Jon Toogood: Shihad frontman ahead of the band's final performance

Shihad front man John Toogood says he wants to spend more time with his children as he prepares for his final show. 

The iconic Kiwi rock band will play its last ever performance at Wellington's Homegrown festival tomorrow. 

Toogood told Mike Hosking now is the right time to end. 

He says it's something they've been thinking about for a while, and he just wants to put his family first. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A couple of significant moments coming this weekend. After eighteen years,

(00:03):
the Homegrown Music Festival is finishing in the Capitol and
as part of that lineup of course she Harder there,
who will play their last ever performance, and John Too
Good as well us John.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Morning, Modena, Mike, how are you very well?

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Thank you? How's the summer of Goodbys gone?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's been huge. Actually, we've just got back from Australia.
Every show in Australia was sold out. I don't think
we've done that, and it's just been a joyous celebration
of music every night.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
And when you make a big decision like this and
then everyone goes no, no, don't go and sells out,
do you think, oh, bugger, I've made the wrong decision.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Ah. This is something we've been thinking about for a while.
I mean, I think COVID came around and it forced
us all to stop work for a bit there, and
all of a sudden I sort of looked at my
six year old nine year old and went, oh, man,
I've been working so hard to keep a roof over
these guys head, so I'm sort of missing them. And

(01:03):
I think we all had sort of different sort of
personal and things like that, and I think just for
once in my life, from when I've been eighteen, she
has always been the priority. It's always come first before everything,
and so I just wanted to try putting my family
first good.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
And so you're at peace with it, obviously.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Absolutely absolutely, And I've been loving it, you know, And
you know what, I don't know what I'm going to
feel like in a year and a half time, maybe
I'll be bored out of my mind and a lot
to be rocking again, But for now that I'm very
at peace with that decision.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
And so will it be a have a little something
to it this weekend? Do you think that last day
a time?

Speaker 2 (01:46):
I think so. I think even beyond it being our
last show, I think that's going to be very obvious
to people that aren't there, Like our parents aren't there anymore.
We've both and Tom, we've lost our pers It's in
the city, seven year career who's always work side of
stage at every she had home show. So that's going

(02:09):
to be pretty pretty pretty intense, I think. And I
just think, yeah, it might all the reality and it
might hit around that time, but the whole tour, I mean,
it's been going for a month and a half now
it's actually just been business as usual. It's like we're
sticklers for perfection and we want to make sure every

(02:31):
show is great and that's all we do.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Get it on you mate, Well, look good, catch up
and we'll talk again soon. See what you're up to
post the music career. But John too good this weekend
homegrownd final time ever, It really has been quite the story,
hasn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
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