The crowd was indeed rocking at New Plymouth's Rock the Bowl on December 29, 2023. Photo / Andy Jackson
Thousands of people are flocking to the picturesque Bowl of Brooklands this summer and praise for the iconic venue is already ringing out over the region.
Fans came out in full force to enjoy the first two concerts of the summer series - Rock the Bowl on December 29 and a Summer’s Day Live with Dire Straits Legacy on January 3.
Bam Campbell and Chuggy Walker were dancing under a backdrop of towering trees at Rock the Bowl and were in such great spirits Bam was even praising the foggy weather.
“I always love the atmosphere at the Bowl, even the mist today, it’s just beautiful, man. Just adds to the vibe, eh. We’ve got our Red Bands on and we’re loving it.”
The 22-year-old builders put Womad, Synthony and Six60 in their top three nights at the Bowl and say they’ll be back for as many gigs as possible.
Joss Bines was also soaking up the atmosphere at Rock the Bowl and like the young builders has seen some amazing artists there over the years, including Split Enz, Crowded House and Fleetwood Mac.
Now a musician in Taranaki’s chart-topping band Laconic Zephyr, Joss used to be a sales and marketing manager for Warner Music, MCA Records and Universal Music New Zealand. Her career took her into some of the greatest international venues, and she rates New Plymouth District Council’s Bowl of Brooklands as being among the best.
“The environment is what makes it. We’re surrounded by amazing scenery and open spaces. It’s tranquil and uplifting. I prefer outdoor venues. They’re a drawcard for me because the vibe is different, it’s better.”
Another drawcard for her this summer is Strawpeople, who will be wowing crowds with their electro-pop hits at Womad in March. For her son and daughter-in-law, it’s Matchbox Twenty and the Goo Goo Dolls who are the attraction, and the pair will be coming up from Whanganui for the concert on March 2.
“People travel to the Bowl because it’s always a great experience here. We are so lucky to have this beautiful venue in our region.”
With two more major events still to come this summer, Taranaki is indeed fortunate to have the Bowl of Brooklands. It’s not all luck though, as there was an army of volunteers 66 years ago to thank for the sheer hard work that brought the beloved venue to life.
While the Bowl is now an iconic part of our landscape and was officially named New Zealand’s best large event venue in 2021, in 1957 it was simply a bush-clad gully, complete with grazing cattle and a swampy pond.
The full story of how it came to be is as lengthy as the list of stars who have played there, but in essence, the adored Bowl exists because a man with a vision inspired the people of Taranaki.
That man, Eric Handbury, was the public relations officer for New Plymouth and in 1957 organised a three-day water carnival on the main lake in Pukekura Park. The event was so successful it spurred him to create something even bigger and better.
Quickly realising he needed a larger venue, he was shown a wild valley nestled below the racecourse. Standing on the uneven ground, Eric and his small team looked past the grazing cattle and the swampy pond and saw an almost perfect natural amphitheatre. Struck by the potential of the site, they declared it could one day become an internationally recognised performance venue, similar to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Almost overnight the idea garnered a wave of community support and the project amassed an astonishing number of volunteers, enormous volumes of building materials, endless offers of equipment, and became an incredible display of the sheer willpower of an inspired province.
With a shoestring budget, they set about clearing the site, building a stage, designing and installing a sound shell, erecting seating, developing lighting systems and turning the swampy sloping paddock into the entertainment venue of their dreams.
Less than a year after inspiration struck, the Bowl of Brooklands opened its gates and concert-goers flocked to the inaugural Festival of the Pines.
The complete story of the Bowl’s inception is much more detailed, but it’s fair to say Eric’s vision of an internationally acclaimed venue was well and truly realised, with prestigious awards under its belt and adoration coming from concert-goers, promoters and artists alike.
Among the venue’s international fans is Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, who lists the Bowl of Brooklands as being in the top five shows of his career.
He’s not alone, with countless artists singing its praises, including L.A.B frontman Joel Shadbolt who describes it as his favourite venue in the country.
Praise for the idyllic spot is something Chris Smith hears a lot of when he brings artists to New Zealand for Womad. As the director of Womad International he visits venues and festival sites around the world and says the Bowl of Brooklands is one of the best there is.
“Its greatest strength is the vision that is behind it. Often Womad arrives in a beautiful place and then has to invest time and resources into creating a perfect event space. In Brooklands Park, we start with a fabulous main stage and everything else falls into place around it.”
Womad festivals create a global community that exists for just a few days, allowing people from all over the world to come together to share their cultures and discover the cultures of other people. Chris says the setting of Brooklands Park is perfect for that unique experience, as the site immerses festival-goers from the moment they step into it.
“Quickly you feel you have entered a unique space that is the focus of all the things that are good in the world ... Whoever created the space understood the dynamic of performance and its environment, and has created one of the finest outdoor event spaces in the world.”
Chris believes the magic of Brooklands Park transcends its status as a world-class venue.
“The Bowl isn’t just another soulless space on a trading estate outside a city and close to transport links. It’s at the heart of the community and a part of people’s lives for 52 weeks of the year. It’s where people meet and fall in love, it’s where they go to find space to breathe, and it’s where they take their children to the park and the zoo.”
You don’t have to go far to find those special stories. The treasured spot has been woven into the cultural fabric of Taranaki and into the hearts of the people who live here, including the mayor of the New Plymouth District, Neil Holdom.
“So many Taranaki people have incredible memories from the Bowl, but I suppose the most significant one in our household is that Melissa and I were married at The Gables and held our wedding reception on the stage 20 years ago.”
As well as being an enchanting place for his wedding, it’s also where Neil has memories of incredible nights spent with friends, enjoying some fantastic artists like R.E.M, Mark Knopler and Womad’s Afro Celt Sound System.
“One of the best things about concerts in the park is the setting helps people escape their everyday lives and enter a world painted by the musicians and lighting technicians on a canvas of nature at its absolute best. Rain or shine the Bowl creates magic moments people remember forever.”
The Details | Next up at the Bowl of Brooklands:
● What: Matchbox Twenty and Goo Goo Dolls
When: Saturday, March 2, from 7pm
Tickets: Ticketek.
● What: Womad NZ
When: March 15 to 17
Tickets: Ticketspace.