George In The Park
18th March 2017
Coyle Park, Auckland, New Zealand
Review and Photography by Sarah Kidd.
The weather gods had decided to bless Auckland on Saturday despite the torrential rain that had hit the city no less than a week beforehand – and the crowds were taking full advantage of it. The Music in the Parks series kindly supported by The Auckland City Council always features some amazing afternoons – but none as highly anticipated as George in the Park. Thanks to Demon Energy drinks and George FM, the day featured a stellar line up and a family friendly environment.
Coyle Park in Pt Chevalier was the perfect setting for such an event, with playgrounds for the younger members of the audience, a beautiful scenic beach to walk along if you wanted a break from the music and lots of space to sprawl out with a picnic blanket or two.
First act for the day is the up and coming Stack and Piece (aka Greg Stack and Scott Tindale). Originally from the Waikato the duo is quickly making a name in the clubs as a hot DJ act. They were the ideal start to the day with their fantastic mixes – as Stack & Piece says “We don’t play genres, we play bpm’s”
The park is beginning to fill quickly, and it is indeed a wondrous sight – there is a beer pong table, full couches set out like a makeshift lounge and several BMX bikes. The beer wands brigade is out in force and there are plenty of weird and wonderful costumes dotted around the park – including a very friendly Gorilla who was busting a move down in the front row. Hosts for the day, Clint, Pax and Kara did a fabulous job in between acts keeping the crowd entertained and pointing out all of the features at the park, including an inflatable jousting ring and the Oreo Dunk Challenge. Speaking of Oreo’s there were plenty of free packets being handed out by the Oreo team on site! Mmmmm Peanut Butter Flavoured goodness!
Next on stage is the man who has become a household name almost overnight. Kingdon Te Itinga Chapple-Wilson aka Kings is the man behind the song that has toppled Lorde off her perch with his hit single ‘Don’t Worry Bout It’. Holding the number one position in the NZ Singles charts for over 26 weeks, the song has also been certified platinum. The catchy tune was written after watching his daughter playing at the park – so it was more than fitting to hear it being played live at George in the Park and watching audience members both young and old grooving along to it. Kings has spent the last 6 years working hard to get where he is and it was great to see him giving back by performing such an enthusiastic set – ‘Sippin Yak’ a definite favourite of the day.
The Demon Energy girls were out and about and in between sets were up on stage with their infamous t-shirt guns. Of course there were also plenty of free Demon Energy Drinks being handed out as well. Once again the day was BYO with the usual request of no glass and a responsible attitude required due to the event being family friendly. And while the alcohol was definitely flowing – the crowd had a mellow vibe and it was quite obvious to see that people were looking out for each other. It was especially lovely to see room being made on the sides of the front row for some of the younger patrons to be able to experience the superb live music up close and personal!
Sola Rosa has a long history in New Zealand and is definitely a band for listening to while chilling at the park with a cold one. Created by Andrew Spraggon in 1999, Sola Rosa has certainly been around the block a few times – but what sets them apart is the fact that they always keep their music fresh and innovative. Their live shows are a sight to behold as they often have a bevy of talented guest musicians playing with them. Today’s set saw a 7 piece band take the stage – with vocalist Cherie Mathieson absolutely slaying with her magnificent vocals. The set list had something for everyone and included tracks such as ‘Spinning Top’, ‘Love Alone’, ‘Inspired’, ‘Redeemer’ and an outstanding version of ‘Humanised’. It was a wonderful sight to see so many fans up in the front row dancing away to this legendary kiwi act.
The afternoon may have been drawing to a close, but not before a few more freebies were given away courtesy of both Demon Energy and the George FM crew (tickets to Oro Festival? Yes please!) By now the crowd was tipping at 13 thousand (with final count estimated at 15 thousand); a testament to the love that Aucklanders have for live music.
Last act of the day to take it out in style was the iconic duo Nice ‘n’ Urlich (aka Peter Urlich and Bevan Keys). Founded in 1996 this house and dance duo have been spinning tunes for over 20 years – yet when they got up on stage, they still had that look of sheer enthusiasm as they purveyed the crowd in front of them. Urlich grabbing a microphone and coming out to the front of the stage “We have got one hour people – let’s make it count!”
It may be autumn but George in the Park brought the heat today – long may they continue to do so.
Were you there at Coyle Park for this fun day in the sun? Or have you been to one of the other Music In Parks events somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!