Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00a.m.
It has been a long time coming and for their New Zealand fans it was worth the wait - Crowded House are back.
After splitting in 1996 the band re-formed six months ago, releasing a new album and hitting the road.
They headlined Live Earth in Sydney in July, now they are home for three sold-out concerts and played their first in Auckland last night.
150,000 people farewelled Crowded House in Sydney in 1996, and perhaps should have believed them when they sang 'Don't Dream it’s Over.'
A decade later Crowded House are back, and their legion of kiwi fans sold out the Vector Arena to welcome them home.
A few hours before the show the boys were primed and ready to bring the house down.
''We're a really well-honed band now, we've gone through some hard yards, we've put a lot of hours, flying hours, the band is at top performance and there willl be a sense of occasion in the room I think, I hope..
And we'll be up for it'', says Neil Finn.
In an arena packed with kiwi fans, who one way or another grew up with the Finn boys, Crowded House left no album unturned as they played hit after hit.
They had some help from special guests Don McGlashan and Tim Finn, and often with a 12,000 strong backing chorus.
Thousands more fans have their chance for a sing-along still to come - there are two more sell-out shows to go in Wellington and Christchurch.