Last weekend was the big Upper Hutt music festival, featuring
- some Aussie bands (couldn’t tell you who, I didn’t get there in time to see them due to Sunday working and not being arsed)
- a local boy done good (Jon Stevens, who took over INXS singing duties after Michael Hutchence passed away)
- plus a couple of 80’s British bands.
I arrived for 5.30pm and caught the backend of Jon Stevens‘ set – good voice in a traditional shirt-open-to-the-waist club rocker way, and welcomed by the crowd as he grew up in Da Hutt before heading over the Ditch.
Back in the 80’s Tom Bailey was 33% of The Thompson Twins who had a fair few hits and played the US leg of Live Aid (with pre-fame Madonna on backing vocals). He lives in NZ now and occasionally tours with a brilliant all-female band; they really made the songs come alive and entertained the crowd. I particularly loved “You Take Me Up” that took me back to ringing Dial-A-Disc back in Hull.
The headliners were Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark — OMD to most — who had a string of hits from 1979 right up to the 1990s. Andy McClusky had a great line in banter and some vintage Dad dancing moves and both he and Paul Humphrey’s vocals were great, plus their big hits all got the appreciation they deserved. However their longer time slot meant the middle third was padded out with half a dozen deep cuts I didn’t recognise and couldn’t get into, so ducked out to refuel on chips and rose.
However I made sure I stuck it out to the end to catch their masterpiece “Enola Gay” from close to the stage, which had the crowd singing at the tops of our voices (yes me included, since nobody could hear me) to round the show off on a high.
They get the size and organization of the event just right, it’s a quick drive from home and finishes by 9pm – what’s not to love?! Bring on the lineup for 2026 so I can know whether to grab another ticket!
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