Merlin Mills

Merlin has spent decades in the music industry. His career has taken him from working on a police paedophile task force to making sure a hip hop icon got his Cristal champagne and a bucket of KFC. Born the week of the moon landing, he says music has been beating in his veins ever since. Not Finished Yet… is his chance to share what those years have taught him. He’ll talk about how he got here, about an industry he describes as a gathering of the weird and the wonderful, and about meeting the coolest person in the world.

Diagnosed with motor neuron disease, the night will also be honest about what living with a terminal illness is like. Merlin takes on what to do when you’re told you’re dying, and how to find your way through the unknown. “It’s about the living, not the dying” is a thread that runs through the whole evening, along with plenty of humour.

One of New Zealand’s most respected broadcasters, Charlotte Ryan hosts, and Sir Dave Dobbyn, Tami Neilson and Tereora Crane will join Merlin on stage for special performances.

Proceeds will support MusicHelps’ work in the community; the charity funds projects where music makes a real difference, from music therapy in hospitals and special needs schools to programmes that help people experiencing hardship find confidence and connection. Within the industry, it provides confidential counselling and emergency financial support for New Zealand music workers facing mental health challenges, illness or unexpected hardship