at me, and our driving past would find them smiling. Why did I feel like this? It was as if I didn’t want to be anywhere else. Would evening merge out of the day and find me nervous and wound up? Until I took another pill? And then would I settle down? I would find out soon enough.

I climbed out at 469 Parnell Road, took the ever-present front-door key out of my pocket and went in. Paula was there, and Von and Jerry were sitting at the breakfast table under their Dick Frizzell painting. Once again I hadn’t told them what day I was coming. I’m a surprise man. A practical joker in a sleepy disguise.

My return was welcome, though. We talked about the flight. There was no talk about the band and how it was coping with Juddsy gone. I didn’t tell them about Geoff Emerick or ‘My Mistake’. We didn’t talk about ‘What next, Michael?’

The door opened and in walked Geoffrey. He and I went and sat in the lounge. He had lost his band member Neil Finn. I had suggested Split Enz steal him and they had. What did Geoffrey think of that? I didn’t ask; he didn’t say. He must have hated me. He said he had been writing songs, and took a cassette out of his pocket and gave it to me.

‘There are three demos on it. One’s called “Julia”. Have a listen. It’s starts in French.’ And he left.

I went over to the cassette deck and started to play it. I listened. It finished. I played it again. I played it again. It was magnificent. I rang Geoffrey at his flat.

‘Let’s meet up and talk about all this.’

Von and Jerry went about their business. They’d seen all this song focus many times before. Jerry, I imagine, was keeping an ear out for lyrics.

It was about three or four days later that Geoffrey and I met up. I said ‘Julia’ should be recorded. (I don’t remember the other two songs, sorry.)

‘Yes,’ said Geoffrey. Then he said, ‘I have another song I’ve written.’ And he picked up his guitar and started to play ‘Good Morning Citizen’.

‘Holy shit,’ I thought. ‘We’d better make a plan.’

Let’s form a band. Let’s make it simple. Guitars, bass, drums. Chunn Brothers. CB.

‘Have you got more songs?’

‘I do. I will.’

As Geoffrey sloped away to write, write, write, I went down to Mandrill Studios, where I met with co-owner Glyn Tucker. I knew Glyn fairly well, from the days before we’d moved to Australia. I said, ‘My brother and I are wanting to form a band, and would you like to record us here—at Mandrill?’ To cut to the chase, Glyn said yes. I went back to Parnell Road and sat in the lounge. And thought.

What am I doing? A new band? Playing shows. Recording. Getting a record deal. Touring.

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