It was a bittersweet night in Raglan on Friday the 28th of June as a crowd gathered to farewell The Yot Club one last time. What a sendoff it was! Abstract Fish Lungs opened up the night with a stellar set. Gen Z were out in force to support the SmokeFree Rockquest national finalists.

Whatever doubts I may have had about the future of rock music were quickly alleviated. Josh’s raspy vocals combined with the tight knit instrumentals from the rest of the band garnered a semi-permanent stank face and nods of approval from the veterans in the audience. Especially a surprise cover of Evanescence’s Bring Me To Life - featuring Bella Alexander on vocals. A combination of classic metal covers and some very catchy originals such as Misery and Centre Stage led to a high energy performance. No doubt these young rockers will have a bright future on the NZ stage.

Main act of the night Lost Tribe Aotearoa (LTA) were up now, the 8-piece shuffling on stage as the crowd pack in tight. I’ve been to quite a few shows at “The Yotty” over the years and have never seen it so packed. Even somewhat uncomfortably so towards the end of the night. After an acknowledgment of some family who have passed in recent weeks and a moment of recollection, we were off. The two piece horn section immediately had both the band and crowd bouncing in unison. It was a strange contrast between the warm and happy vibes radiating from the stage and the chilly night air seeping through the open doors, but once the grooving started it more than made up for the cold. LTA managed to include quite a bit of humour in their set, especially during changeovers and pauses. A forgotten tambourine led to a punter’s rush outside to fetch it from the car, while a reggae rendition of the SpongeBob Squarepants theme kept the crowd entertained. Only to be followed up on by a celebratory rendition of Tutira Mai Nga Iwi upon the arrival of said tambourine.

Leading us into the “only love song we have” about “a very special lady that some of you may have seen tonight, Mary… Mary Jane.” Judging by this Mary’s apparent perfume, she stopped by and said "hello" to a fair few of the attendees. At this point, with the cold shaken off, the happy vibes seeping into our souls the innate freedom of Reggae touched all present. Truly a beautiful send off for The Yot Club and a brilliant effort from both Lost Tribe Aotearoa and Abstract Fish Lungs.

On that note, I wanted to take a moment at the end of this review to thank Andy and all the crew behind The Yot Club who have done so much for not only the music scene in Raglan, but the wider Waikato and NZ music scene as a whole. Thank you all for your efforts over the years, and for providing a space where magical gigs like this one can happen. To everyone else, please get out there and support local venues and musicians, we need to keep this industry we love alive.

Photo Credit: Kenny Peng / KP Photography
Lost Tribe Aotearoa Photo Gallery
Abstract Fish Lungs Photo Gallery

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