Popular Kiwi musicians to entertain at free event

Published: 28 February 2018

A free concert - headlined by former Op Shop frontman Jason Kerrison - is set to rock Napier on St Patrick's Day.

Mayor Bill Dalton: "When the Mission Concert was cancelled, we felt it was important that we, as a city, offer some entertainment to those visitors still travelling here for the weekend."

Napier is set to rock on Saturday 17 March with a one-off free concert at Napier’s iconic Soundshell, featuring acclaimed local and national artists.

Jason Kerrison, best known as Op Shop’s popular frontman, will headline the evening with his band and provide a selection of chart-topping hits, while Shane Cortese and The 8-Track Band and local artists Mixtape step in in support.

Napier Rocks is an initiative of Napier City Council and Hawke’s Bay Tourism and is, in part, an event that will help to “plug the gap” left by the Mission Concert cancellation.

Mayor of Napier City, Bill Dalton, says that the Council was pleased to swing into action. “When the Mission Concert was cancelled, we felt it was important that we, as a city, offer some entertainment to those visitors still travelling here for the weekend,” he says. “We know anecdotally that there are plenty of folk who had been thrilled to come to town for Neil Diamond and had paid many hundreds of dollars in flights and accommodation. We look forward to seeing some of these music lovers at Napier Rocks, as well as our fantastically supportive local community. The entertainers will suit a wide audience and will have some fun along the way – we hope people come out into town and enjoy the show. We have kept it early so those attending can still go and enjoy other hospitality in town afterwards, and really make a night of it.”

Jason Kerrison: “We're so excited to be invited to Napier! It's going to be a heck of a lot of fun. We're even rehearsing a couple of Neil Diamond songs.” 

Napier Rocks kicks off at 3pm, with street performers and food trucks selling tasty local favourites on Marine Parade, which will be closed to traffic for the event.  Then, concert-goers are encouraged to grab a spot and set up camp in front of the Soundshell with friends and family to enjoy an evening of exceptional entertainment.

Mixtape, a popular Hawke’s Bay cover band, is set to take the stage playing a range of classics at 3:30pm. Following on, multi-talented Shane Cortese and The 8-Track Band will perform, from 4:45pm – 6:15pm. Closing out the tuneful trifecta, Jason Kerrison and band will light up the stage with their latest and greatest hits until 8pm. 

Kerrison says he’s looking forward to headlining Napier Rocks. “We are so excited to be invited to Napier! It's going to be a heck of a lot of fun. We're even rehearsing a couple of Neil Diamond songs.”

Annie Dundas, General Manager for Hawke’s Bay Tourism, says visitors to the region can look forward to a cracking weekend in Hawke’s Bay.

“With bars, restaurants and cellar doors open, our fantastic cycle trails, Horse of the Year in Hastings, and now Napier Rocks in the Soundshell, Hawke’s Bay is going to be bursting with activity all weekend long.”

Music fans can keep an eye on the Napier City Council and Hawke’s Bay New Zealand Facebook pages for the Napier Rocks event and more information. 

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