The gig is being organised by Toby Mills, 17, who was awarded the 2025 Kurano Music Event Grant, which gives a Mount Aspiring College student $400 to plan and present their own music event.
Toby said his rock band, Mule, would be headlining the event, the band’s sound “ranging from something like [US band] Sublime, a bit more dancey and funky, to some pretty heavy stuff that sounds like like Tool or Rage Against the Machine.”
Support comes from another band made up of Mount Aspiring College students called Lampless, who Toby compared to Auckland indie group The Beths.
“Lampless will open the night with some super great music that’s not quite as moshy and full on, and then Mule will come on and it will be a more rowdy,” he said.
The gig takes place at Rippon Hall on Friday, June 12, in what will be a full-circle moment for Toby.
“Rippon is our family farm, and it’s been in my family for over 100 years now.
“From as young as I can remember, really, I’ve been building huts on the farm with my cousins and running around the hall causing chaos, so its a really cool progression for me.
“A younger version of me was running around in this place that will hopefully have a load of people moshing while I’m on stage with my band.”
In addition to the music, the gig will have a food truck in the form of Eat Superb and there will be a bar running, while Toby hopes to be able to sell merchandise on the day.
The benefits of the scholarship, and running the event, went well beyond the music, he said.
“It’s been quite eye-opening to see the difference between putting on a gig with no money, but when you’re putting money into it, every cost turns into quite a big deal.
“When you promise someone something, you’ve got to really stick to it because people are relying on you.
“And then the minute you make it a paid event, you’ve got to make sure that the music is really tight because people are spending their time and their hard-earned money to come and watch you.”
Tickets for the gig cost $15 plus booking fees, and funds from ticket sales will be used to pay the band, to fund recording or to give back to Mount Aspiring College’s music department.
