There has been a lot of anticipation around this gig and it was exciting to finally get to this point. There was quite a buzz as people began to flow into the Town Hall. The flow of people was continuous as soon as the doors opened and people seemed to be excited that the night was finally here. My favourite part about watching to crowd come into the venue was seeing such a range of different people: Different cultures, different ages etc. Just a reminder of how powerful music can be to all people.
First to take the stage was Rubi Du. She took the stage wearing a large, plain, black shirt and braids with a green ribbon flowing through. It was a nice simple look which contrasted really well with the colourful lights and detailed building façade that was her backdrop. Joined buy her 4-piece band, they just really set the vibe for the night. Though the crowd was still coming in, it was amazing to see the amount of people in the crowd already singing and dancing along. Rubi Du has an incredible soulful sound and I really couldn’t fault her vocals or performance because you could see she was really peforming and feeling her music, not just standing there “doing the job”. She then extended that to her band, departing the stage and allowing the crowd to take in the instrumental of the track, performed by these passionate musicians. I think people forget that, that each individual band member is an artist and musician in their own right. Obviously opening acts are generally there to hype the crowd for the main act but it was awesome to hear about the relationship Rubi Du actually had with Che Fu, that she even dedicated the track ‘Gideon’ to his mum. A great way to kick off the night!
SETLIST (as written on the print-out from the stage): Highe St / Opus / 80’s Wine / Munich / Cornmeal / Gideon / No Doubt
Manuel Bundy was keeping the tunes flowing in between sets and helped keep everyone vibing and the energy up. He definitely had a great selection of tracks to help transition into each act, which I think is important. It’s always good to be able to read a room.
The crowd had definitely began packing in at this point. And next to stage was Team Dynamite. This was a performance I had really been looking forward too. With their return and the release of their album ‘Respect the Process’ it was exciting to finally get the chance to see them perform live. The trio took the stage with 2 band members: Elijah Whyte on drums and Adam Fuhr on keys/synths etc. The backing screen played a few different viewpoints of the stage. But I loved that, like Rubi Du, there was nothing fancy to the performance. It was just about the music. Haz Beats on the decks while Tony Teez and Lucky Lance took place centre stage.
There was a lot of energy coming off them all and I couldn’t tell if it was the love in the room, excitement or just built up energy in finally performing this music. All of the above? And if that wasn’t enough, they had special appearances form Diggy Dupe for ‘Who?’ And Bailey Wiley for ‘Lightning Bolt’. I was so absorbed in the performance that I didn’t notice how full the venue was. The energy in the room was great and it really felt like a family vibe – positive and full of love. I even saw quite a bit of the crowd rapping the words back, so there’s no doubt that energy was being reciprocated constantly. It was an incredible performance from Team Dynamite.
SETLIST (as written on the print-out from the stage): Shepherds Delight / I Like That / Who / Lightning Bolt / Coconut Lime / Principle / Marvin / Very On
Now on to the man we were all there to see, Che Fu. Performing and celebrating 20 years of the legendary album Navigator. I feel like his set went 0-100. I sadly couldn’t stay for the full set as I had to be somewhere else that night but I experienced a lot in the few tracks I did see. Che Fu and The Kratez took the stage to a rapturous applause from a wall-to-wall crowd. Within the first tracks I could see that it was going to be one hell of a show. From two young men waving a Niuean flag and a Maori flag (Tino rangatiratanga flag) to 2 awhile break dancing on either side of the stage. And like Team Dynamite he also had visuals playing out from the stage on the back screen.
The crowd was packed and singing along that I literally had to mosh to get out. It was hard to leave what felt like such an incredible space to be in. To read more about Che Fu’s set check out Ambient Light.
SETLIST (as written on the print-out from the stage): The Mish / Natural / Random / Roots Man / Share the info / Catch / The Abyss / He Kotahi / Top floor / Hold Tight / Interlude / Full immersion / Misty / Fadeaway —— Chains / Waka
