Martin Phillipps farewelled in packed ceremony with unreleased track

As Martin Phillipps' chill blue coloured coffin was taken outside, an unreleased song from a forthcoming album boomed over the speakers.

"I don't want to live forever," the front man of The Chills, who penned Kiwi classics 'Heavenly Pop Hit', 'I Love My Leather Jacket' and 'Pink Frost', could be heard singing.

The 400-people capacity Glenroy Auditorium was packed with people celebrating the life of the 61-year-old, who died in his home in the Dunedin suburb of Tainui, on Sunday, 26 July.

Behind his coffin, which included two rocks representing the two asteroids named after him, was his familiar leather jacket, next to his guitar, amp, and pair of distinctive winklepickers.

Speakers included his older sister, Sara Barham, who spoke of her brother's love of space, the Thunderbirds, cats, and music.

Her brother's legacy was in his words and his music, "which will live and be loved forever".

She imagined him sitting on asteroid 53019, aka 'martinphillipps', contemplating love, friendship, loneliness and loss "and being our most beloved son and brother forever".

Journalist Richard Langston described Phillipps as a "dreamy kid", who was inspired by the galaxy, but who would immerse himself in the world of pop culture.

Known for his love of collecting, Phillipps was not on the spectrum "he had one entirely to himself," Langston said.

But he thrived at music, and his work was known by a diverse range of musicians including some of his idols, David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop.

His body of work, which began with his first band The Same and rose to prominence with The Chills, meant he joined the list others who have produced great art in Dunedin: Frances Hodgkins, Janet Frame, Colin McCahon, James K Baxter, and Ralph Hotere.

Long time manager Scott Muir noted that Phillipps had played more than 1100 shows in New Zealand and overseas. In 1987 the band played 114 shows as they toured the album Brave Words.

That meant over his professional career, Phillipps played a show almost every fortnight and all of those performances were meticulously recorded, including keeping every boarding pass.

Muir said the singer always retained a sense of wonder, and would chat to fans for hours after each show.

His long-time friend, Bruce Mahalski, said Phillipps was never judgemental and had an excellent self-deprecating sense of humour.

The pair loved comic books, horror music "and both wanted to be amateur paranormal researchers".

"Life is really not going to be anywhere near as fun or as interesting as it was, I'm really going to miss my funny supportive friend."

Musician and friend Shayne Carter said "Martin was very thoughtful when he wasn't asking you to leave his band".

But he was never malicious or malevolent, and while some tried to editorialise him over the years "he was just a guy with his own quirks trying to make his way, and to anyone who judged ... he wrote those songs and you didn't."

His last words to Phillipps was "I love you Marty P".

"I am glad I said that, it was true, and looking back in musical terms that is the correct note for us to finish on."

MC Grant Robertson, vice chancellor of the University of Otago, noted that Phillipps was widely regarded as one of the country's greatest songwriters, and name checked by the likes of American indie royalty, REM, Pavement and Yo La Tengo.

That back catalogue included the album Submarine Bells, and one of many albums to feature the initials S.B, which reached number one on the New Zealand charts.

Robertson read a tribute from Phillipps' other sister, Rachel, who said it was a miracle his last album was completed.

"I knew from the start it would be his swansong."

The album was important for her brother, and she was thankful to all those artists who contributed, and for her sick brother to perform.

When hearing those songs, she knew instantly the role of one of them, which would be played when his coffin was carried out.

"I hope, just for a moment, that this song makes you smile today."

Their father, Donald Phillipps, led the committal for his son.

The Chills began in Dunedin in 1980, when Phillipps was just 17, and was known for its keyboard and guitar-infused melodies, which contributed to the 'Dunedin Sound' moniker.

But multiple line-up changes, coupled with addictions threatened to derail Phillipps singular vision for the band.

Phillipps was later impacted by Hepatitis C, with the virus attacking a liver already impacted by alcohol, and "It got to the point where I was warned that even mouthwash with alcohol in it could kill me".

But Phillipps, who had a late career revival, became Hepatitis C free in 2017. That health battle documented in The Chills: The Triumph and Tragedy of Martin Phillipps, in 2019.

Those late career releases included Silver Bullets (2015), Snow Bound (2018), and Scatterbrain (2022).

Now with an end to a previous revolving door of band members, the group performed to sold-out shows domestically and internationally.

Phillipps, in one of his final interviews, talked about auctioning some of his extensive collection to help pay for some repairs on his house.

That interview name-checked a new album, Springboard: Early Unrecorded Songs, which was due for release later this year, with several of the songs played at the funeral.

Phillipps said he had been battling poor health, including being in hospital four times in the last six months with jaundice, and other liver-related complications.

Of the current Top 20 New Zealand albums, three were by The Chills: Kaleidoscope World, Brave Words, and Snow Bound.

* This story originally appeared on Stuff.