Growing up in 80s Australia, Crowded House songs were a staple of our radio listening. And like so many other Aussies and – in fact – people around the world, I was quite the fan.
Still, almost 40 years later, if one of their songs is being played on the radio, I’ll listen and be taken back to one of the best times of my life.
Well, at least that was the situation until 30 minutes before this post – when I discovered that Crowded House lead singer Neil Finn is well and truly on the wrong side of history.
Kiwi musician Neil Finn has performed for crowds at a pro-Palestine march in Auckland this afternoon.
The Crowded House frontman sang an a capella rendition of Don’t Dream It’s Over to the 300-500 gathered Palestine supporters.
“I’m going to sing a song for the innocent people of Gaza and all of you who have braved this weather. Well done,” Finn said.
The protest on Saturday, one of many being held around New Zealand in about 20 cities and towns, comes days after Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was suspended from Parliament for saying MPs should grow a spine and sanction Israel.
“If we find six of 68 Government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history,” Swarbrick said in the House.
Disappointed to see Crowded House singer Neil Finn on the wrong side of history.
— David Lange (@Israellycool) August 17, 2025
He has clearly sided with Gazans only, and to Israelis, we can go to hell – as evidenced by him sharing a story calling for Israel to be sanctioned for war crimes pic.twitter.com/avdLsF4AM3
In case you would like to argue he is just showing compassion for innocents in Gaza, what about innocents in Israel who were butchered, raped and kidnapped on October 7? Not a peep out of Finn – and he also shared to his stories Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick calling for MPs to sanction Israel.
(and yes, I also initially thought she was saying “all we need is sex”).
Hey now, hey now – Neil Finn wants to stand with those chanting for Israel’s destruction. Don’t dream it’s over? For me, it’s definitely over.
Crowded House? More like Empty Head.
