Six60 hits new Altitudes

Fans poured into Hamilton’s Altitude Bar and Nightclub as Dunedin’s dynamic Six60 hit the stage last Thursday, March 15.

With their second highly anticipated New Zealand tour selling out from tip to tail, fans were encouraged to purchase their $45 tickets promptly.

Six60 kicked off the concert with the song that launched them onto the New Zealand music scene, Rise Up seemingly throwing the crowd into a frenzy.

Manoeuvring around the packed venue to get closer to the booming speakers and the five piece band, fans were clearly eager to hear more of their top 40 hits.

The boys conveyed a polished and seasoned performance delivering favourites such as Don’t Forget Your Roots, Only to Be, Forever and Finest Wine.

The ineffective acoustics of the high-ceilinged venue causing reverberation throughout the building was overcome by the large crowd which helped absorb the sound and reduce the echoing effect.

The Dunedin band surpassed the studio quality of their albums with their exuberant stage presence.

The unique Kiwi fusion of reggae, soul and dubstep appealed to a wide variety of music listeners with the group delicately blending the use of live and electronic instruments to hit all the right notes throughout their 10pm to 1am set.

Lights of all colours of the spectrum poured over the stage and throughout the crowd, playing its part in an exciting performance.

Lead singer Matiu Walters delivered a spotless performance.  Utilising runs and trills, he emulated the faultless vocals on both the Six60 albums.  The Auckland born vocalist’s solo encore performance of Green Bottles had fans captivated until the last strum of his guitar.

His strong vocal ability and breath control was supported by drummer Eli Paewai, guitarist Ji Fraser and bassist Chris Mac, who provided a tight rhythm section.

Marlon Gerbes added the electronic element with excellent synthesising skills, which gave the band its distinctive timbre and style.

Six60 will continue their tour, heading up north to Auckland then down the country playing gigs throughout Wellington and Dunedin before they jump the ditch, playing shows in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

Due to their New Zealand success, the boys are also embarking on a world tour playing venues throughout Scotland, the UK, Ireland and Germany.