Monster Trucks Extreme’s Auckland show: Crowds pack out Auckland show of maligned NZ tour

Monster truck fans in Auckland are flocking to a sold-out show at Waikaraka Park this afternoon after a week of controversy around the Tauranga leg of the tour - with many today saying they were drawn to the event by the bad reviews.

Confusion reigned over whether this weekend’s shows would go ahead after an uproar from attendees of the Monster Truck & FMX Spectacular Tauranga event where hundreds complained about the quality of the gig.

But the gates are set to open at 4pm for a 6pm start at Waikaraka - with organisers confident the issues at Tauranga won’t be repeated.

Early indications are the event is living up to the organisers’ claims, with thousands in the crowd “loving” the stunts so far.

Fans pack out the Auckland leg of the Monster Truck & FMX Spectacular NZ tour at Waikaraka Family Speedway on March 4, 2023. Photo / Ben Plummer

Fans pack out the Auckland leg of the Monster Truck & FMX Spectacular NZ tour at Waikaraka Family Speedway on March 4, 2023. Photo / Benjamin Plummer

One monster truck enthusiast from Auckland said the criticism the show copped after its first event made him want to see it even more.

“I’m pretty excited to see some flips and trucks. I just hope it lives up to what the promoters have been promising,” he said.

Another spectator said the show had more then met expectations.

“It is actually far better than I thought it would be after what happened in the last show,” they said.

At 7pm tonight, fans erupted in cheers and claps as the show hits its halfway point.

Seven-year-old Alex said his favourite part so far had been watching the jet-powered van and the stunt car driving through a flaming wall.

One fan said he’d been waiting about 10 years since the last monster truck show at Waikaraka Park Speedway.

“It has definitely not disappointed - they’ve put on a great show for this sold-out crowd tonight, and it’s been worth every penny,” he said.

Auckland mother Lauren, who took her young son to the monster truck event, said she has mixed emotions about the quality on show.

She told the Herald the children are enjoying it but the quality is lacking for adults with little action.

”The kids think it’s cool but there’s barely any monster truck action. They came around for a little bit, did a couple of jumps over a car, drive again, and then that’s it. It’s mostly like cars doing skids and not a lot else.

“I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I was expecting the worst given the brutal backlash of the Tauranga show but it wasn’t the worst. At the same time it’s not a show I’d be proud of,” she said.

“We ended up leaving early. My 4-year-old loved it though. He told me ‘I’m so happy and that was fun’,” said Lauren.

When reviews poured in last weekend from attendees calling the Tauranga show a disappointing rip-off, event promoter Clive Featherby put most of the blame on the Trustpower Baypark Arena.

He said the event organisers had no control over the lack of food, the Eftpos machines were not working and the PA system failed, which featured in many of the disgruntled customers’ complaints.

When bad reviews poured in last weekend from attendees, event promoter Clive Featherby put most of the blame on the Trustpower Baypark Arena. Photo / Christopher Graham

More than 260 complaints were made after the Tauranga show, some calling for a refund.

The show was marketed as being a huge, not-to-be-missed event with wild flips and tricks, but many attendees took to social media to complain of being disappointed and bored, with some leaving early.

Featherby later apologised for disparaging remarks he made about the venue, Baypark Stadium.

Earlier in the week, screenshots of messages from the Monster Truck Promotions Facebook account showed the company taking an aggressive approach to those complaining about its shows.

Multiple messages sent to the Herald purported to show the company using obscene language to disparage the venue and the entire country.

One message seen by the Herald blamed the “Kiwi f***wits that ran the stadium”.

“We will take our supposed s*** show home to our sell-out shows that run month after month there to thousands of very happy kids. No wonder virtually nothing comes to your country,” another message read.

Fans pack out the Auckland leg of the Monster Truck & FMX Spectacular NZ tour at Waikaraka Family Speedway on March 4, 2023. Photo / Ben Plummer