L.A.B performed in Whangārei on Saturday. Video / Brodie Stone
Multi-award-winning New Zealand band L.A.B entertained thousands on Saturday alongside a plethora of homegrown talent.
Attendees were treated to hit after hit as opening acts the Black Seeds performed their singles So True and Cool Me Down, as well as Katchafire performing Get Away.
Kerikeri-based artist Troy Kingi and his band The Promises delivered a colourful set, with Kingi sporting a bright-green outfit and entertaining the crowd with his eclectic blend of funk and psychedelic rock, with blues, soul and roots reggae thrown in for good measure.
Kerikeri-based artist Troy Kingi was one of the first acts of the evening, entertaining crowds as they gathered. Photo / Brodie Stone
L.A.B began their set with a striking light show as band members strolled onto the stage to Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy of Gold.
The entrance theme set the tone for what would be a world-class set, featuring not only an abundance of their own hits, but covers of songs such as Toto’s Africa, Say it Ain’t So by Weezer and Dragon’s April Sun in Cuba.
To simply call L.A.B a reggae act would be to sorely underestimate them.
Their fusion of rock, electronica, reggae and blues could be seen throughout the evening, with the band having an ability to switch between genres in a seemingly effortless way.
It was a team effort from those on the stage, not just from key band members but also from the two backing singers, who came up to the front of the stage mid-performance and serenaded the crowd with their powerful voices.
A young saxophone player received much of the spotlight, with frontman Joel Shadbolt bringing her centre-stage to perform to the thousands of attendees.
A crowd member also became a part of the band for a short while, when Shadbolt exclaimed, “Has someone got a tambourine down there? That’s f***ing awesome!” He then allowed them to begin a song.
The lighting was just one key feature of L.A.B's striking performance in Whangārei on Saturday. Photo / Brodie Stone
At one point, Shadbolt revealed a core memory of Northland, stating, “Ladies and gentlemen, six years ago we performed at the Tiki Tavern in front of 10 people.”
The crowd responded with a roar of recognition at his mentioning of a familiar Whangārei suburb.
In a previous interview with the Northern Advocate, Shadbolt revealed his favourite song to perform live is Controller.
It was clear why when the song began and the thousands-strong crowd sang along, carried by Shadbolt’s voice.
L.A.B played Mr Reggae and their newest singles Take it Away and Why Oh Why, as well as other album favourites.
But it wasn’t until after the encore and 20 minutes of covers and cheeky looks between the bandmates that the stadium finally filled with the opening riff of their hit single, In the Air.
Northland District deployment manager Inspector John Fagan said police monitored the event and described the crowd as “generally well-behaved”. However, he said “there were several minor isolated incidents which resulted in police action”.
Eight people were arrested during the event in relation to disorder incidents and fighting.
