A review from the second concert in Christchurch New Zealand

March 8th Review,
Okay, after last night’s concert I understand a bit better why Christchurch folks are so reserved.

There was a guy behind me who looked about 25 or so. Married to a girl, he says who “hates Neil” so he was there with his dad. They both were very stoic in their appreciation (arms crossed and all that) but seemed to get a huge kick out of me. As the show progressed I noticed the older of the two was singing and clapping along with every song . At “America” I stood and my whole group was right with me. I would later learn that the commentary before the song would perhaps not be well received by many there given the political climate. The group standing for this song was again a small minority.

I got the first hint of what can happen when a kiwi let’s his guard down (probably because someone around them is being more foolish than they could ever look themselves) during “Forever In Bluejeans”. The stoic, macho father/son pair behind me, my whole row, and eventually the whole stadium (save about 6 really stubborn kiwis in the first raised row just to the left of my seats) were on their feet and quite unwilling to sit at the end of the song. Loud sing-along from a group in my section during You Don’t Bring Me Flowers was a surprise even to me. I don’t think I have ever seen that before.

Now when kiwis cut loose, and they did, a reasonable person might fear, just a bit for his life.
How many of you have ever been the person in the center of a row during Sweet Caroline when the half to your right is swaying to- and- fro and the half to your left is swaying fro- and- to? I was getting seriously squished ( the son from the father/son team behind me found that very amusing, btw). I even tried without success to get the two groups to come together but ultimately decided that my best move was to duck and cover. At this point the whole crowd was pretty well into the show. They stayed on their feet through “I’m a Believer” and seemed quite reluctant to sit as “Glory Road” began.

The crowd, once they came to life were quite lively indeed. They stood (every one) from the end of IAIS until the band left the stage. Other than the fact that I am a bit black and blue - this could well be one of the best concert experiences I have ever had (perhaps a top-10). Neil was rock solid tonight. His voice was rich and his timing is really coming together.
As I sit here in the airport at Christchurch, there is much more to reflect on regarding my experience here. I learned that the further south you go in NZ, the more culturally conservative the people are (remember folks, no pink shirts on guys south of Aukland). I also learned that you should be careful what you ask for when trying to get people to come out of their shell. There is usually a party animal locked somewhere deep inside. In groups this can be quite dangerous.

I also benefited from conversations with the natives which helped me to understand relations between our nations and a bit about the Kiwi economy. Given their liberal politics and conservative lifestyles, any mid-westerner from the US would feel quite at home here. I recommend NZ for anyone whether you are coming to see Neil or take in the sites and possible a rugby game.

In the Band intro, Neil promises, “we’re gonna rock this town.” He delivered big time.
A few doses of pain killer and a good couple of nights sleep and I will be ready for Sydney.