Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien talks about playing right-hand man to Neil Finn - and life in the greatest band in the world.

You are a guitarist in what many consider the greatest band in the world. You are between your difficult fourth album and the release of your fifth, which you effusively describe as the best thing your band has done.

You have an invitation to play on the other side of the world which a chap whose songs you have long admired. You take up the invite and drag another member of your band along for company and rhythm-keeping duties.

You rehearse 12 hours a day for four days in a barn by a beach on Auckland's west coast. Also in the band is another chap from England who helped to turn you on to guitar in the first place.

The shows are momentous from the first night, and the five nights turn into An Event.

You go back Up Over to the greatest band in the world and start rehearsals on Monday. And so, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead, what do you tell the folks at home about your time playing right-hand man to Neil Finn?

"I am going to try really hard not to bore people about what a great time I've had," laughs the tall, chisel-jawed musician. "You know, there was that time when we were doing Weather With You and Johnny Marr, who was one of the reasons I started playing guitar, comes over and says, 'why don't you take this?'

"It's been really, really, really hard work, like learning all these songs. It's kind of reassuring when people like Johnny come up and say - because he's guested loads - 'when you guest again, you won't do anything as hard as this'."

It's the day before yesterday, the morning after the third show of the Finn and friends season. Before sitting down with O'Brien we've briefly encountered the Radiohead drummer in the hotel lobby, who pronounces the excursion to Finn-land has been "really intense."

Upstairs, O'Brien looks like a well-to-do young British tourist as he politely requests a herbal tea from his local record company minders. He could gush for England about playing with Finn and how much of a challenge it's been.

It has been an interesting musical exercise for him, too, considering Radiohead's recent experimental moves, which have meant he hasn't been playing as much conventional guitar.

"Yeah I know. That's right. It's really weird to be playing chords again. Haven't played chords for a long time. I realised I haven't played chord changes since OK Computer and stuff like that. I've learned a lot musically in this week and it's kind of made me go back and work even harder as a musician."