The Jacksons take the stage at a Summer's Day Disco in Tauranga

By Zoe Hunter

Bay of Plenty Times·

10 Jan, 2019 04:14 PM5 mins to read

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The Jacksons perform at a Summer's Day Disco in Tauranga.

A sense of anticipation went through the crowd right before the iconic Jacksons took to the stage at a Summer's Day Disco in Tauranga last night.

They performed their hit classics Can You Feel It, followed by Blame It On The Boogie.

"When we started in Gary, Indiana, we never

After singing I'll Be There one of the brothers paused for a few moments' silence and the crowd cheered before he continued again.

He finished the song by kissing his hand and pushing it to the sky in honour of his late brother Michael Jackson.

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The group then did a cover of their late brother Michael's song

Got To Be Starting Someting

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The Jacksons performing at a Summer's Day Disco. Photo / Kristin Macfarlane

The concert kicked off earlier with Sounds of the Supremes taking to the stage.

Hundreds of people filed into Baypark for another evening of music and dancing.

The Sounds of The Supreme ladies entertained the crowd dressed in gold glitter dresses.

The Sounds of the Supremes take the stage. Photo / Andrew Warner

They were belting out classic Supremes hits such as

Baby Love

You Keep Me Hanging On

and

You Can't Hurry Love

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The next act Sister Sledge took to the stage with their hit

Lost in Music

The sisters were wearing black and silver cowgirl outfits.

Their song Good Times got the crowd up and dancing.

The sisters' popular hit We Are Family was next.

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The Village People took to the stage next decked out in their classic costumes, singing their hit Macho Man - much to the delight of the crowd.

Their next song

In The Navy

was just as popular with the crowd clapping to the beat. Their dance moves also got the crowd going. One of the dancers removed his shirt revealing his abs.

The group then gave the crowd a demonstration of the moves to

YMCA

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right before singing the song, sending the crowd wild. The crowd then did the moves right along with the Village People during the song.

The band left the stage blowing kisses and saluting to the audience, shaking hands with each other.

The crowd cheered loudly, blew kisses and saluted back.

The crowd is watching Sister Sledge. Photo / Zoe Hunter

The Pointer Sisters took to the stage next with their hit He's So Shy.

When they sang I'm So Excited and Jump, the crowd sang along.

Kool and the Gang kicked off their set with Tonight, with the crowd dancing and clapping along.

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Ladies Night and Celebration got the girls up dancing. Most people were on their feet dancing.

Kool and the Gang performing Tonight. Photo / Zoe Hunter

Nardi Leonard had scored a front seat with her "sisters" to see the Jacksons in particular.

Leonard said her sister Erana Clarke used to sing with Jermaine Jackson "back in the days".

Nardi Leonard had scored a front row seat. Photo / Andrew Warner

Leonard and her family and friends had travelled from Auckland, Tauranga, Whangarei to see the disco concert.

"It is a really good line up."

Chrissie Donaldson, Robyn Young and Bronwyn Atkinson had also secured a front row seat.

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The crowd clapping along to the Village People. Photo / Zoe Hunter

They were here to see the Pointer Sisters and The Jacksons.

"They are going to rock it", said Atkinson.

Kool and the Gang. Photo / Kristin Macfarlane

"It is our era."

Tauranga locals Debbie Adsett and Fiona Collins had dressed up in disco theme, with wigs and high knee boots.

Chrissie Donaldson, Robyn young, and Bronwyn Atkinson. Photo / Andrew Warner

They had come to see "all of the acts".

"We have come to bring back the memories," Collins said.

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Afro wigs, glitter top hats and hoop earrings were also featuring in the outfit choices.

Pato Alvarez of Neptune Entertainment said there were about 6500 tp 7000 people at the gig.

Neptune entertainment's A Summer's Day Disco features some of disco's biggest icons for the first time at Baypark, including The Jacksons, Kool & The Gang, The Pointer Sisters, Village People, Sister Sledge and Sounds of the Supremes.

Dragon, Jefferson Starship and headliners Toto entertained the 7000-strong crowd on Wednesday night as part of the summer concert series called A Summer's Day Live.

African-inspired T-shirts were the outfit of choice for some concert-goers in tribute to one of Toto's most famous hits,

Africa

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Kiwi rock-band Dragon opened the event, warming up the crowd with their popular hit Still in Love With You, but it was April Sun in Cuba that got many people up and dancing.

Up next was Jefferson Starship who's lead singer Cathy Richardson, wearing 1960s-styled red-tinted sunglasses, belted out some of the band's top hits and banged beats on her cowbell.

"It's a thrill of a lifetime to be performing in Tauranga. It's a dream come true," she told the crowd before singing the popular We Built This City.

The band took a selfie with the audience before leaving the stage to make way for headline act Toto, who opened with Hold The Line.

The band also paid tribute to the late Michael Jackson, singing the King of Pop's song Human Nature written by Toto's keyboardist Steve Porcaro.

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An encore from the crowds had the musicians return and perform a cover from American rock band Weezer, before leaving the stage to a loud cheer from their Tauranga fans.