"Hugh Sundae takes a look at the first 21 years of the famous New Zealand record label Flying Nun. Interviews and music including The Chills, The Straitjacket Fits, Headless Chickens, Bailterspace, Betchadupa and Chris Knox as well as rare and previously unseen performances and behind the scenes footage chart the stories behind the some of New Zealand’s most influential bands. Flying Nun is New Zealand’s most successful independent record label. Over the years they have released extraordinary songs that have become the soundtrack to many a New Zealander’s life: from Chris Knox’s Not Given Lightly, to The Chills I Love My Leather Jacket, to The Clean’s ‘Tally Ho!’.
The documentary, quite logically, begins with the start of Flying Nun and the band that made Roger Shepherd want to start up a record label in the first place: The Clean. Chris Knox explains how a bad experience with a major label meant that he wanted to become involved with the whole DIY ethic which was the hallmark of Flying Nun in the early days. Matthew Bannister from Sneaky Feelings talks about his battle of wills with Chris Knox and we find out what was Knox’s revenge for Roger Shepherd signing The Netherworld Dancing Toys to the label. Also explores the story of The Chills, the first Flying Nun band to make an impression on the international scene, and Martin Phillipps talks openly about his depression and drug-taking. Andrew Brough of the Straitjacket Fits gives his version of what actually happened when the Straitjacket Fits broke up and how he’s okay now because of Neighbours and Home and Away.
The Headless Chickens explain the controversy over the 1987 Rheineck Rock Awards, Fiona McDonald talks about why she left the band and Grant Fell explains how Boh Runga of Stellar* fits into their story. The 3Ds are perhaps the happiest Flying Nun story, and David Saunders reveals why the band got paid double for supporting U2 – and he has the note from Bono to prove it.” (TVTwo Publicity Press Kit)
Interviews: Martin Phillipps (The Chills), Fiona McDonald (Headless Chickens), Liam Finn (Betchadupa), Roger Shepherd (Flying Nun), Grant Fell (Headless Chickens), Jeremy Eade (Garageland), Graeme Downes (The Verlaines), Hamish Kilgour, Robert Scott, David Kilgour (The Clean), Chris Knox, Doug Hood, Roy Colbert, The Stones, Russell Brown, Jane Dodd (The Verlaines / Able Tasmans), Matthew Bannister, Paul McKessar (Flying Nun), Graeme Humphreys (Able Tasmans), Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), Andrew Brough (Straitjacket Fits / Bike), Murray Cammick, Shayne Carter (Straitjacket Fits), Bruce Russell (Dead C), Nick Roughan (Skeptics), David Saunders (3Ds), Lesley Paris (Look Blue go Purple), Dion Palmer (D4).