Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

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 / Rotorua Daily Post

UB40 show a smooth success

Matthew Martin
By Matthew Martin
Senior reporter, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
10 Jan, 2016 08:35 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Almost 5000 people packed the Village Green to get their reggae fix on Saturday. Photo / Stephen Parker

Almost 5000 people packed the Village Green to get their reggae fix on Saturday. Photo / Stephen Parker

UB40's Rotorua concert went off without a hitch with thousands enjoying a great day of music in the sun at the Village Green.

Not a single noise complaint was received by the Rotorua Lakes Council with Rotorua police saying the crowd was very well behaved.

The reggae legends were supported by ManaLion, Beau Monga, Jason Kerrison and New Zealand's own reggae legends Herbs, Three Houses Down and Ardijah.

UB40's Ali Campbell, right, gets the crowd into the reggae vibe. Photo / Stephen Parker
UB40's Ali Campbell, right, gets the crowd into the reggae vibe. Photo / Stephen Parker

Concert-goer and Rotorua DJ Jay Kohunui said the whole day was a treat for music fans.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I got there when Herbs were performing and the crowd were already enjoying the perfect day for a concert. Listening to their [Herbs] classic sounds sung acoustic-style was a treat.

"Three Houses Down were next and played a good set, and got the crowd up and hyped for the next act, the legendary Ardijah, who spoke of opening for UB40 back in the early 90s.

"They are still an amazing act, the performance was second to none," Mr Kohunui said.

"The main act UB40 came on with the familiar face of Astro warming the crowd with a instrumental intro. Then the man himself, Ali Campbell, greeting the crowd with 'how you doing Rotorua', setting the mood for the rest of the night.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Ali singing those timeless classics had the crowd enjoying every minute of the performance, mixed with some of the new tracks from their forthcoming album.

"It was a great concert and it was good to see everyone enjoying themselves like the early days of Raggamuffin."

Concert promotor Jacman Entertainment director Jackie Sanders said as usual for Rotorua there was a last-minute surge on tickets that brought the crowd up to about 5000 for the 6000-person capacity venue.

"It was lovely - great people and a fantastic atmosphere.

Discover more

Local inspiration for that unique gift

19 Dec 10:12 PM

UB40 tickets selling out fast

05 Jan 08:59 PM

Organisers hoping for UB40 success

08 Jan 05:00 PM

Boat owner praying for rain

10 Jan 09:50 PM

"Rotorua is always a last-minute town and it all went well in the end. People were walking out saying, 'Thank you it was awesome'.

"The band said they loved it. I know they really like Rotorua and only having played at the stadium they were all commenting how beautiful it was to play a gig like that in such a lovely setting," Ms Sanders said.

She said the band enjoyed playing a full two-hour set.

"They are keen to come back but may have to leave it a couple of years.

"New Zealanders love Ali and UB40. On the tour they are playing to more than 40,000 people, all at smaller venues, but Saturday had a real festival feel to it."

Rotorua police Senior Sergeant Karl Kohleckner said the crowd was very well behaved.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It was well patrolled and well organised, and there were no issues there at all," he said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Life-changing': International flights return to Hamilton Airport

18 Jun 05:23 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'I hate him': Partner of slain Tribesman lays blame for death at president's feet

18 Jun 03:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Baby-killing Mobster loathed being called 'kid killer' in prison, so he murdered again

18 Jun 12:40 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Life-changing': International flights return to Hamilton Airport

'Life-changing': International flights return to Hamilton Airport

18 Jun 05:23 AM

Jetstar's first planes to Sydney and Gold Coast have taken off from Hamilton this week.

'I hate him': Partner of slain Tribesman lays blame for death at president's feet

'I hate him': Partner of slain Tribesman lays blame for death at president's feet

18 Jun 03:00 AM
Baby-killing Mobster loathed being called 'kid killer' in prison, so he murdered again

Baby-killing Mobster loathed being called 'kid killer' in prison, so he murdered again

18 Jun 12:40 AM
'Just having a breather': Volcanic plume prompts social media buzz

'Just having a breather': Volcanic plume prompts social media buzz

17 Jun 11:45 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

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
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP