Festival Review: Homegrown 2025 Saturday Part 2 @ Wellington Waterfront – 15/03/2025

Homegrown has graced the Wellington waterfront for the past 18 years but this year was sadly it’s last in the capital. It’s 12:30pm and the waterfront is already buzzing with people eager to get the good times started and say goodbye in style! As I wandered over to the rock stage to start the day I was very glad for my media pass letting me skip the ever growing queue waiting to get in and ensuring I got to be up front for the first act, Vana.

As the crowd waits for Vana to come on stage we notice a familiar face in her band, it’s none other than Devilskin drummer Nic Martin, who instead of sticks, is donning a bass and ready to shred some metal beats.

Vana opens with Noxious and then plays an epic rendition of The Foo Fighters song The Pretender and Panic! At The Disco’s I Write Sins Not Tragedies that has people starting to move and sing. As more people finally get through the gates and the crowd grows, Vana gives us an anecdote about how the next song Nosebleed! Is about an annoying friend who she just wanted to punch in the face, much to the crowd’s amusement.

The heavy and hearty guitars and the way Vana screams so effortlessly are a perfect way to start the day and the rock stage attendees are loving it. Next up is the clown hit Harlequin before Vana tells us that “it’s true, you can’t beat Welly on a good day”, though the cloudy sky and big winds aren’t really showcasing Welly’s greatness, which occurs later in the day.

Vana is amazing at engaging the crowd, pointing out people in her merch, and that someone in the crowd has a cat (a literal golden arm waving good luck cat). During Crawling, which is one of my favourite songs, Vana keeps this up by coming to the edge of the stage and singing directly to people that are singing along (me included) giving her cheeky smile before heading off to the next person.

Asking the crowd if they played with dolls and what their favourites are, Ken, Bratz, Barbie are all shouted out, is a great way to segway into a creepy but fun song Ragdoll. 

Telling us to hug a friend, or anyone by us, and announcing the pace is going to slow down, Vana launches into a very depressing song Clandestine but one that still has people rocking out. Finally we have Beg! Which is ironic to have as a last song as people are literally begging for more from Vana!

It is a hard task to be the opening act for Homegrown on any stage, but Vana definitely got the crowd warmed up, headbanging, singing along, and ready for the rest of the day.

Off to the lagoon stage next to hear the smooth songs of Sam V.

Sam’s set is all about the ladies and love songs and he asks if there are any single ladies in the house before he sings his song Possessions, demonstrating his ability to do beautiful vocal runs. Aotearoa’s Samoan Cowboy The Western Guide then accompanies Sam on stage for their song Ur Friend.

There is not a huge crowd at the lagoon stage yet but Sam is doing his best to get them going, attempting a singalong to his song Cotton Candy he declares that “he has heard better and louder crowds in Gisborne”. Luckily, the next song Vibe Wit’cha has everyone singing along “all night long, feeling so strong”.

Another shoutout for all the single ladies and also this time for the single men before the song Runway shows a mismatch in the single audience members but Sam is happy at all the single ladies. Did you know that “the V in his name is for a vacancy in his heart for audience members?” Sam declares, to a lot of screams, man this guy is smooth!

Asking if there are any Cook Islanders in the audience and getting a few cheers, Sam dedicates a beautiful cover of Brother Love’s Aitutaki Paradise to anyone from the Cook Islands and especially Aitutaki. Sung in Cook Island Māori, this song is one of the most beautiful things I hear all day, with some absolutely stunning high notes!

Only singing one verse and chorus of wedding song I Do; Sam gives the advice of it’s been longer than 4 years then it’s time to propose fellas! 

Come Through ups the vibes and Sam encourages people to get up and dance so their hips don’t get cramped and has a very fun sing along moment with everyone singing things like lalalalala, wah, wah, ooh oooh ooooooh, skibidi ba ba ba, say yeah! A surprise verse and chorus of Aladdin’s A Whole New World had the crowd going crazy before Sam finished with 90’s Fine. 

Sam V has a beautiful soulful voice and managed to engage the little crowd he had and make everyone fall in love with him, single ladies beware!

I missed the first couple of Katchafire songs trying to get in, their crowd was insane and filled almost the entirety of Waitangi Park, going back further than the VIP/bar area and with many people, myself included having to sit on the grass by the Scream Machine amusement ride (nothing like constant screaming to enhance the musical experience).

They announced they were playing songs from their first album and started playing Reggae Revival which has some epic saxophone action. For their song Down With You they got Leon Davey to play drums as the drummer Jordan Bell came up front to show off his singing skills.

It’s the saxophonist’s birthday today and so the crowd is asked to join the band in singing him a Happy Birthday, which is followed by him doing a sax solo for us. 

Everyone is vibing, swaying to the songs, there is a very distinct smell in the air accompanied by smoke clouds everywhere but the crowd is peaceful and just enjoying Katchafire as they sing more classics, Who you with and Collie Herb Man. An amazing crowd sing along accompanies the cover of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds before the boys announce their last song and finish with a fan favourite Giddy Up.

Staying at the Park stage for the next act Nesian Mystik, I manage to get up front once half of the Katchafire crowd head to another stage. The in-between acts DJ reports that now the clouds have gone and the sun is shining his desk is refusing to work until it cools down, so he is killing time by reminiscing on how when Homegrown started this was called the Dub stage, and listing artists who have played on it over the years, many of who I remember seeing in those early Dub Stage days.

As the crowd grows again I am struck by the varying ages of people waiting to see Nesian Mystik as it ranges from 18 to some elderly women I see sitting to the sides. It doesn’t surprise me since my mum was a mega fan, but it is just interesting to see the impact these guys have on all ages.

Starting with For The People the crowd are already singing along and excited as the guys run/dance across the stage. Lead singer Te Awanui Reeder (Awa) does an introduction and welcomes everyone in Te Reo and potentially other languages, I’m not sure, but he also lets us know that the band is made up of 4 Nationalities: Cook Island, Tongan, Samoan and Māori. Awa announces that they are Nesian Mystik before launching into lf It’s Cool. 

They get David Atai off his guitar so he can rap during RSVP before he says, “that’s enough of that” and runs back to his guitar near the back of the stage. David is spotlighted again however, when it is announced that it is his birthday today! We are asked to “sing him Happy Birthday, even though we have already sung a happy birthday today” (for the Katchafire saxophonist) and the crowd obliges. 

Throughout the set Awa gets audience participation and gauges how we all are by saying “How much?” And getting us to reply “too much”, followed by “how meke?”, “Tu meke!”. It’s a fun little engagement between songs. Dancefloor absolutely goes off and the crowd are all dancing, singing, and having the best time as Nesian Mystik are pros at creating a great atmosphere and vibes.

Awa makes a dig at how old they all are now and how hard it is for him to run around the stage and keep up as someone in his 40’s and reminisces on how long the band have been around. Asking who has been around since the start and getting a few cheers and hands up (myself included) he says that they’re gonna play some old tracks now. They are missing a member, Feleti Strickson-Pua and dedicate the next song Brothaz to him. 

Time for their first ever song now Nesian Style and they dedicate it to their fans who have been here from the start but also to all of Aotearoa. I am genuinely shocked by how many young people know all the lyrics as we sing along.

It’s a special moment for the guys as they bring out Feleti’s daughter Dremayer Strickson-Pua to help do Kimbra’s part on Mr Mista, revealing that Dremaya is the 3 year old girl featured in that music video. She has a beautiful voice both rapping and singing, and I know she made her dad proud.

It is clear how important family is to Nesian Mystik and after a couple more songs Awa brings his 3 kids on stage, telling us that they have never got to see their papa and uncles play before so this is a special moment as they see the band perform for the first time.

It’s time for the last song and in a wonderful coincidence the sun is actually setting behind us as the guys and Dremaya sing Sun Goes Down, making this a perfect end to their set. I have to run off to the rock stage but I am singing and dancing my way out of the park stage!

There is a huge line for the rock stage, like 100’s of people, so I am glad for my media pass, but once I get through the gates I am unable to move from the sheer amount of people filling the rock stage space! We are moving an inch at a time, but at least Elemeno P have started their set so I can listen to Stay/Go while I slowly get further in. Finding refuge under/beside the stairs to the VIP area I can finally see the stage. Honestly, this crowd is so huge and jam packed, it’s great to see despite causing extreme anxiety. Verona starts and everyone around me is singing along. Lead singer Dave Gibson tells us how in this next song Ohio people thought the lyrics “You’re all alone, you’re all alone” were actually “Geronimo, geronimo” (admittedly it does sound like that) and asks us to actually sing geronimo which the crowd does, much to his enjoyment.

Elemeno P are such an upbeat fun band with high energy and that is definitely being reflected in the audience rocking out as they play their classics Nirvana and Urban Getaway. After a few more popular songs they get to the performance I’ve been waiting and hoping for as I’ve seen it on their Instagram stories, Hot To Go by Chapelle Roan. The band started to play hit 11:57 before expertly changing to Hot To Go and back to 11:57. There are people doing the Hot To Go actions and singing along, and it is such a fun vibe!

During Every Day’s A Saturday Dave introduces the bands youngest member Jessie Booth and gets her to come out from behind the keyboard to show off an epic guitar solo, joined also by Bassist Lani Perkins and other guitarist Justyn Pilbrow, before heading back to her keyboard.

Baby Come On brings all the energy and bouncing/jumping and screaming from everyone around me and the crowd is going wild! Dave is showcasing his tambourine skills for this one as well. Sadly it’s time for the last song, and it’s Fast Times In Tahoe which ends with only the audience singing the chorus before the band leave the stage, it is both haunting and beautiful at the same time. The older lady next to me declares “Holy shit they are so damn good, like how good was that?” and I think that’s the perfect way to end my day at Homegrown.

My first ever Homegrown 18 years ago I ran all over the place trying to catch as many acts as possible, and any I’ve been to since then have just been spent at the rock stage, so today felt like it was taking me back to that first Homegrown and that made the day even more special.

Overall the day was full of heartfelt memories from artists, bands reminiscing on their past times at Homegrown, or first time acts like Vana and Sam V showing their appreciation at getting an opportunity to play. There are sad vibes at it being the last one on the Wellington waterfront, there is hope for its future wherever it may be going to, but mostly there are just 1000’s of people of all ages, enjoying their fave artists or maybe even finding some new fave artists!

First Image: Photo Credit: Vana by Jenny Feaver
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