Review: There was definitely something ‘In The Air’ at L.A.B’s Tomoana Showgrounds concert

L.A.B hit the stage all lit up on Saturday night. Photo / Ian Cooper

Hawke’s Bay has had an awesome line-up of artists visit both Hastings and Napier this summer, and L.A.B were no exception.

The New Zealand reggae band was a big hit in Hastings over the weekend, drawing crowds in from all over Hawke’s Bay and further outside the region; I meet people who had come from as far as Gisborne and Levin.

L.A.B brought a festival-worthy lineup with them, including Australian surf rock band Ocean Alley, Flaxmere artists DJ Jayrasik and Tipene, singer-songwriter AACACIA, all-Māori New Zealand roots reggae band Katchafire and Christchurch band Summer Thieves.

Fans flocked to Showgrounds Hawke’s Bay for the L.A.B. concert.

With act after act performing hit after hit, it really was a great evening in the Bay, and here is what you missed if you didn’t attend one of Hastings’s biggest concerts of the year:

Roads around the showgrounds were blocked off, and while we accidentally got into the long line of cars for parking instead of the drop-off line, we finally made it to the drop-off area, where it was only a short walk to the showground entrance.

Once through the entrance, there was a quick toilet stop for my group, and then we lined up with the masses to enter the actual concert.

I must say we didn’t get to the grounds until a little past 5pm and there were still crowds of people lining up, but the security team did a good job at getting us all through quickly and safely.

Once in, we headed straight to the drinks tent, paid the standard concert $12 per alcoholic drink and then made a beeline straight into the crowd just in time for Katchafire’s set.

Reggae group L.A.B. entertain the crowds in Hastings.

Straight away, I will say there was a strong smell of weed coming from the pockets of certain attendants, and there were a few times we moved due to feeling like we may have been getting a second-hand high.

While there was a lot of drinking and smoking going on around us that night, everyone was happy and just having a good time.

I only saw one small argument between a couple - the fighting was kept to a minimum around where I was, although throughout the night, I did hear of a few larger altercations, including fist fights and a possible stabbing; however, I did not witness any of this.

Along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, there was a diverse range of food options, including barbecue, burgers, and Indian and Chinese takeaway. I opted for the basic hot chips and a hot dog, which was perfect.

Now, in every review I have done, I have spoken about the toilet situation, and I will have to say the set-up at the L.A.B concert was one of the best I have seen.

Fans who managed to work their way to the front to enjoy the music.

There were two different areas set up for toilets, and both had the portaloos up against the fences in a long line, so waiting for the toilet took less than five minutes every time.

A highlight of the night, besides L.A.B, of course, was Ocean Alley.

As a long-time fan of the Yellow Mellow band, they’ve been on the list of must-see artists for a few years now, and to be able to see them so close to home made it all the better.

Seeing the Australian band live was definitely worth the wait, and being right in the middle of the crowd with a bunch of people who were also just there to enjoy the music was great.

L.A.B ends the night on a high at the Hasting Tomoana Showgrounds. Photo / Ian Cooper

After a small break, L.A.B took the stage and, once again, we made our way into the middle of the crowd; they played both old hits and new songs, as well as a few iconic songs from other bands, including Weezer’s Island in the Sun and Toto’s Africa, which had the crowd pumping.

The set and encore finished at exactly 10.50pm, and getting people out of the concert was moving along steadily until everyone hit a fence.

As people were leaving, they all spread out off the path and onto the grass, meaning the herd of people we were following walked right into a wire fence that was about waist-high on me; most people decided to climb over the fence.

However, I was too short to hop the fence, so I made my way along the fence line and back to the gravel pathway, making it out onto the road after that, and finding my group of friends and getting back to the drop-off point and the car was one of the easiest experiences I have had leaving a concert.