The Herald’s GM of lifestyle and entertainment Alanah Eriksen attended The Wiggles second Auckland show at Spark Arena on Saturday.
REVIEW
He did warn he wasn’t wearing his reading glasses.
But that wasn’t enough to save Anthony Field from the gaffe that ensued.
The 61-year-old was asked to read out one of the notes that had been rounded up from the audience at Spark Arena.
“This is a sad one, ‘My grandma is ill,” he read.
Caterina Mete, the red Wiggle, hurridly whispered something into his ear and Field realised little Zachary wasn’t talking about the pensioner’s ailment but her age.
“Oh, ‘My grandma is 111′.”
Awkward, but such are the pitfalls of being the only OG Wiggle left from the band’s first line-up 33 years ago. Or was it a deliberate gag to keep the adults engaged?
Either way, we’re all glad granny is okay.
And thanks Anthony for the lols for all the parents who had battled Auckland’s motorway traffic, paid $20 for an hour’s parking, spent too much money on merch and snacks for their ungrateful broods and endured countless meltdowns.
Field had minutes earlier - when asked to do his signature dance move - demonstrated the “belt buckle shine” (Say the Dance, Do the Dance) which involved an impressive high kick.
The blue Wiggle has still got it.
Field mainly stood at the back playing his guitar, passing the dancing baton to the younger members (there are now eight in the group), including his daughter Lucia, 20, who wears the trademark blue skivvy like her dad.
While Field’s signature move was a high kick, Mete’s was the splits. Awe-inspiring for a 44-year-old, but even more so for someone who gave birth to twins. THREE MONTHS AGO.
All the mums’ collective pelvic floors jumped back up into their bodies as she sat, legs akimbo, grinning.
Another Wiggle who showed he could do impressive things with his body was John, the purple one.
During the self-deprecating I’m John, I’m Strong, the 33-year-old back-flipped. All the mums did another collective yelp. For a different reason this time.
It wasn’t quite like the thirst traps he posts on Insta (see below, you’re welcome), but he kept us hanging in there.
All the other Wiggles had some time in the spotlight too as did their hectic side characters, which are pretty hard to keep track of these days.
There was Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, two dancing marshmallows (?), Bubbles the Mermaid, Buddy and Tree of Wisdom (??).
As Feathersword spun around on the ground, Field joked he was the captain of Aussie’s Olympic breakdancing team. Good on him getting a thinly-veiled Raygun reference in there.
Once again, the band reeled in the long-suffering parents - many of who would have been OG fans as children in the 1990s - with their zeitgeisty quips.
Simon, another red one (very confusing) made several references to Saturday night’s All Blacks v Wallabies showdown before an Aussie rules barb.
“I’m sure everyone cares about today’s AFL grand final.”
The joke would probably have landed better in the Australian rugby strongholds of New South Wales or Queensland but it did it’s thing for a dad behind me who vigorously did care and was clearly on edge as wasn’t sure he’d be back home in time for beersies and a 4.30pm kick-off.
It was quite a different vibe to my last gig at Spark, Queens of the Stone Age. Less black jean, more rainbow. And a lot less alcohol (zero).
A $15 house wine in a plastic cup would have been a welcome addition as my three-year-old spurted out whatever was on his mind (I want to watch TV, I want to go home, I want chippies). In amongst his delighted clapping and dancing of course.
The band delivered all the usual bangers: Apples and Bananas, Fruit Salad, Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, Can You (Point Your Fingers and Do the Twist?), Do the Propeller, a drum and bass remix of Hot Potato and the ultimate banger that we all came for, Big Red Car.
After an hour, with meltdowns developing in a chain reaction around me (one poor mum was trying to change her kid’s top after a tomato sauce mishap and he stood there, naked, punching her) it was time for the The Wiggles to drive off to their next gig in Hamilton.
There are more shows in Wellington today and Christchurch on Wednesday.
Alanah Eriksen is the acting GM of lifestyle and entertainment. She has held various positions at NZME including editor of the Herald on Sunday, chief reporter and police reporter. She has experience in newsrooms overseas including the Daily Mail, the Sun and the News of the World.
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