Fane Michael Flaws[1] (16 May 1951 – 17 June 2021)[2] [3] was a New Zealand musician, songwriter, director and artist.
Flaws was a member of bands including Blerta, Spats, and The Crocodiles. Until joining Blerta he was known by his second name Michael: Bruno Lawrence of Blerta insisted Fane was a better name.[4]
When he was in The Crocodiles, he wrote the song "Tears" with Arthur Baysting.[5] The single reached number 17 in the New Zealand charts.[6]
He wrote songs for the films Braindead and Meet the Feebles, even voicing the Musician Frog in the latter.
He animated the revamped titles for Radio with Pictures in 1986, a Television New Zealand programme featuring popular and alternative music.
He was co-author, with Arthur Baysting and Peter Dasent, of the children's book The Underwater Melon Man and Other Unreasonable Rhymes. The book was published in 1998, a CD in 1999. In 2011, an edition was published with a DVD.[7] Musicians appearing include Chris Knox, Jenny Morris, Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Renée Geyer, Tony Backhouse, Bic Runga and Boh Runga, the Topp Twins, Che Fu & King Kapisi and Dave Dobbyn.
He also designed rugs, paints and created assemblage art works from found objects such as demolition timber and building fittings.[8]
Directed unless otherwise noted
| Year | Song | Artist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Tears | The Crocodiles | |
| 1981 | Proud | Dropbears | |
| Shall We Go | |||
| Come on Over | Matt Finish | ||
| My Heart's on Fire | Machinations | ||
| Get Some Humour | Jenny Morris | ||
| Life in Asia | I Am Joe's Music | ||
| Talking 'bout the Fridge | |||
| The Way You Get Your Way | |||
| 1983 | Beautiful Things | The Front Lawn | |
| 1985 | Diamonds on China | ||
| 1986 | Injun Joe | The Johnnys | |
| 1988 | Sweet Lovers[10] | Holidaymakers | |
| 1989 | Parihaka [11] | Tim Finn | |
| 1992 | Dominion Road Director and Editor[12] | The Mutton Birds | |
| Nature[13] | |||
| 1993 | Giant Friend | ||
| 1994 | The Heater[14] | ||
| In My Room directed by Leon Narbey, recut by Fane Flaws. | |||
| 1995 | Anchor Me[15] | ||
| Naked Flame | Dave Dobbyn | ||
| 1999 | Can You Hear Us | Neil Finn |
Flaws died on 17 June 2021, aged 70.[16]