Pa tuned up for celebration

The Trio, led by Howard Morrison Junior, perform at Showbands in the Pa. From left: Chris Powley, Russell Harrison and Howard Morrison Jnr. Photo/Stephen Parker.

They braved the weather to celebrate, and celebrate they did as music filled the pa at Te Puia.

From the original showbands like Kairo to the new talent of Titanium, Te Puia celebrated its 50th anniversary with a crowd of about 200 who braved the rain to enjoy Showbands in the Pa.

While the downpours before the event may have forced the organisers to make some changes - including Kairo initially having to take to the stage without their instruments - the rain stopped for the duration of the show.

Highlights included The Trio, led by Howard Morrison Junior, who performed some classic hits while Ria Hall, fresh from opening for superstar Beyonce with Stan Walker, wowed the crowd with her voice.

But it was the second half performance by boy band Titanium that got a loyal bunch up out of their seats and dancing at the front of the stage.

Among those was 7-year-old Bella Dixon, a big fan of the band. Bella lined up before the show to get their autographs on a poster that's set to take pride of place on her bedroom wall - after she's taken it to school for show and tell.

Australian tourist Felicity Truelson said she couldn't believe her luck after booking in for an evening show at Te Puia before being told it coincided with the concert.

While she didn't recognise many performers, she thought the concert was beautiful.

"[Staff] couldn't do enough for us."

Te Puia general manager sales and marketing Kiri Atkinson-Crean said the event was another wonderful evening to help celebrate the 50-year milestone.

"Whilst the rain threatened to put a dampener on the event, it remained clear for most of the evening and certainly didn't impact on people's enjoyment."

The Pa and Te Whakarewarewa Valley created a unique environment for the concert and it was truly very special."

Ms Atkinson-Crean said staff were looking forward to the upcoming Christmas in the pa and exploring how they might be able to offer an ongoing programme of events at Te Puia.