NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & TΕ«rangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • All ManawatΕ« - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • ManawatΕ«
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

'She's getting smushed': Crowd crush stalls baloney Post Malone show

Chris Schulz
By Chris Schulz
NZ HeraldΒ·
15 Jan, 2018 08:15 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber? Β Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access contentβ€”explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
β€Œ
Save

    Share this article

Post Malone was one of 2017's biggest breakout hip-hop stars thanks to singles like Congratulations and Candy Paint. Photo/Getty

Post Malone was one of 2017's biggest breakout hip-hop stars thanks to singles like Congratulations and Candy Paint. Photo/Getty

Post Malone needed to prove why he's become the biggest voice in hip-hop. He failed.

"She's in there trying to get help!" yelped Post Malone, one of 2017's most successful hip-hop stars, to security guards. "She's getting smushed!"

The guards weren't listening, so Malone, a Syracuse hip-hop singer whose real name is Austin Post, jumped off the Trusts Stadium stage, weaselled his way into the crowd and sorted out the issue himself.

It wasn't the only time those messy front rows interrupted Malone's show, one that, before it kicked off, had threatened to become the hip-hop event of 2017.

First scheduled to perform at New Year's festival Northern Bass, last night's make-up show had already been moved from the smaller Logan Campbell Centre and was heaving with nearly 7000 punters ready for a drunken trap singalong.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
View this post on Instagram

@postmalone Post Malone, Auckland I just wanna go flex! πŸ’ͺπŸΌπŸ‘‘πŸ’ŽπŸ’΅

A post shared by Kallum Best (@kallumbest) on Jan 15, 2018 at 2:34am PST

Many of those present had left the West Auckland streets around the venue littered with liquor bottles from concert pre-loading.

And as Malone opened with his Lil Peep dedication Too Young - hook: "I don't wanna die too young" - some were already showing signs of being worse for wear.

"My parents have split up," slurred one young lad to security guards outside as Malone took the stage. He didn't make it back in.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Those that did got messy, and were treated to a mess of a show.

This was the last night of a world tour in support of last year's Stoney album, one that turned the underground cult concern into a bonafide chart sensation, and the strain was starting to show.

At one point, the 22-year-old poured beer into a punter's shoe, sculled it back, then declared, "Those are some stinky ass feet, bro," for a ritual dubbed "the shoey".

View this post on Instagram

@postmalone doing a shoey πŸ‘ž

A post shared by Kallum Best (@kallumbest) on Jan 15, 2018 at 2:37am PST

At another, he hit his microphone into his forehead, hurled it onto the stage, grabbed the guitar he'd been playing just moments before, and smashed it to pieces.

Discover more

Entertainment

Ed Sheeran was asleep when he received his Grammys

29 Jan 06:28 PM

I Fall Apart? It's unlikely that guitar will be played in the same way again.

Then there was Malone's voice. On record, it's a soothing country-tinged hook machine, one that's positioned him as the Ed Sheeran of hip-hop.

View this post on Instagram

@postmalone going Postal 🎸⚰️

A post shared by Kallum Best (@kallumbest) on Jan 15, 2018 at 2:58am PST

But last night it turned into a throaty nicotine-lubricated croak that often failed to be heard over Malone's backing track. Add in all those long delays to sort out crowd troubles, and the recipe for a great show had gone awry.

By the time Rockstar came around, Malone sounded hoarse and looked spent, all that time on the road sculling beers out of shoes seemingly taking its toll.

View this post on Instagram

@postmalone Rockstar 🎸🌟

A post shared by Kallum Best (@kallumbest) on Jan 15, 2018 at 2:54am PST

There's no doubting Malone's capacity to craft hooks perfect for draping an arm around your best mate, shouting out the lyrics and holding your drink high in the air.

Or drinks. One punter shoved an entire tray of Jack Daniels and Coke cans skywards to cheers the inclusion of Malone's early hit White Iverson in the setlist.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The show did deliver moments like that, from Candy Paint's upbeat bounce to Go Flex's slow-mo stomp and I Fall Apart's soaring heartache.

View this post on Instagram

White Iverson β›ΉπŸΌβ€β™‚οΈπŸ€ @postmalone

A post shared by Kallum Best (@kallumbest) on Jan 15, 2018 at 3:14am PST

There isn't a hip-hop artist working right now that wouldn't kill to be able to walk off stage after performing a swagger anthem like Congratulations.

But they were celebrated on the strength of Malone's song craft, not his performance.

Malone really needed to prove why, in less than 12 months, he's ascended to become one of the biggest voices in hip-hop.

After that shambles, it's unlikely anyone is any wiser. But by all means, pass him another "shoey," because he sure is loving that rock star life.

Who: Post Malone
Where: Trusts Arena, Auckland
When: Monday, January 15

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Riccarton High: The centre of a changing Christchurch

03 Jul 07:29 AM
Entertainment

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM
Entertainment

The Kiwi still teaching Aussies to wave after 30 years

03 Jul 05:31 AM

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Riccarton High: The centre of a changing Christchurch

Riccarton High: The centre of a changing Christchurch

03 Jul 07:29 AM

Frank: Stories from the South, episode 8 – High on Culture.

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM
The Kiwi still teaching Aussies to wave after 30 years

The Kiwi still teaching Aussies to wave after 30 years

03 Jul 05:31 AM
Coronation Street star living life to the fullest after beating cancer

Coronation Street star living life to the fullest after beating cancer

02 Jul 09:23 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • Β© Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP