UB40
18th November 2017
Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Lauren Sanderson. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
The UK’s biggest Reggae group UB40 returned to New Zealand shores last night, as they transported us back in time playing some of their most memorable songs at the Trusts Arena. Kicking off the night was Kiwi roots reggae band House of Shem, who got the crowd geared up for a night of reggae madness.
As soon as UB40 entered the stage and we could hear the sweet melodies of One in Ten echo around the arena, the crowd was mesmerized by the catchy track and bobbed simultaneously to the upbeat sound.
Maybe Tomorrow was up next followed by Come Back Darling. Smiles filled the arena, in fact I don’t think I saw one person without a wide smile spread across their face. The Seven-piece band are certainly infectious, they bring happiness and joy to their music, which reflects on the crowd.
The energy shifted when Sing Our Own Song blared out, the crowd became one and rejoiced the music. It not only demonstrated Campbells vocal range but also the talent of the entire band, as a variety of instruments were used throughout, from sax to electronic keyboard. Love is all is Alright, Impossible Love and Sweet Sensation followed, the heartfelt authentic sounds made the crowd fall in love with the band all over again. Love was definitely in the air throughout the set as couples of all ages were brought closer together.
It was great to see young fans meld with the older generation and both reacted with equal amounts of excitement. It was great to hear this renowned reggae act harness the true spirit of the genre and deliver a genuine night of authentic sounds.
Reggae Music was certainly a crowd favourite. Bass play Early Falconer took to centre stage and sang lyrics that rung true for the entire crowd ‘Reggae music can’t refuse it’.
As the night drew to an end, the song we had all been waiting for, their number one single Red Red Wine blasted throughout the room. This was a magical moment as Campbell took a back seat and allowed the crowd to recite the lyrics back to him. Hands containing glasses of red wine were thrown into the air, while everybody swayed back and forth to the well-known rhythms.
The crowd didn’t want the night to end, so as the guys bid us farewell, chants of ‘we want more’ began. It paid off as we got three more hits from them. Falling in love with you closed the night. This was the perfect ending as we all fell in love with UB40 just a little more. It also reiterated the amount of love, respect and support they have gathered over their musical career, and will continue to share this with their followers.
Overall, the night was a huge hit. The venue was slightly on the large side, I think it would have been great to have the performance in an intimate setting, although no matter what type of space these guys have they will never disappoint and will always know how to put on a cracking show.
UB40:
House Of Shem:
Were you there at Trusts Arena for this magnificent reggae show? Or have you seen UB40 perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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