Editorial: New life for Mission concerts

The Mission concert stage. Photo / Paul Taylor

My first time at The Mission was with Rod Stewart.

As a Hawke's Bay import, I had only ever heard about this unique concert experience until 2012.

I had no idea what to expect as friends lead me past the vines and to a prime spot on the hill. It was quite pleasant sitting on the rug sipping my Mission Estate sauvignon blanc until the sky opened up.

It rained and it rained. I made a rookie mistake and forgot to pack a poncho.

A nearby family saw my sodden state and donated me their spare.

The crowd were wet and cold but they were far from miserable. Rod Stewart's distinctive voice and energetic performance had the crowd on their feet, singing, clapping and swaying to all the classics. As first impressions go - it was hard to beat. The next year Barry Gibb got the crowds dancing with Night Fever.

The British and Irish took to the stage at the last concert in 2014. Despite a smaller crowd of about 12,000, Ronan Keating, Melanie C, Sharon Corr, Leo Sayer and Billy Ocean still put on an entertaining performance.

The Mission Concert was missed this year. The bumper crowds filling our cafes and restaurants seemed to drop slightly after Art Deco Weekend. So it's great to hear that organisers have breathed new life into the concert extending it into a summer concert series. Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals will headline the Saturday night show with Simply Red playing the following night. With more and more artists coming to our shores to play in bigger venues it was becoming harder for the Mission to attract a big crowd in the more competitive market. Let's hope this new format helps put the magic back into the Mission.