L.A.B will perform in Whangārei this Saturday at Semenoff Stadium. Photo / Ian Cooper
L.A.B will perform in Whangārei this Saturday at Semenoff Stadium. Photo / Ian Cooper
A highly anticipated headline show from Aotearoa band L.A.B is set to entertain hoards of people this Saturday at Semenoff Stadium. Reporter Brodie Stone spoke to frontman Joel Shadbolt about what’s in store for concert-goers.
Top Kiwi band L.A.B may be a household name, but frontman Joel Shadbolt says it’s still “a pretty special feeling” when thousands of people sing their lyrics back to them.
“When you get the perfect energy from the band pushing out and the crowd giving back and you can follow with that as the frontman that’s probably the funnest part of a live show.
“I know when I’ve got the crowd when I can basically not say anything to them but just use gestures to make them do things.”
Shadbolt said attendees can expect to see something a little different at Saturdays event, “we love to change things up”, he said , “and really hone the craft of a live performance and arrangements of the songs...I would really say we’re more of a live band first and foremost.”
Shadbolt is frontman for L.A.B. Photo / Sam Hannaford
Their smooth reggae sounds with a fusion of blues, electronica, rock and funk have dominated the charts in Aotearoa since the band shot to fame in 2020.
Their single In the Air, topped the radio waves for weeks after its release and at 9x platinum, is New Zealand’s all-time best-selling single.
Attendees will be keen to hear the band’s new single Take it Away from their up-and-coming album, which released last December.
Shadbolt said if people are enjoying Take it Away, he’s “pretty sure” they’re going to enjoy the new tunes L.A.B have got coming.
“I guess when we’re writing we first and foremost want to write music that feels good to us and that reflects in the recording and in the live shows,” he said.
“It’s a buzz where you hear your songs on the radio,” he said, “I guess when you’re young and you’re wanting to be a musician and make it, that’s the goal, to get your music out there for people to listen to.”
His message for budding musicians is to treat music like anything in life you want to be good at.
“Like training to be a doctor, it takes seven or eight years to do that,” he said, “the ones that are really good put a lot of hours into their craft. Work hard at it, put in the 10,000 hours, write 50 songs before you release the first one.”
For Shadbolt, he said he still sees himself as a student.
“I still get my a** kicked [by music]”, he said, “by the art itself, music is constantly going ‘Oh, that’s right, I’m better than you’.”
Brothers Brad (backing vocals) and Stuart Kora (backing vocals, keyboard and guitar) of the band Kora are members of L.A.B, as is bass player, previously of Katchafire, Ara Adams-Tamatea and Miharo Gregory as keyboardist.
Stu Kora and Joel Shadbolt of L.A.B. Photo / Andy Jackson
Add in the soul-filled voice of Shadbolt, and it’s no wonder the band has continued to dominate the New Zealand music charts.
The band took out Album Of The Year, Single Of The Year & Best Group at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards, being the first artist since Lorde in 2017 to win both Album & Single awards in the same year.
Supporting the band on Saturday will be a festival-worthy lineup, including The Black Seeds, Katchafire, Northland’s Troy Kingi and The Promises, Bailey Wiley, Aacacia, as well a Tipene and DJ Jayrasik.
Troy Kingi will be among the star-studded lineup of homegrown music on Saturday. Photo / Tania Whyte
This year, the band is stepping past familiar Australasian shores to further afield, with shows in Amsterdam, London and the US.
“I’m about to find out how well our music is received overseas which is exciting, I think from the outside looking in there are a lot of people listening to our music overseas.
Saturday’s show is the final in the band’s summer tour of Aotearoa.
“The last time we played up there [Whangārei] it was amazing,” he said, “so we’re just excited to be coming back to do our own headline show this time.”
From performing to massive crowds in Australia and larger cities across New Zealand, Shadbolt said performing in small towns has a “different vibe” .
“You know, they don’t get the big concerts so I guess it’s a novelty having a big event come to town like this.”
“Music is an escape for a lot of people, so I would like to think that our audience just come to our shows and leave everything at the door and lose themselves in the music.
‘‘We’re not massively political or anything like that, so I feel like it’s just about unity, getting people together and enjoying the moment.”
Saturday’s weather is expected to be partly cloudy with northeasterlies and a high of 25C, according to MetService.
