By RUSSELL BAILLIE
They sang, they cheered, they sang some more. Some even shed tears. Those gathered might have been mourners at a wake but there was a palpable sense of joy in the air.
Yes, the final shows by the Exponents were a celebration of the band, its songs, and the fans who grew up with the 18-year-old New Zealand pop institution. Judging though by the young women who invaded the stage as a finale to Saturday night's set, most of its following these days is only as old as the band itself.
The group took its final bows about midnight last night, after the second of two farewell shows at Auckland's Powerstation.
There are a couple of private gigs still to play. One is for a brewery sponsor. Arguably, the Exponents' summer tours have done more for national beer consumption than any advertising campaign. Another gig is in London at a pub catering to Aussie and Kiwi expatriates.
But the weekend's shows were the last of the band's final New Zealand tour. And after those last commitments, that is it from the group whose songs are second only to Split Enz's in the Kiwi pop canon.
"This is the final tour, the songs are going to bed and the band is calling it a day," confirmed gregarious 38-year-old frontman Jordan Luck before going on stage.
"It has always been good fun and a lark and I'm just pleased we've affected so many people's lives in many ways and the songs are still relevant and useful."
The band, originally called the Dance Exponents, debuted in Christchurch on Luck's 20th birthday, October 15, 1981. During the early 80s they rose to local stardom with hits like Victoria, I'll Say Goodbye, and Sex and Agriculture before decamping to England for a few years.
They returned in the early 90s to release more albums and deliver more hits like Who Loves Who The Most? and make annual summer pilgrimages around the country's pubs, main centres and country towns alike.
Band manager Barry Blacker says the band's departing the live scene is the end of an era.
"Going to those Greymouths and Westports and everything, that is a thing of the past really. I don't think any other band is ever going to do a tour like this in New Zealand again. It's the last great tour really."
Well, the last great tour got a great second-to-last show.
The permanently grinning Luck was an infectious presence, wandering on during support act Garageland to introduce them as "the greatest rock'n'roll band in New Zealand" and join in on their appropriately titled Kiss It All Goodbye.
The Exponents' set wandered all over their lengthy songbook, the final line-up of Luck, original drummer Michael Haralambi, bassist Steve Simpson and Australian guitarist David Barraclough delivering almost every song as if it was an encore.
But the real magic was in that space between the band, the fans and the songs.
Often Luck just shrugged happily and let the crowd take the lead - they knew all the verses to Victoria. And instead of the usual stamping for an encore after the band left the stage, they spontaneously broke out into I'll Say Goodbye - the band's twee early hit that became a back-of-the-bus singalong.
This Exponents fan from way back has always hated that song. This time it brought a tear to the eye.