Gig Review: Manfeild Live @ Manfeild, Feilding – 31/01/2026

As the summer sun beat down on the fields of Manfeild Park in Feilding, the inaugural Manfeild Live event kicked off, transforming the usually motorsport-focused venue into a vibrant hub of Kiwi music. Gates opened at 4pm and a crowd of all ages, families with kids in tow, seasoned rockers, and reggae enthusiasts poured in, drawn by a lineup that celebrated New Zealand’s rich and diverse musical heritage.

Food trucks offered a variety of options to suit different tastes, while the bar kept the chilled beverages flowing under a clear blue sky. Expertly MCed by Mark Hazlewood, who provided a seamless transition between acts, the event promised a six-hour sonic journey featuring homegrown heroes the Jordan Luck Band, The Black Seeds, Dragon, and the legendary Kora, supported by local band Midnight Switch. It was a perfect slice of Aotearoa summer: relaxed vibes, dancing on the grass and that unmistakable sense of belonging that only live music can foster. As the first chords rang out, it was clear this wasn’t any ordinary gig; it was a celebration of community and good times in the heart of the Manawatū.

Kicking off the day’s festivities, Palmerston North band Midnight Switch burst onto the stage with the kind of energy that set the tone for the entire festival. This four-piece, comprising Todd Carter (vocals), Jason Devlin (guitar), Jeremy Devlin (bass), and Clint ‘Chops’ Bremner (drums), brought their A-game to warm up the early arrivals.

Opening with Devil In A Black Hat, the band immediately brought people to their feet, capturing the same high-octane intensity and demonstrating the technical chops that have earned them support slots with the likes of Devilskin and Checaine.

Their setlist included the 80’s metal-toned I Wanna Ride, the up-tempo Boys Of The Black Rose, and Freedom, where singer Todd Carter was fully in his element. Jason Devlin’s Les Paul delivered thick, meaty tones. The band’s laid-back rendition of Bob Dylan’s Knocking On Heaven’s Door provided a nice dynamic shift, though the real standout was their cover of John Denver’s Country Roads.

Their short but sweet set closed with Vampire and showed why Midnight Switch deserved to be Manfeild Live’s opening act. While they may be a relatively unknown band from the Manawatū, their stage presence suggested bigger things to come.

If there’s anyone who knows how to work a crowd, it’s the renowned Jordan Luck. The former Exponents frontman, now an inductee into the NZ Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame, completely owned the stage, demonstrating why he’s considered rock royalty in this country. Having penned 18 Top 40 singles with The Exponents, including Victoria (voted 8th greatest New Zealand song of all time) and Why Does Love Do This To Me? (an unofficial national anthem), Luck’s set was always going to get the crowd amped.

Opening with La La Lulu, the Jordan Luck Band set about delivering their well-loved hits to an enthusiastic crowd. Your Best Friend Loves Me Too featured a sweet guitar solo from Joe Walsh (not the American) and showed the tight musicianship of Luck’s professional ensemble. If Only I Could, which he dedicated to the beautiful people of Bunnythorpe and guitarist Chris Sheehan, who passed away last year, saw Jordan belting it out with a passion that you couldn’t help but get caught up in.

My personal favourite, the Hello Sailor song Blue Lady, was flawlessly performed and showcased some truly tasty guitar work by Bryan Bell. The delicate interplay between Luck’s weathered vocals and Bell’s melodies created a moment of pure magic that I’m sure Graham Brazier would have appreciated. Sink Like A Stone was another energetic crowd pleaser, while Erotic saw the band bringing it all home, with drummer Beaver enjoying himself immensely. During this song, a young boy with blue earmuffs ran onto the stage, a spontaneous moment that captured the all-ages, family-friendly atmosphere.

Victoria was delicately performed with great crowd participation, while I’ll Say Goodbye (Even Though I’m Blue) started off as a lovely duet between Luck and Walsh on guitar. This evolved into the best crowd sing-along of their set, with the experienced frontman eliciting somewhat of a competition between the sexes, proclaiming women the winners for their better vocal abilities. Whatever Happened To Tracey saw Luck again working the crowd like a pro, the short but sweet classic going down a treat.

Who Loves Who The Most? had the entire audience up and dancing, and by the set closer Why Does Love Do This To Me? nearly 100% of the crowd were singing along. A very uplifting performance from start to finish, reminding everyone why Jordan Luck songs have become part of our national consciousness.

When The Black Seeds took the stage, the MC highlighted that Rolling Stone had described them as “the best reggae band on the planet right now.” That was in 2011 and nothing has really changed since then. Long established as one of New Zealand’s finest live acts, the Wellington eight-piece have carved out their reputation on the back of multi-platinum-albums and a masterful live show that’s been filling dance floors for nearly three decades.

Slowing things down a notch, The Black Seeds opened with Tuk Tuk, setting their foundation with a mellow reggae backbeat that suited the festival vibe. The sound system proved absolutely made for this type of music, with a huge low end, driven by Francis Harawira’s lovely 5-string Fender Jazz bass that you could feel deep within your bones. The vocals of Barnaby Weir and Daniel Weetman combined with lovely percussive work to provide added depth, while the horn section, Barrett Hocking on trumpet and Matthew Benton on saxophone, in conjunction with Ryan Prebble’s guitar and Nigel Patterson on keys, merged into the same animal. Their perfectly synced skank was truly unparalleled.

Cool Me Down mixed reggae with some delicious funk elements before turning into a psychedelic-inspired medley showcasing the band’s ability to blend multiple genres. Their performance was immaculate, demonstrating exactly why Clash Music also described The Black Seeds as “one of the best live reggae bands on the planet.” Turn It Around and Compassion kept the good times flowing and ensured the audience stayed up on their feet dancing.

Sort It Out, from their 2004 triple-platinum album On The Sun, again featured super phat bass lines that rumbled across the venue, while So True, a more delicate offering, included a nice Miles Davis-inspired trumpet solo that drew appreciative applause. The excellent slow-down into Make A Move > Come To Me again showcased the band’s ability to build musical tension and their dynamic range.

By Dust And Dirt, The Black Seeds were fully in their element, delivering their reggae hits with the confidence only seasoned performers can provide. Fire brought a more straightforward reggae edge to proceedings, with lots of solos to keep the audience entranced. The Black Seeds finished with The Prince and One By One, the latter written by ex-band member and Flight of the Conchords co-founder Bret McKenzie and famously featured in AMC’s smash hit ‘Breaking Bad’, leaving the crowd energised and wanting more. Some called for an encore, but sadly The Black Seeds’ set had ended.

Dragon had a very polished sound straight off the bat. The trans-Tasman rock legends, fresh from completing ‘The Encore Tour’ last year, and after celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2024, brought decades of experience to the stage. Led by the incomparable Mark Williams, with Todd Hunter on bass, Bruce Reid on guitar and Pete Drummond on drums, Dragon delivered a masterclass in classic rock performance.

Opening with Speak No Evil, the outstanding mix captured every nuance of the band’s tight musicianship, especially Mark’s soaring vocals. Still In Love With You, showcased Bruce Reid’s country guitar style, which worked exceptionally well within the song’s brilliant structure.

Magic pulled it back a bit, with an excellent half-time shift towards the end that kept the audience on their toes. By the time Dragon played Doom, Mark’s powerful vocals were in full effect, complemented by a band firing on all cylinders. Dragon was hitting their stride during This Time, bringing even more country-tinged Kiwi rock ‘n’ roll to please people’s ears. Featuring an awe-inspiring drum solo towards the end, O Zambesi was well-performed funk inspired music to keep the audience enthralled.

As the sun started to set, Young Years had some lovely backing vocal harmonies and Mark demonstrated absolute mastership of his craft by hitting all those hard to reach falsetto notes. The bluesy rock of Jim brought even more people to the front of the stage, while Show No Mercy delivered another awe-inspiring performance with pitch-perfect backing vocals from Bruce Reid and Todd Hunter, complementing Mark’s considerable range.

April Sun In Cuba heralded a powerfully tight unit, with Mark helping the crowd remember all the words to this beloved classic, prompting the best crowd response of the night. Are You Old Enough? was prefaced with a poignant dedication to former band members who had passed away, with Mark on acoustic guitar giving justice to the tribute by singing his heart out.

The set closed with Rain, a very up-tempo number with the band toying with an extended ending for emphasis. Throughout Dragon’s fantastic set Mark had the crowd singing along, proving that even after 50 years, Dragon still knows how to fully captivate an audience.

Hailing from Whakatāne, now Wellington-based reggae-dub-funk fusion maestros, Kora have long been recognised as one of New Zealand’s best live acts, with an enduring career that resonates across multiple generations. Testament to their popularity, Kora’s unique and eclectic blend of music has passed over 50 million streams on Spotify, a broad appeal that was fully on display at Manfeild Live with the all ages audience already on their feet and eager to get involved.

Opening with Sam and Skankenstein, from their 2007 double-platinum debut album, Kora demonstrated the massive low end that has become a signature to their monumental sound. The crowd, though starting to thin slightly as night temperatures took hold, remained fully invigorated and ready for more. Story Ain’t Over kept the energy high, while Revolution, which felt particularly relevant given current global events, made sure everyone was having a good time.

Dancing In The Rain, one of their more recent singles released in 2023, brought some more upbeat funk styles to the party, with Marika Hodgson’s resonant bass-lines keeping everyone fully in the groove. Secret Lover, their 2020 hit single, featured numerous solos and embellishments that built on their solid foundation. Announced as the bands favourite song, Sandbox showcased more recent material. Francis Kora’s powerful voice echoed spectacularly around the field during Burning, from their 2007 self-titled debut album.

Starting with an atmospheric intro by Dan McGruer on keys, On My Mind, resonated especially well with some of the older crew in the audience. The song featured impressive drum fills by Darren Matthiassen (formerly of Trinity Roots and Shapeshifter) and Kora demonstrated the sonic attention to detail that has made their live shows so legendary.

Starting as an acoustic version, Politician enticed full crowd participation before Kora closed out their magnificent set with L-Over and Drop Dead Killer. Performing with a slightly reduced lineup, Kora still delivered a show worthy of their reputation. Their ability to seamlessly fuse reggae, rock, dub, roots, funk, and electronic elements into a cohesive sound that gets people dancing has made them stalwarts of the New Zealand festival circuit, and this performance was no exception.

It’s amazing what a dedicated team can achieve when it comes to event management. Manfeild Live showcased the depth of New Zealand musical talent, from the local energy of Midnight Switch to the legendary status of Dragon, from the internationally acclaimed The Black Seeds to the national treasure that is Jordan Luck, and capped off by Kora’s genre-defying fusion, the day represented everything that makes New Zealand music special.

With Kiwi Grooves in 2024 and now Manfeild Live, Feilding has proved that Manfeild Park can successfully host world-class music events alongside its traditional motorsport and agricultural offerings. If Manfeild Live becomes an annual fixture, it could provide the Manawatū region with the calibre of musical experience it deserves and become an essential stop for many bands on the summer festival circuit. Manfeild Live 2026 will be remembered as a day where excellent music, perfect weather, and great company came together. Here’s hoping next year brings another opportunity to experience what will hopefully become a summer tradition.

Photo Credit: Andy Russell for Muzic.NZ
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