Touring Antics

Michael Larsen’s 2003 book See Me Go covers many more of The Feelers’ touring antics. This includes an incident when James Reid threw a television out his hotel window while on tour in Australia. The band were supporting Matchbox 20 at the time and their lead singer was impressed enough with the rock star move that he took the blame for what happened and helped smooth it over with hotel management.

NZ On Air

The Feelers are also a success story of NZ On Air funding. Their early breakthrough can partly be attributed to the opening of the airwaves to local music after many years of work by the NZ On Air staff. The band also benefited directly from the scheme, since NZ On Air has put $361,000 behind their releases (over the years between 1995 and 2011), which includes $50,000 in album funding for each of their releases from Communicate onwards, though this part of the scheme has now been retired.

The Feelers’ high level of funding should be balanced against the money the band have put into the local economy by ensuring airplay royalties go to a local act (rather than one from overseas) and the general multiplier effect of the band’s high turnover, which generates income for the pubs they play and the music industry as a whole.