Six60

By Alva Casey

Artist: Six60 - support from West Coast Fruit Co.

Date / Venue:  Friday April 12th, The Powerstation, Auckland

What do Adele, Kanye West and Six60 have in common? Probably not very much but tonight their musical offerings shared speaker time at The Powerstation for a sold out gig.

New Zealand based West Coast Fruit Co. warmed up the gathering masses with his dance trances. A little off genre maybe but it worked a treat. His "Set Fire To The Rain Remix" would have done Adele proud. Someone to keep an eye on.

And then we wait. As Kanye West's "Gold Digger" keeps us ticking over I can't help but notice how the incredibly varied crowd of young, old, short skirted female and hat wearing male all seem to unanimously agree we want prenup. Perhaps love really is dead?

With a rousing "What's up New Zealand?" Matiu Walters led the band out on stage. Being back in his home city must have inspired them to kick off the night with the very fitting "Don't Forget Your Roots". The audience clearly agreed singing along from the start.

From here on out the energy never let up. Chris Mac's almost tribal drum solo helped there. At one point following three of their slower songs we may have been lulled into a false sense of security but then, like the lesser custody parent stuffing the children with sugar before dispatching them back to the everyday, we were thrown into a frenzy with "Only Be". All along the audience had remained relatively polite for such a packed gig but with the band's encouragement "In The Clear" meant many were lifted up on to their counterparts shoulders giving the usually two tiered venue a whole new dimension. I didn't hear any ambulance sirens, which I guess means everyone managed to win their battles against gravity.

The boys barely had a chance to leave the stage before the chants of Six-Six-Ty turned to One-More-Tune. Like a boxer doing his walkout Eli Paewai strolled back across the stage and dominated our attention with his solo before the night signed off with "Someone To Be Around".

While they may have a smaller discography then some who have played the hallowed venue not many could have matched the vibrance and enthusiasm of the night. Ji Fraser proves redheads really do have soul andMarlon Gerbes was a little bit magical. The sound system quality was better then ever and not so ear split-tingly loud as can sometimes happen at The Powerstation. I had predicted "Rise Up 2.0" to be the encore but was happy to be wrong, it coming second in the set, as I don't think Auckland city could have handled any more of the explosive energy already pumping as the congregation descended upon it to celebrate the night's success.