The Eagles’ Joe Walsh plays with music students at New Zealand site in front of 300 people
Guitarist previously had an ‘epiphany’ at the Māori site
The Eagles are one of the biggest-selling bands in the world and have been selling out huge arenas on their ongoing The Long Goodbye Tour.
Guitarist Joe Walsh made a more intimate performance at the weekend however, when he returned to a New Zealand site that he says was instrumental in turning his life around in the late 1980s.
The guitarist was first entertained by the Greenmeadows School Ukettes, who played a ukelele version of ‘Hotel California’.
Watch: Joe Walsh visits Ōtātara Pā
As the rain pelted down, Walsh joined a group of music students from the Eastern Institute Of Technology (EIT) onstage before he performed The Eagles’ ‘Desperado’.
He also played a cover of The Doors’ ‘Roadhouse Blues’ with some of the students.
This was Walsh’s third visit to the Ōtātara Pā site in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
He told the crowd of his first visit in 1989, saying: "What happened to me was kind of a spiritual awakening. The spirit of this place talked to me and told me who I had become was not me.
"And the spirit that was here gave me power over all that, that I took back to the United States and I stopped drinking and doing drugs, and I tried to help people who were doing that, and I paid a lot less attention to being famous and having fun spending money.”
Watch: Joe Walsh plays ‘Desperado’ at EIT in 2015
He continued: "I lost my perspective. I came here and I got it back. I've been 30 years sober now and that's because I came here, and where we are right now has so much good energy and spirit."
Walsh returned to the site in 2015 and also visited EIT in Hawkes Bay.
Gallery: Nine of the greatest Eagles songs
'Best Of My Love' (1974)
Peaking at Number 1 in the US in March 1975 - serving as their first Number 1 - 'Best Of My Love' was released on the band's third studio album 'On the Border'. The track was written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and J. D. Souther, with Don providing the lead vocals.
Listen to Eagles' 'Best Of My Love' here on YouTube.
'One Of These Nights' (1975)
Their second single to reach Number 1 in the US in 1975, 'One Of These Nights', pushed the Eagles into the mainstream. It peaked at Number 23 in the UK, and is now certified Silver. Serving as the title track from their fourth studio album, the track was again penned by Don Henley and Glenn Frey.
Listen to Eagles' 'One Of These Nights' here on YouTube.
'Take It To The Limit' (1975)
'Take It To The Limit' also featured on their fourth album 'One of These Nights', and was released in November 1975. As well as reaching Number 4 in the US, the song peaked at Number 12 in the UK - the highest of any of their singles up until that point.
Listen to Eagles' 'Take It To The Limit' here on YouTube.
'New Kid In Town' (1976)
Reaching Number 1 in the US in 1977, 'New Kid In Town' also peaked at Number 20 in the UK. The song was released in 1976, featuring on their fifth studio album 'Hotel California'. American songwriter J. D. Souther originally wrote the chorus for the song, seeking out help from Don and Glenn a year later to finish the track.
Listen to Eagles' 'New Kid In Town' here on YouTube.
'Hotel California' (1977)
'Hotel California' was the Eagles' fourth single to top the US charts. However, it may surprise you to learn that it took three months after its release to get there. The song was released as the second single from their fifth studio album, of the same name, in February 1977, and to this day is considered one of their most successful and memorable releases. Hitting the Number 8 spot in the UK Chart, the song is also now certified 3 x Platinum.
Listen to Eagles' 'Hotel California' here on YouTube.
'I Can't Tell You Why' (1980)
Hitting the charts in 1980, after featuring on their sixth studio album, 'The Long Run', 'I Can't Tell You Why' reached Number 8 in the US, although it didn't make it into the Top 40 in the UK. The track served as the Eagles' last Top 10 hit on the US' Billboard Hot 100, with the next album not being released for another 28-years.
Listen to Eagles' 'I Can't Tell You Why' here on YouTube.
'Take It Easy' (1972)
'Take It Easy' served as Eagles' debut single back in 1972, written by band member Glenn Frey, and Jackson Browne - with Glenn singing lead vocals on the song. Peaking at Number 12 in the US, the song is now certified Platinum here in the UK. Widely considered a signature track from the band, it won't surprise you to learn it is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Listen to Eagles' 'Take It Easy' here on YouTube.
'Victim of Love' (1976)
'Victim of Love' featured on the band's fifth studio album 'Hotel California', and although it wasn't released as an individual single, the song has attracted a lot of attention over the years. One of their first tracks that moved them away from country rock, and to more heavy rock & roll, the song was recorded in a live studio session - with vocals and chorus harmonies added later on. The making of the track has been described as a 'breaking point' for the Eagles, following 'disputes' between Don Henley and Don Felder over who would sing the lead vocals.
Listen to Eagles' 'Victim of Love' here on YouTube.
'The Last Resort' (1977)
'The Last Resort' was released in 1977, after being recorded the year prior. The track featured on the Eagles' fifth studio album, with Don Henley stating it was one of his favourite songs. Glenn Frey credited Don for 'The Last Resort', saying on an episode of In the Studio with Redbeard: "It was the first time that Don, on his own, took it upon himself to write an epic story."
Listen to Eagles' 'The Last Resort' here on YouTube.