Around 7:30, the Trust Arena’s sound system kicked up and the opening act took to the stage. Swedish rockers Eagle Eye Cherry had a great voice and a guitarist who could shred well. He managed a slow build-up of polite applause on each song until his biggest hit and inevitable finale, “Save Tonight.” Still, the loudest cheer he’s received so far was when an audience member asked him if he was excited for UB40.
At 8:40, when the lights finally dimmed and white stage lights flashed across the crowd, many people were stuck in maze-like lines for food and drinks. A strange synth instrumental began as cell phone cameras flashed across the standing room floor. Trust Arena erupted in cheers as the stage lit up and the nine-piece band emerged, rising and swaying to Here I Am (Come and Take Me). People in line for food waved their arms to the rhythm.
UB40 will perform at the Trust Arena in Henderson, Auckland. Photo / Maria Tabui Raki
“Keep on Moving” followed, and the band silently belted out some hits. The moving song became “Maybe Tomorrow,” and there was another round of cheers. As Doyle strutted around the stage, gesturing wildly as he sang, “Nobody can make me cry like you,” the emotion couldn’t have been more distant. This was a party.
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Doyle’s round black sunglasses weren’t the only thing that brought to mind Ali Campbell’s shades. His vocal tone is quite similar, but slightly less nasal, and he gave a strong performance. The rest of the band was also in great shape. Robin Campbell was a cool, calm presence while puttingtered around on stage. MC Jilly G was a reliable source of energy for the crowd throughout the night. On the heartbreaking One in Ten, saxophonists Martin Meredith and Ian Thompson, flanked by trumpeter Lawrence Parry, blast in each other’s directions, resembling a saxophone duel. He gave a performance. Both players turned to the audience and called a draw.
It took six songs before Robin called out to the crowd with a hearty “Kia Ora, Oakland!” Perhaps he wanted to make up for lost time since he mentioned the city so many times before introducing the band. Robin mentioned this year’s LP “UB45” and after eliciting some laughs, said the inevitable. “We’re also here for the new album.” The contemporary songs also held their own, and the band played these songs with about 3% more excitement. These probably came at the expense of some hit songs, with “I Got You Babe,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” and “Higher Ground” missing, but that’s because UB40 is a going concern. It showed that there is. Doyle’s work was closest to the dub reggae of the band’s early records. My favorite is the minor-key plea “Home,” which features his own accent, but Robin also provided vocals for “The Keeper,” a wholesome mid-tempo cruiser dedicated to his wife. The crowd kept a friendly atmosphere, but the noise level in this part reached polite conversation.
UB40 knew he could turn the hits back on at any time. They wisely broke up the new song with some “hardcore fan requests.” “Please Don’t Make Me Cry” brought back the cellphone screens of many, while “Bring Me Your Cup” provided a hearty refreshment to the dozens trapped in their drinks. . Column. After the new song, Matt Doyle exclaimed, “I want to hear you sing this!” And so began the laudable rendition of the epic poem “Many Rivers to Cross.” The crowd was unreasonably quiet, and Robin agreed. “I think we need to make songs that everyone can sing along to,” he said softly. “If you don’t know this, you’re all going home!” Cherry Oh Baby burst into flames, bathing the audience in magenta light. There was a loud yell and a drunken dance back to the line. In fact, they knew this.
UB40 performs their hits at The Trusts Arena. Photo / Maria Tabui Raki
When Robin took the mic back a few songs later, he almost seemed hesitant.
“I don’t want to hear about this impersonation. I want to hear it!”
He paused for a moment, and Doyle muttered a note with the charisma of a deer in headlights.
“red …”
My eyes widened at this inevitable shock. The stage lights turned bright red. He regained his full voice, but the audience threatened to drown him out.
“Red, red WIIIIII-iiiiineeeee…”
For the first time, most of the seated stands became standing room. The elderly couple behind me were dancing slowly, holding hands in a circle. Even during the toast section, the audience sang along with every word. The band left to rapturous applause, and Red Red Wine concluded the Red Red Wine Tour concert.
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Until it doesn’t. The audience’s cheers were not focused on a proper “encore!”. chant, but it was so loud that Gilly G ran back to the stage. The band members soon followed, launching into their beloved debut single “Food for Thought.” Red, blue, and purple lights flashed from left to right like a police chase, and the chorus was as loud as red wine. One synth note was enough to send the audience into a frenzy for the next song, “Kingston Town.” White strobe lights focused solely on the stage and risked drowning out the band’s performance both visually and audibly. One of the members brought out a cell phone camera to photograph the glittering crowd, gesturing wildly toward each section in the frame.
Robin said they had one more moment. By that time, bass chords were already ringing in the background. Everyone knew what was going to happen. The audience belted out every word of “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love with You,” an octave higher than UB40’s. It was the loudest sing-along of the night, and the band was content to sway on stage and overwhelm the crowd. I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing people from all walks of life come together in song, even if only for a short time, was like living through the end of a Disney movie. It was like magic.
My pre-show concerns about this band were safely put to rest, and Robin ended with the line, “I hope to see you again!” I can only hope he’s right. As I ran down the steps of Trust Arena, dodging the traffic, the drums began to clatter to a new rhythm. As we passed the final indoor exit, it was clear that this was a full-fledged song (probably “Don’t Break My Heart”) and not a filler groove for the band to leave behind. It was very frustrating, but there were so many people leaving the venue that I couldn’t get back into the venue. I’ve done everything I can.
