Music for the masses

Six60 takes to the stage in front of 25,000 fans at the Hutt Recreation Ground in Lower Hutt last...
Six60 takes to the stage in front of 25,000 fans at the Hutt Recreation Ground in Lower Hutt last weekend. Photo: Fraser Thompson
Sometimes life’s twists and turns take you down a path you were certain you’d never go down. And that is how, last Saturday, I found myself standing in a crowd of 25,000 at Hutt Recreation Ground in Lower Hutt, bathed in the light of massive LED screens and on-stage effects, experiencing the biggest band in New Zealand history.

A lot has been said about Six60 over the years. At the cusp of their meteoric rise they were derided by critics as ‘‘barbecue reggae’’ and ‘‘a new low in New Zealand music’’. Meanwhile they entered a space never before occupied by a New Zealand band, scaling up the production values and packing stadiums full of local fans willing to pay the sorts of ticket prices usually reserved for big touring acts.

Those fans couldn’t care less what critics thought. And much to my surprise, neither could I. Me, previously among those who had dismissed Six60’s radio-friendly sound, found myself ... enjoying it.

Paige, who opened the evening, was the newest act in the line-up, but her stage presence was effortless and relaxed. The crowd was around a quarter of the size it would become, but they loved it, and she set the vibe for the rest of the night. She was followed by Mitch James, whose medley of classic hits including Britney Spears’ Hit Me Baby One More Time and TLC’s No Scrubs went off.

By the time penultimate act DRAX Project took the stage, the sun was beginning to set. The four-piece, which cut its teeth busking in Wellington, was possibly the most impressive act of the night for me musically, delivering the funkiest of grooves and energising the crowd with almost dance hall-esque trombone-driven stompers.

And then came Six60.

The massive screens flanking the stage counted down to the moment we’d been waiting for while a playlist of classic tunes played. The crowd was fizzing, singing along with songs such as Bob Marley’s Get Up Stand Up and the atmosphere was electric.

By the time Six60 started its set, the crowd was well and truly ready to party — and party it did.

The band’s vast experience was obvious. Lead singer Matiu’s vocal performance was impressive, and there was not really anything to fault with the group’s musicianship, but the music was almost besides the point for me; it was a vehicle through which to experience something bigger. For others it must have been thrilling to see the band they loved performing the songs that had become so important to them.

This is a band that started out in a Dunedin flat, playing covers so their mates could have a good time — the goal hasn’t changed.

Towards the end of their set came the highlight of the night: a version of Don’t Forget Your Roots sung in te reo featuring an impressive kapa haka group performing alongside the band.

My own musical roots will forever be in grubby bars with 20 or so other patrons experiencing something weird, but I’ve been given a new appreciation for large-scale performances.

People go to shows like this so they can be part of something, they want an experience they’ll remember forever — and there’s no other New Zealand band that can provide that on the scale Six60 does.

For more from Fraser Thompson go to dunedinsound.com.

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