Mitch James plays Homegrown, on Saturday, the last edition of the event planned for the Wellington waterfront, which has been its home for 18 years. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
Homegrown finished with a bittersweet bang on Saturday night, as fans and artists alike said farewell to the beloved Wellington festival that showcased New Zealand's best and brightest talent.
After 18 years the festival is saying its goodbyes to its home on the Wellington waterfront, and is expected to be moving to a new location for 2026.
This year's festival spanned two days, with the likes of Synthony and Stan Walker kicking off the party on Friday night, before Saturday's full blown 5 stage extravaganza, with a lineup including Shihad, Shapeshifter, Drax Project and Kaylee Bell.
Shihad, playing what turned out to be their penultimate gig ever. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
Saturday's event was teeming with people, with Shihad's end of the night performance drawing bigger queues than I've ever seen for any act at the festival.
It was supposed to be the rock band's final gig, but at the end frontman Jon Toogood revealed the band would play another gig tomorrow night, at new Wellington venue Meow Nui.
Toogood also thanked the fans for their support over the band's substantial career, saying it had been an amazing ride.
Shihad. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
Shihad finished out their set with 1996 anthem 'Home Again'.
It was also the final show for pop singer Mitch James. The singer who announced his retirement from music last year, also thanked his fans for following along on the journey and joked it could become the subject of a documentary one day.
Mitch James at Homegrown. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
Meanwhile, Drax Project premiered some new music to resounding approval from the crowd, and lead singer Shaan Singh showed just how lit jazz could be when he played a flaming saxophone.
Shaan Singh - up front - lighting it up, during the Drax Project set. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
New Zealand's country queen Kaylee Bell, got fans stomping up a storm with hits like 'Boots'n All'. Complete with a side of line dancing, you'd have thought you were at a gig in Nashville... if not for the lack of cowboy boots in the crowd.
Kaylee Bell brings the country to Homegrown. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
And Rock band Elemeno P, decided to rewrite history, changing the lyrics in their 20 year old song 'Ohio', to 'Geronimo'.
But throughout the sets this year ran a common theme, with a number of artists expressing their sadness at Homegrown bringing the curtain down on its time on Wellington's waterfront, and gratitude for being a part of the final festival.
Drax Project. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
Homegrown is truly a festival for everyone, with acts spanning across genres such as pop, rock, hip hop, and drum and bass.
Whether or not its absence leaves a hole in the capital is yet to be seen. But whatever comes next is following a tough act to beat.
Shihad's "final set"
For decades, in Aotearoa's rock music scene, Shihad have been the benchmark - the band to be measured against.
Punchy, percussive, dynamic and fearsomely tight - for more than 35 years the quartet have stood fearlessly against all comers.
On Saturday night in their final show, the close out for the rock stage of the Homegrown New Zealand music festival in Wellington - Shihad left their audience wanting more.
Shihad. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
The band's set list tracked backwards from the expansive melodic rock of singles - like 2021's 'Feel The Fire' - to the stripped down percussive blast of 'Screwtop' - from the band's 1993 debut Churn.
Along the way, bangers like The General Electric's 'My Mind's Sedate' and 'Alive' (from 2008's Beautiful Machine) keep the crowd howling along and stomping their feet into the concrete of the strip of the Wellington Waterfront converted into Homegrown's rock stage for 2025.
Every tune was delivered with the fearless commitment that has earned Shihad fans all over the world.
But maybe, the years on the road mean that tonight, of all nights, the band never really lets down its guard.
'You Again' stands out as a high point of the set - possibly New Zealand's greatest moment of guitar riffage.
A stomp of barely controlled anger and disillusion - where the band can't help but hit their listener hard.
But other moments are cleaner, more refined and controlled than the band's younger distortion and rage.
Moments before the finale, frontman JonToogood lifts the lid on a another show to follow the night's set - in the more intimate venue of the capital's Meow Nui.
Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
Could this be the night that rewards Shihad's long-adoring fans with a send off worthy of the band's legacy? Or will the aluminium grandstands and concrete and Homegrown's last days in the capital mark the final 'hell yeah' of New Zealand's hardest rocking sons?
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