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L.A.B set to return to the "big smoke" with first Auckland show in 4 years

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 27 Jan 2026, 9:50am
Photo / Ian Cooper | File
Photo / Ian Cooper | File

L.A.B set to return to the "big smoke" with first Auckland show in 4 years

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 27 Jan 2026, 9:50am

It’s been a summer to remember for L.A.B.  

Last year they announced a run of three outdoor concerts over the summer, with one in Tauranga, one over the ditch in the Gold Coast, and the final one in Auckland. 

The first two shows saw rave reviews, and this weekend will see L.A.B return to Auckland for the first time in four years, performing alongside Stan Walker. 

Four years is quite a stretch, but L.A.B Frontman Joel Shadbolt confessed he hadn’t realised it’d been that long. 

“We’ve been doing lots of stuff overseas, so we’ve been over to the States a couple of times,” he explained. 

“But in regards to New Zealand shows, we just, we’ve been hitting the, y’know, the smaller cities, the smaller towns.” 

“This year we thought, yeah, we’d better come back up to the big smoke.”  

Shadbolt described the band’s partnership with Walker as a “good musical marriage”. 

He told Hosking that their bands complement each other, and they’ve got a good crossover with the demographic. 

“He’s just an incredible singer, and you know, a great guy to jam with.” 

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