Six60 Saturdays – Eden Park

“This moment has been 118 years in the making,” says Six60 lead singer Matiu Walters, to the capacity Eden Park crowd, in the stadium’s first ever concert.

For a band that was formed just over a decade ago, and would’ve been lobbying to play Eden Park in an even shorter time, it seems quite a ridiculous claim to make. Yet, seeing the boys take the stage, it’s apparent how much this achievement means to them. It’s the crowning moment of their journey from 660 Castle Street.

Headliners Six60 came out in strong form, starting with the classic “‘Don’t Forget Your Roots”’, and finishing on a crescendo with “‘The Greatest”’. They were the true stars of the night’s show, and across two hours, they played their library of hits. Standing looking outwards from the centre of Eden Park, the five boys were true giants of the NZ music industry.

Opening acts Drax Project got the crowd hot (these guys are truly special whenever they take the stage), and even Dave Dobbyn had the crowd buzzing with his classic Kiwiana hits, leading the guy next to me to shout “one more, Dave!”

As someone who’s not an active fan of Six60, or many local artists, it’s quite a curious sight to see them sell out Eden Park Stadium – I imagine similar to seeing Benee sell out Spark Arena (sell out, for God’s sake!). But ultimately, it’s an unparalleled celebration of our great nation, that everyone – bar the Eden Park residents association – would be glad to see.

“I guess for one night, Six60 were The Greatest.”