This week's column is a slight departure from the norm, however; it's a chat with Roy Martyn about his friend and band-mate, Dunedin music pioneer Chris Knox, after Knox and The Nothing were announced this week as the "mystery guest band" at this month's Laneway music festival.
Knox had a stroke that left the talkative singer without the power of speech. Martyn says just over six months down the track the rehabilitation is going OK, but is taking time.
"It's a long slow process, to state the obvious.
"Chris can walk well with the aid of a leg brace.
"His right arm is just starting to improve.
"It had been completely inert but some movement is appearing.
"Speech is still minimal."
Laneway will be Knox and The Nothing's second performance post-stroke, and Martyn says preparations are going well.
"Well, we've got Chris Knox on vocals, Shayne P. Carter on guitar, Stefan Neville on drums, so how wrong can we go!? Wait, don't answer that."
He says people can expect plenty from the band's performance at Laneway.
"Part of the peculiarity of this situation is that, among Chris's many many talents, he is also an exceptional musician and performer.
"A stroke doesn't seem to us like a good reason to take that away from him.
"It's partly about trying to return to normal, and playing live is normal for Chris.
"Part of the cruelty of this stroke is that Chris spent his life expressing himself so well and then that's the part that got taken away.
"But Chris is very creative and we're proceeding with plans for The Nothing to record another album . . .
"It's going to be a weird journey but we're with him."
He says there's also good news for Tall Dwarfs fans.
Chris and Alec Bathgate have almost completed a new Tall Dwarfs album.
There are no plans for Chris Knox and The Nothing to tour New Zealand.
See them
• Chris Knox and The Nothing play the Laneway Festival in Auckland, on February 1.
