The final night of the Hamilton Arts Festival Toi Ora ki Kirikiriroa saw headline act Don McGlashan and The Others take to the Rhododendron Lawn stage.
It was
a fitting close to the 10-day festival, which has been blessed with balmy autumn weather and a diverse range of creative, engaging events for all ages.
It wasn’t just the band who were ready to rock – the crowd came prepared to sing along and dance, embracing the warm and celebratory atmosphere.
The set drew from a deep and much-loved catalogue, revisiting songs from Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn and The Mutton Birds, alongside more recent solo work.
McGlashan understands the enduring power of these songs, and the audience was treated to a slew of favourites, including The Heater, Dominion Road, Tomorrow Night, Don’t Fight It Marsha and Pulled Along by Love.
There was plenty of audience energy, and their cover of The Fourmyula’s Nature prompted a huge, joyous sing-along in the “doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo” chorus.
Hollie Smith joined the band, and together they gave us a moving performance of APRA Award-winner Bathe in the River, a highlight of the evening.
It’s hard to believe the song is now 20 years old; like many of McGlashan’s compositions, its lyrics and emotional core remain strikingly relevant.
McGlashan was in fine voice, adding the nuances that elevate a live performance – a slightly heavier vocal here, a shift in emphasis or phrasing there.
The addition of Anita Clark’s fiddle brought texture and lift, while the horn lines on The Heater are simply iconic.
A few transitions between songs felt slightly stilted, but the easy banter and musicianship quickly carried things forward.
As the early evening light faded into dusk, the stage lights intensified and the familiar opening notes of Anchor Me rang out.
The song never fails to move, its yearning for home from a life on the road and its extended seafaring metaphor is quintessentially McGlashan.
The band shone, the garden sparkled, the audience sang.
A brilliant way to close a memorable 2026 Hamilton Arts Festival.
Cate Prestidge is a principal academic and co-ordinator of journalism and communication programmes at Wintec. She has been writing theatre reviews for NZME since 2021.
