I did not go to the Mission Concert at the weekend as I was working, but by all accounts Simply Red was simply superb.
It is good to have the Mission back after a year's break as I think it is an important date on Hawke's Bay's calendar - and what a calendar it is, from the (new) Summer Cycling Carnival to the fabulous Tremains Art Deco Festival, through to the Horse of the Year, Festival of Hockey, the Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival, Food and Wine Classic and many more.
But something was missing when the concert was not held last year. There was disappointment when Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals pulled out of what was going to be a Saturday and Sunday double-header. They have rescheduled for later in the year but the thing about a band like Simply Red is that they are world-class.
By all accounts numbers were down from previous years, but those who went enjoyed the music. However, we did have a few grumbles from some concert-goers about the organisation of the event, particularly long queues for food and drinks. It is not good for issues like this to arise at an event like the Mission Concert, which organisers are trying to build back to the halcyon days of Rod Stewart and others.
To be fair, Peter Holley, chief executive of Mission Estate Winery, which hosted the concert, has put his hand up and apologised for the queues. They are examining what happened and hoping they can move forward to better organisation next year.
