What the Folk!

It is a huge venue! But the sound was surprisingly good
So FINALLY I know what you lot all rave about - the show was SO good! They played for 2 hours solid (3 hours total with Arj on first then a 20 minute interval before our boys came on stage) and I don't think I stopped laughing the whole time - if I did I was still smiling like an idiot. Afterwards my cheeks hurt from smiling so much!

I loved all the songs - even though of course I knew them all, but the banter, oh the banter! Finally I get to hear about the muffins! The two of them together are amazing - they just riff off each other so easily and smoothly! Jemaine looked like a complete dork most of the time and is clearly not afraid of looking silly, pulling faces and bizarre expressions. Bret just looked cute cute cute! Tynant and I went out to dinner before the show with a bunch of people I know, but her seat was much closer to the stage than mine. She said Bret was laughing a lot more at this show than the others she saw. (Ty also went to the first Wellington show and the Nelson show).

When they introduced Nigel (his hair is SO long - way past his shoulders) he came on and sat down, fiddled around for a bit then got up and walked off again with no explanation. And he stayed away for quite a while... Meantime B&J are joking around about 'I hope he hasn't quit, wouldn't that be awkward' etc. But Nigel still doesn't reappear and it is kinda awkward! Then they give up waiting and start to play anyway which is when Nigel does come back on and interrupts. Cue more jokes. Ty will be able to say if that happened at other shows too, but I don't think it was staged, I think Nigel genuinely forgot something, or something!

I wasn't brave enough to stand up and shout 'Happy Birthday Bret' - though I wanted to! But it's just as well I didn't cos it would've ruined it for when Jemaine introduced Bret later as 'a very popular member of the band - and it's his birthday today'. Then the whole audience spontaneously began to sing Bret happy birthday - though it was kinda funny cos the venue is so large one part of the audience was out of time with another so it was all a bit of a mess until Bret came in on the keyboards to play himself the happy birthday song so we could keep in time! The epileptic dogs four part harmony thing didn't really work either, I think partly for the same reason. Actually there was very little singing along at all - but a LOT of laughing. 11,000 people laughing at the same time makes quite a noise! Trying to do comedy in kind of vast venue must be really difficult to pull off, but Arj and the boys did it! I can't believe they filled Vector two and half times over. Three if you count the people at the Auckland Town Hall gig. That's the same as Lady Gaga who also played here just few days before. Bret even made a joke about their glittery lycra costume change being very Lady Gaga!

Alas I don't have any photos or videos - OK I have 2, but they're not worth posting cos I was too far away, and I was too immersed in the experience to take any more. But Ty was a lot closer and I know she has some good ones so hopefully she'll post those soon enough. She would only just be back in the States now so give her a few days and I'm sure she'll be along!

Alas no meet and greet. Well I didn't even try to be truthful - but there haven't been any at any other show that I've heard of, and Vector is so big I didn't think it was even worth trying. I know Ty waited at Nelson which was quite a small venue, and so much more likely to offer a meet and greet opportunity (she and her son were the only ones who waited apparently), but there wasn't one there either. Kiwis just aren't that dedicated I guess.

Never mind, it was all made up for the next day when I was out and about with my siblings for my sister's 60th birthday celebrations and I saw Bret and family at the Auckland Museum. He was holding his little girls hand - so cute! She's a lot bigger than the last time Helgecko and I saw her! (As an infant in her pink baby-gro up at Leigh Sawmill when he played with WIUO there a couple(?) of years ago)

Oh I think my favourite song was the 'on the road' one at the end. It's the only one I hadn't heard completely, and I loved the way it tied all their stories and banter together. Particularly the bit about the goldfish. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when Bret piped up with "a snapper in the crapper"

Anyway, I can't think of anything else for now. Just remembering the gig makes me smile. I'm so glad I got to go! I hope they tour the US again for you guys!

Great H, sounds like such a marvellous time. I'm so happy for you!

I love that the audience was so out of time and out of tune. The Hollywood bunch must have some innate ability to do sing-alongs (a lifetime of training no doubt). And to have seen Bret the next day was the icing on the cake I bet. He's so cultured!

Thanks so much for your detailed recap, Great H!

Wow, it seems as though they've played full 2 hour sets at all the gigs they've done so far when it used to vary a bit during previous tours.

Love your description of Jemaine's facial expressions. And yes, I've noticed how big and long Nigel's hair is looking in the photos! So funny how Bret had to play the keyboard to keep everyone in time while they were singing Happy Birthday. I remember Epileptic Dogs starting off well at Wembley Arena and then it started falling apart towards the end but yep from the video I saw, Hollywood Bowl managed to pull it off quite well.



And the UK/Europe.

I'm so glad you had an amazing time!

Oh H, I'm so happy for you and the wonderful time you had!! Getting to have a WTF mini-meetup and for getting to see Bret and the fam out and about, too. It sounds like a magical night.



When you remember more stuff, come tell us! Cuz I bet you will...

(I wouldn't mind a look at your far-away pics and vids....)

Holy mackerel!! I didn't realize what great pics I got at this gig! We were in row 11 and it seemed so far back compared to our 2nd row seats in Nelson, so I didn't think the pics would turn out so great. Without further ado, I present Bret & Jemaine:

And more:

And still more!!

Ok, this is getting ridiculous!

Last one.

Just kidding - one more

I cannot remember if it was this show or the one on the 30th, but when they changed into their revealing outfits, a guy in the audience yelled out "mipple!". I'm pretty sure it was this show, because Bret is wearing a more revealing top then he was at other shows. Anyway, both Bret and Jemaine looked at their chests and attempted to cover up any exposed mips. Then Jemaine looked again at his and moved his top over to make sure his was exposed. Sorry, but, yes, I'm a fan of the mip.

Row 11! Row 11!
I was in row 30 bloody 3 or something! (And I still was only 2/3 of the way back!)
Great shots Ty!

edit: I don't remember the 'mipple' shout - but then I was TOO FAR BACK TO HEAR!

tynant, you got some fabulous shots!! Love them all, girl- you did well!!

That last one of Bret...how I wish the mic wasn't in the way.

There a few of Jemaine that are fabulous...and in the Albi one, I imagine he was doing the little burnt Albanian boy at that moment.

I'm with you- I love when there's a mipple exposure....

Nice pics.

It's wrong. However it does conjur the image of Jemaine disrobing, in surprisngly awkward fashion, a mere few feet from me in the Dam and bam there was mipple, and I had specifically requested a mipple free tour had I not? Anyway, when I think of the mipple I try to not be grossed out & instead think with fondness about how J made a couple of modest efforts to cover it, at :54 & again at 1:05.

What I love about this clip is the smile J has on his face at :43 after glancing at Bret, mipple or no mipple. I wonder what was going through his mind.