Farewell for Phillipps

There were tears of joy and sorrow at the Glenroy Auditorium yesterday, as Dunedin marked the death of one of the city’s favourite musical sons.

Tributes flowed for Martin Phillipps, lead singer of The Chills, who died unexpectedly on July 28.

He was 61.

A chill blue coffin took centre stage, along with a series of items such as Phillipps’ famous leather jacket.

University of Otago vice-chancellor Grant Robertson, who was the MC for the event, said the tributes in the past two weeks revealed the extent to which Phillipps’ songwriting had touched others.

Martin Phillipps’ older sister, Sara Barham, recalled their childhood, including their time in Auckland, Milton and Dunedin.

She spoke about the house in Albany St, where her brother and friends would practise furiously, initially as The Same and then as The Chills.

She said Phillipps was an obsessive archivist, a huge fan of science fiction and a "cat gentleman".

Tūhura Otago Museum director Dr Ian Griffin was also name-checked, as he had named asteroids after Phillipps and The Chills.

"Maybe now Martin is sitting atop of that asteroid, contemplating love, friendship and loss."

Journalists Russell Brown and Richard Langston delivered the eulogy.

Mr Langston described Phillipps’ early years as a "dreamy kid" who "escaped into popular culture".

"Martin was simply an artist and conjurer," he said.

"He expressed aloneness and anguish in many of his songs, but not bitterness."

Mr Langston cited the effect The Chills’ Night of Chill Blue had on him, and the way he associated it with the Stuart St overbridge.

"He created songs that stand with the great art produced and associated with this city ... His songs showed us where we live and what it means to live here."

Mr Brown spoke about the importance of The Chills’ time in London in the mid-1980s and how it paved the way for future New Zealand acts.

He also talked about Phillipps’ battles with hepatitis C and how he became an advocate for others who struggled with it.

The Chills’ manager, Scott Muir, thanked Phillipps for providing him with the "most interesting job ever".

He mentioned Phillipps must have played more than 1100 shows over the course of his career and that he had worked with him for more than 300 of them.

Fellow musician Shayne Carter talked about Phillipps’ "late renaissance" and his final meeting with his friend.

The most recent iteration of The Chills, which had existed for several years, spoke of Phillipps’ sense of humour and loyalty.

"He had a crystal clear vision, but he always created space for us."

Phillipps’ father, Donald, read the committal.

Martin Phillipps had been working with his band on a new album of previously unrecorded songs, Springboard.

Mr Robertson read a tribute from Phillipps’ other sister, Rachel Devereux, who said it was a miracle his last album was completed.

A song from that record played out the final procession.

matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz