Roots and reggae band L.A.B have taken out all top five spots on the New Zealand singles charts for the biggest songs of 2022.
And they will perform those hits and new material at their first concert of their Summer Tour in Tauranga tomorrow.
The five-piece band is mostly from the Bay of Plenty. Brad and Stu Kora live in Whakatāne - where the band also rehearses - Ara Adams-Tamatea and Joel Shadbolt live in Pāpāmoa, Miharo Gregory in Wellington. Tomorrow’s concert will be the first on home turf since 2019.
Promoters are expecting a sold-out crowd.
In Official NZ Music Charts data released this week, L.A.B not only secured the number one spot for New Zealand Single of the Year with In the Air but took out the entire top five spots with songs Mr Reggae, Controller, Under the Sun, and Why Oh Why. L.A.B’s 2020 single Yes I do is also in 12th position in the Top 20.
While concert-goers can expect to hear plenty of the favourites, L.A.B promise to deliver new material also. Their latest single Take it Away was released on December 9 and has already accrued more than 500,000 streams on Spotify.
L.A.B is about to embark on its Summer Tour, starting in Tauranga on Friday.
The five-member band have been working on their sixth studio album in recent months. It is expected to be released in the new year.
Promoter Dan Clist from Loop said they were expecting a sell-out crowd of 7500 people for the concert “which is going to be a massive event”.
“There’s a special energy whenever L.A.B play a hometown show, and it’s been too long since they’ve performed there.
“We’re expecting another special show for this one,” Clist said.
The band was busy rehearsing for the concert yesterday but in an interview with theBay of Plenty Times this month, Shadbolt said playing at home was always special.
“Playing at home gets the locals excited, so you’re always seeing people around town at home, who will tell you how excited they are for the show,” he said.
“Those are the same people you see in the crowd at the show, and that’s always a real buzz.”
The band started jamming together in 2015, “we’ve really been making music that we’ve wanted to make and listen to, and not really fit into any particular box”.
“I think because of that, we’ve attracted a really diverse fan base.
“I think our music helps people feel good, and hopefully what we’re making will keep making people feel good.”
Asked what they were most proud of and why, given how far they have come as a band, Gregory said he thought they were all proud “of just being able to do this for a living, and to provide for our families making music”.
“It’s a privilege to be able to do that, especially given the current state of the music industry. We’ve had lots of awesome moments as a band, but I think playing the first show at Spark Arena after the first lockdown in 2020 was a show that we’ll all never forget. The energy in the room that night is something that we’ve never felt before.”
And it’s not just L.A.B concertgoers tomorrow will be treated to. Other artists performing include The Black Seeds, Katchafire, Summer Thieves, Bailey Wiley, Aacacia, and Tipene & Jayrasik.
L.A.B says there's always something special about playing at home. The Kora brothers live in Whakatane (where the band also rehearses), Adams-Tamatea and Shadbolt in Papamoa, and Miharo Gregory in Wellington. Photo / Brody Dolan
Speaking of the Summer Tour, Gregory said he hoped people would arrive early to catch as much of the music as they could.
“People will probably know The Black Seeds, and Katchafire, who are absolute legends that we’ve played with before, but hopefully, with artists like Summer Thieves, Bailey Wiley Aacacia and Tipene, they might find a new artist they love.”
The L.A.B Summer Tour begins at Tauranga’s Wharepai Domain tomorrow from 3pm before heading to Tomoana Showgrounds in Hastings on January 21, and Semenoff Stadium in Whangarei on February 4. The band then goes overseas to perform six shows in the United States in May; followed by a show in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom in October.
# For tickets to the Tauranga concert, which is R18, visit loop.co.nz. General admission $127.50. Return bus tickets are also available from Mount Maunganui and Papamoa.
