Concert Review - Outfield Festival - Hawke's Bay - 31st January 2026
Review By: Rob Harbers
Event: Outfield Music, Food & Arts Festival
Venue/City: Te Awanga Downs, Hastings, New Zealand
Date of Event: Saturday 31st January 2026
Every summer a very special event takes place in the small enclave of Te Awanga, by the sea in Te-Matau-a-Maui. It carries the name of the Outfield Festival, and it draws a diversity of bands out to play on a Saturday afternoon in the sun, for a day that celebrates the best of art and music. It’s a failing of mine that I’ve never before made it along, but this year I got off my arse and remedied that – and I’m glad I did! For some seven hours and change, I wandered the sylvan vales, encountering a variety of bands doing their thing, and enjoyed the experience greatly.
The logistics involved in the exercise of attendance, balanced alongside everyday life, meant that I wasn’t able to be there from the start. I came in around halfway through the inspiring Bannerman, led by Richie Setford. This was a set of emotive and powerful music, in the vein of Paul Kelly, for the sake of a reference point, and it set up the afternoon nicely.
I next caught the closing stages of the Splinters’ set, a lively and energetic burst of punky spirit that could have come from 50 years ago (in a positive sense). I would speculate that they might have been raiding their dads’ vinyl collections, but the depressing truth is that given their youthful age, it could equally likely have been their grandads’. Regardless, a spirited shot of entertainment!
Staying in a punk vein, on the same stage, were local veterans Tempo 38. Having recently reformed after a hiatus of nearly 20 years, they have a bit of ground to regain – but this performance shows they have hit the ground running. New single Deep State keeps the punk spirit alive, in the vein of short, sharp songs that are almost over before they’ve started, reminiscent of peak Ramones. No welcomes are outstayed here – these songs say their piece and then depart.
Maintaining the energy, but switching to a more ‘90s power-pop vein were Tāmaki Makaurau’s Coast Arcade. With a guitar-led sound that swirled occasionally towards the psychedelic, and the sweetly pure vocals of Bella Bavin over the top, they delivered a satisfying set that drew an increasingly large audience, people being drawn in by the sounds and then staying on. I feel a few new fans were made, and they are certainly a band I will be keeping an eye out for.
Having spent a pleasurable hour or two in the shade of the Art Valley stage, it was time to stroll down through the Oak Forest back to mainstage for Reb Fountain. Commencing with the brooding He Commands You To Jump Into The Sea, slinking through a dynamic Beastie, and through the charms of Faster, this was a set that captivated and enthralled, in the spirit familiar to those who have encountered Reb’s live experience previously. Unfortunately, not long after this triumphant triple-shot, the power went down – the assault of Reb’s raw power too much for it, maybe? But things were shortly restored, in time for the funky groove of Forever, and the touching Hey Mom, dedicated to whānau in Te-Matau-A-Maui, and featuring an impressive piece of acapella vocal. Along the way to a languid cover of How Bizarre, the amp blew again! Having unwittingly pushed the equipment to its limits, she concluded with an appropriately explosive Don’t You Know Who I Am? and then departed, everyone present being well familiar with who, in fact, she is!
Festival headliner Che Fu followed, delivering a set the professionalism of which demonstrated his 30-plus years in Aotearoa’s music scene. Kicking straight off with Chains, this was a set of the hits, as appropriate for a festival appearance – not the time to start trying out unfamiliar material. The band were extremely tight, and covered all the bases, including a diversion into Che’s breakout with Supergroove, in the form of Sitting Inside My Head. Along the way there was a reggae medley, including Herbs’ French Letter, and the obligatory Never Fade Away, all of which came together to leave a satisfied audience in its wake.
The final act that I (officially) caught for the night were Ōtepoti’s Summer Thieves, who delivered a set largely consisting of reggae tunes, with a touch of rock, all reminiscent of L.A.B. To be honest, not entirely my personal cup of tea, but all played with great skill and satisfying their audience. You’ll notice the bracketed ‘officially’ above, because while I type, I’m being treated to the soulful reggae stylings of the UK-based Isaac Chambers and Dub Princess, and it’s rather nice to have going on in the background. So let that count as the finale of my visit – one I intend to repeat, having taken too long to get around to my first one. A festival fully deserving of its place in the canon of Te-Matau-A-Maui experiences, and worth a visit from outside of the province. Just not too many of you though, OK? Us backwoods types can’t handle too much of an influx!