Toto's gig in New Plymouth was marred by "alcohol-fuelled fighting" and inappropriate touching, punters have claimed.
The 'Africa' soft-rockers headlined Friday night's A Summer's Day Live show, with support from fellow classic rockers Dragon and Jefferson Starship, under sunny skies at the TSB Bowl.
But fans say the gig was ruined by the "disgusting behaviour" of a minority in the crowd, with the band visibly annoyed by what they could see from the stage.
"The lead guitarist stepped off stage mid-song to eyeball a couple of patrons in the front row," one fan told Newshub.
"After the song, he made a comment like, 'We're all just trying to have some fun here'. At the end of the show, when he was telling everyone what a wonderful audience we had been, he added 'except for some weirdos in the front' and then something about a man putting his hands on a woman."
One fan took to the A Summer's Day Live Facebook page to describe what she saw.
"A dude put his hands on a young chick's behind," they wrote. "She turned and told the guy to stop and Steve [Lukather, Toto guitarist] told him off but he carried on. Then Steve yelled out 'you wanna go?' and took off his guitar like he was gonna jump down and smack the guy."
Another said there were fans behaving badly in their part of the crowd too.
"There was a guy up by our area with a singlet and a kilt on grabbing people and to trying to steal their beer and grabbing ladies' bums," the fan wrote. "At the end the police tried to remove him, he was a dick also."
And there was more.
"We had a girl pass out right beside us," another fan wrote. "Five security guards did like nothing but talk into their headpieces… if it wasn't for the people around the girl keeping her safe and covered up , who knows what would of happened to her."
Yet another punter said there were "scraps in the front row" because standing people were blocking their view. Another said they spent much of the gig "splitting up fights and protecting those poor women in front from drunken idiots pushing them around".
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Another Toto fan left a comment on a story about the gig on Stuff, saying the "music was amazing" but the bar kept serving drinks to people who were clearly intoxicated.
"The organisation was incompetent. As an out-of-towner I was gobsmacked. I have never seen behaviour like it at any other concert - even in the mosh pit."
Newshub has contacted the police and the gig's promoters for comment.
Newshub.
