Line #71 Literature/StrangerThanFictionTheLifeAndTimesOfSplitEnz


1	[[quoteright:296:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stranger_than_fiction_split_enz_6815.jpg]]
2
3	->''"[[TitleDrop Stranger than Fiction]]"''
4	->''"Larger than Life"''
5	->''"Full of Shades and Echoes"''
6
7	->''"It's the Story of my Life!"''
8	-->--'''[[TitledAfterTheSong Stranger Than Fiction]]''', ''Split Enz''
9
10	''Stranger Than Fiction: The Life And Times Of Split Enz'' (no relation to the Creator/WillFerrell [[Film/StrangerThanFiction movie]]) is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Mike Chunn ('semi' as Chunn left the band [[ThePeteBest before their third album]]) detailing the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin life and times]] of the UsefulNotes/NewZealand premier [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] band ''Split Enz'', headed by Tim and Neil Finn. The group was best known for their wildly original music and wildly [[UncannyValleyMakeup original]] [[IconicOutfit appearances]] (that they only [[BrieferThanTheyThink actually wore]] for the Seventies).
11
12	Chronicling their beginnings from an UsefulNotes/{{Auckland}} flat (and even further back in the case of the Finn and Chunn brothers) to their final (non-reunion) concert and even [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue beyond]], the original book is now long out of print but with the author's permission can now be read online [[http://web.archive.org/web/20091015044531/http://book.russells.id.au/ here.]]
13	----
14	!!Discography:
15	* ''Mental Notes'' (1975)
16	* ''Second Thoughts'' (1976)[[note]]Released outside Australia and New Zealand as Mental Notes[[/note]]
17	* ''Dizzrhythmia'' (1977)
18	* ''Frenzy'' (1978)
19	* ''True Colours'' (1980)
20	* ''Waiata''/''Corroborree'' (1981)
21	* ''Time and Tide'' (1982)
22	* ''Conflicting Emotions'' (1983)
23	* ''See Ya Round'' (1984)
24
25	!!Tropes applying to this band:
26	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Gender Inverted with Liz Malam in regards to Tim. Didn't end well though.
27	* AscendedFanboy: Tim Finn actually meeting up with Paul [=McCartney=] and ever getting to London itself. The former though was a partial example of BrokenPedestal learning about how musical idols aren't gods, just people.
28	** PromotedFanboy: Neil for ''Split Enz'', even though he surprisingly didn't appear all that enthusiastic about it upon being offered (on the surface anyway).
29	* TheBandMinusTheFace: Subverted, as Neil was just as equally known ([[SpotlightStealingSquad if not more]]) as Tim by the time the latter left, though this feeling definitely permeated the band themselves.
30	* {{Biography}}: Apart from the obvious example, there was also Tim Finn's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aZ54yEZOTI Haul Away]]".
31	* BoardingSchool: Sacred Heart College in Auckland, though occasionally delving straight into BoardingSchoolOfHorrors (especially in Neil's case).
32	* BreakupBreakout: Tim Finn with ''Escapade'', odd example as it technically happened while he was still in the band (if not for much longer). Also Neil Finn and Paul Hester with a little thing called ''[[Music/CrowdedHouse Crowded]] [[MorePopularSpinoff House]]''.
33	* BrokenPedestal: Phill Judd to Tim Finn, and the later [[AloofBigBrother Tim]] [[BigBrotherMentor Finn]] to Neil to a certain extent. Also Tim and Paul [=McCartney=] above, leading Tim to write the song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tah52vTsBrM Famous People]]".
34	%%* ButtMonkey: The whole band could be subject to this at times, at least until the ''True Colours'' album.
35	%%** Mike Chunn himself in regards to coastal holidays.
36	%%* CoolTeacher
37	* CountryCousin: Tim Finn (technically Neil as well, though it's brought up more often with Tim). Notably lampshaded in the song ''Maybe'', from early in their career:
38	--> "I'm just a country boy/Can you see that I'm still green?"
39	* CulturalCringe: Played straight, then later inverted. Split Enz had to travel overseas in the 1970s and 1980s to make it big. Today, they're fondly remembered as one of NZ's first bands to take on the world.
40	* DecoyProtagonist - Mike Chunn (who was only ever a SupportingProtagonist to begin with really) 'splits the enz' early on in chapter nine out of sixteen.
41	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Nathan Brenner's decision to pick a fight with A&M Records and Tommy Mottola was ill-advised, to say the least.
42	%%* {{Eagleland}}: Type 2 occasionally appears.
43	* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether - Either that or university.
44	* GirlsHaveCooties - A few of the band members' reactions in the case of Liz, along with [[ExecutiveMeddling John Hopkins']] reaction to Rayner.
45	%%* TheGlassesGottaGo - Neil Finn, though he only ever wore them as part of his on-stage persona.
46	%%* {{God}}: Even He shows up in one scene.
47	%%* GrandFinale: The ''Enz With A Bang!'' tour.
48	* LargeHam: Tim Finn on occasion, most of the band in their early videos.
49	* TheLongList: Mike trying to guess the name of the Enz's fifth album.
50	* LovableRogue: Neil attempted to adopt this persona for an interview. YMMV on whether it worked, but the results were definitely... odd, to say the least.
51	* MagicalRealism: Every now and then, mostly courtesy of Mike Chunn's narration (Hence the thing about {{God}}).
52	* MeaningfulRename: The Enz all adopting their middle names as their stage names, except Phil, which Chunn suggests may have been a sign of his discomfort within the band. Also changing the band's name from 'Ends' to 'En''z''' for patriotic reasons.
53	** ''Waiata'' was meant to be released with the name for "song" in the native tongue in each country. Only Australia adopted this, with the title of the album renamed ''Corroborree''.
54	* [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]]: The band steered in this direction with ''Frenzy'', and consolidated it with ''True Colours''.
55	* OnlySaneMan: Nigel Griggs' (Mike Chunn's replacement) first reaction upon meeting the band (due to not being completely informed), though he adjusted.
56	* PrecisionFStrike: Didn't pop up in their music, but not unknown to the band members themselves.
57	* RealityIsUnrealistic: The winner of the (otherwise a total failure) look-alike contest, in Chunn's own words "He looked more like me than me".
58	%%* SadistTeacher
59	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Raewyn Turner (resident lighting expert) to the rest of the band. Later joined by Liz and Sharon, though none of them were technically members of the core band.
60	* StalkerWithACrush
61	* StarvingArtist: The Enz quickly fell into this after first coming to Australia.
62	* TeensAreMonsters: How the Enz felt after their first two performances up against teenagers (their third performance thankfully went over much better). The Finn brothers themselves back in the day.
63	* ThatsAllFolks: ''See Ya Round'' was clearly intended as a send-off for the band, after Tim Finn's departure.
64	%%* TitledAfterTheSong
65	%%* TrueCompanions: The Enz themselves... a few firings aside.
66	* VariantCover: ''True Colours'' was released in several different color schemes on the cover
67	* WackyCollege: The university which housed Room 129, even though Tim was there for only about a year. Practically the [[CharacterAlignment Chaotic to Sacred Heart's Lawful]].
68	%%* WackyFratboyHijinks: Even after their fratboy years.
69	%%* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue
70	* WhereItAllBegan: Their final concert in Auckland.
71	----

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