Announced on Facebook:

It is with broken hearts the family and friends of Martin Phillipps wish to advise Martin has died unexpectedly.
The family ask for privacy at this time.
Funeral arrangements will be advised in due course.

Gutted, I only recently discovered the Chills and was so happy to see them on the last U.S. tour.

Miserable news to wake up to. One of the greats.

Just saw the Facebook post. Horrible news. Just was thinking yesterday about the two times I saw the Chills and hopeful they would tour America again.

He was very public about his health problems, so this isn't a total surprise, but it's very sad. For a band initially perceived as failures after they got dropped by Slash, the Chills kept going and made several strong albums. I'll always treasure the memory of seeing them on the SOFT BOMB tour.

“a band initially perceived as failures after they got dropped by Slash” Oh dang, I didn’t know that. “Heavenly Pop Hit” stood out like a healthy thumb in a sea of sore grunge, but maybe that’s actually why it wasn't the hit it should have been.

Just read the TP article on The Chills, and I’m amazed he lived this long.

And worked with Van Dyke Parks? (*scurries off to check that out*)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2024 07:30AM by MrFab.

"Heavenly Pop Hit" was a minor hit on US alt-rock radio, but by the time SOFT BOMB came out, the Chills' style fell out of fashion in favor of grunge. On YouTube, someone posted a New Zealand TV news clip about Phillipps, shot when he returned home after the SOFT BOMB tour, which says "he was the singer of New Zealand's biggest rock band, now he's moved back in with his parents."

Oops, we’re all wrong, The Chills are still together. And they now cover “Stairway To Heaven” AND “Groove Is In The Heart”:

[chillsband.mailchimpsites.com]

FYI the funeral will be held Friday, August 9 at 2 pm local time at Hope and Sons Dunedin, followed by a private cremation. Details to follow but the funeral will be live-streamed.

Aw shit - this is a major bummer. Those last few Chills albums were surprisingly great and held up their legacy well. I'm so glad I got to see them a couple of years ago. Martin was no Iggy Pop, but he certainly didn't seem frail or reserved. So sad to hear this. RIP, Martin!

The service may be turning into a huge deal: due to potential capacity issues, they’re moving it to Glenroy Auditorium at the Dunedin Town Hall Complex. More updates forthcoming.

Wow, surprising. If I asked anyone if they liked the Chills, I’d get blank stares or ‘no, I like to be warm and comfortable’

The memorial service will stream at this link a little under 24 hours from now

[www.youtube.com]

A true loss for the music community; Martin and The Chills brought the Dunedin sound to the rest of the world, and it's better for it. Flying Nun Records was very forward thinking when it signed them, along with the Verlaines, Bats and The Clean.

Strangely, it was the demo and alternate versions of their songs - compiled on the 3 - disc set Secret Box - that appealed to me more than the final album versions, most notably "Rain," and "Wet Blanket."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2024 10:44PM by Fleeingbandit.