Verlaines front man Graeme Downes says he could not imagine the future way back then.
"I enjoyed it and wanted to keep doing it. But when you are 18, 30 years is impossible to comprehend really.
"I decided with the last two (and next) albums to record under the Verlaines in part to keep the older work alive as best I can.
" The Verlaines is more of a club than a typical fixed four-member band these days though. It's the only way it can operate.
"Darren Stedman and I form one of the longest partnerships in the band's history and are the continuous core at the moment, but we use many different players depending on who is available."
Downes says the band lasting 30 years is no mean feat, all things considered.
"[It's] A bit of a miracle when six months ahead was as far as we ever looked ahead in the '80s. It represents a lot of hard work by a lot of people over the years. It represents a cosmic fluke; we (the last stable line-up) scattered to the four corners in 1996 but somehow made it back to roughly the same place."
Back in the early 1980s, The Verlaines were part of the rabble-rousing Flying Nun stable of bands, but these days Dr Graeme Downes teaches contemporary music at the University of Otago. So does he consider himself to be part of the Establishment?
"I'm not sure what this means, really. It is all relative, yes and no."
He was equally noncommittal when asked which bands, or musicians, we should look out for who have gone through the university's contemporary music degree.
"I'm not prepared to single out anyone in particular, but yes they will appear."
Downes says the Verlaines have a very long list of songs from which to choose for tonight's show.
"It is probably impossible to expect anything. When drawing a set list up from the number of albums we collectively have made, it is always going to be difficult.
"The earliest song we're playing was written in January 1981, the newest in January 2010. A whole bunch from in the middle somewhere.
"We're promoting Corporate Moronic so there are certainly a few tracks from that."
He says the university's main common room, the venue the band first played in 30 years ago, has not changed much in that time.
"It's actually pretty much as it was when we played our first gig there. The coffee outlet is relatively new, and the bar might be in a different place, but otherwise . . ."
In talking with Downes it becomes apparent that he seems to have little grasp of the word "holiday", as he has plenty on the go, both this tour and learning the songs in preparation for the recording of the follow-up album to Corporate Moronic. The songs were written in the summer holidays.
He says the physical accoutrements of age may get in the way of having either a 40th or 50th anniversary.
"I've graduated from six-month to one-year plans, one album at a time. If I survive this tour I'll look further ahead.
"At the rate I am currently producing new songs, a 40th would mean a lot of albums. Who knows?
"I don't doubt my ability to keep writing, but a Zimmer frame makes it hard to play guitar at the same time."
• See them
The Verlaines play in the University of Otago's main common room tonight, with support from Tono and the Finance Company and Simon Comber.
