Toogood's tears over Shihad film

Shihad have plenty of events planned for their 'belated' 21st birthday celebrations. Photo / Supplied

Jon Toogood says Shihad's upcoming documentary film is so powerful it moved him to tears.

The highly anticipated movie on one of New Zealand's greatest rock bands is being directed by Sam Peacock and is due out next year.

It's just one of several "belated" events Shihad have planned to mark last year's 21st anniversary, with the band's first best-of album due out next month and a nationwide tour set for April.

Few details have been released about Peacock's film and a trailer is yet to be released, but Toogood says he was caught off guard and found himself "blubbering" when he first watched a rough cut of it.

"It's a really personal, human movie that I wasn't expecting at all," the iconic singer told nzherald.co.nz.

"It moved me to tears at times, actually. It's really beautifully put together. I've watched it a few times now and it's a pretty powerful thing.

"It does go into the music but it's really about people and family and friendship and loyalty and things like that."

He had "never seen a movie like it".

"It's dealing with the effects of being away from family, living out your dream and the things that it costs, the impact on your family, the impact on friends and what you're prepared to give up to pursue that dream."

Shihad had previously said no to record label offers of releasing a best-of, but Toogood says the film put them in a reflective mood.

"Watching the movie, it made me go, 'Wow, that really is quite a story.' It made us realise that there's a body of work there that we're really proud of."

Shihad have released seven albums, the most well known being 1995's Killjoy and 1999's The General Electric. They also released one album under the name Pacifier following their controversial name change in 2002.

Formed at Wellington High School in 1988, Toogood says he, Phil Knight, Karl Kippenberger and Tom Larkin never thought they'd have enough songs for a best-of album like The Meanest Hits, due out on November 7.

"You just take every album as it goes. I'm still freaked out that you can turn on The Rock and hear something like You Again. That wasn't designed for radio at all and it's on commercial radio," he said.

"I find that very strange."

The deluxe edition of the album has two discs - one featuring singles and hits like Home Again and Rule the World, the other comprised of band favourites Yr Head is a Rock and Gimme Gimme.

Toogood says only a little "haggling" occurred over the album's tracklisting between band members.

"You get one chance to do it, and we wanted to make sure it was right ... We've come up with something that I want to hold in my hands."

And that's not all. Shihad have already started "jamming" in Auckland for a new album set for next year, while Toogood also has big plans for his well-received side-project The Adults.

* The Meanest Hits is due out on November 7. Shihad will perform with The Datsuns and The Earlybirds at Auckland's Queens Wharf this Friday from 4pm.

- Herald online