Alex Casey attends the ‘Once in a Lifetime’ curtain-raiser at Christchurch’s One NZ Stadium featuring Six60 and Synthony. 

This week Christchurch city has been in nothing short of a state of Six60-induced psychosis. Rollickin’ Gelato released a limited edition “Lick60” flavour (Milo, banana cake, white chocolate – “who told you gelato couldn’t fly”), a miniature version of Six60’s famous Castle St abode popped up at Riverside Market selling empanadas (beef or chicken), and all manner of custom Six60 merchandise has been released. All of this to commemorate the Once in a Lifetime show with Synthony, the very first concert hosted at the $683 million One NZ stadium. 

Walking up Cashel Street to the stadium along with 37,000 others last night, even the trams were in on it, offering free rides up the road while blasting Six60’s ‘We Made It’. The crowd was a real mix of grey-haired types in long puffer jackets and Gen Zs in beaded halter necks, and a fair few obvious visitors to the city sprinkled in (not wearing enough layers, making comments like “it’s so flat, where do your drains run to?”). With the brand new stadium only having been open a handful of times, many seemed baffled trying to find the various entrances. 

“Ohhh, Gate A, B, C, D!” one drunk woman in a sequin t shirt exclaimed. “So it’s like a clock!” 

Inside, everyone resolutely ignored the signs to stay left and instead spent much of the night goose-stepping and do-si-doing around the concourse. Just my second time visiting, I noticed a few more features and quirks of the stadium. The bottom floor has a plethora of exclusively women’s toilets, a welcome solution to the eternal long line problem. Also, the thick plastic cups they serve drinks in send a confusing message – are they reusable, recyclable, or disposable? Given how many I saw tossed straight into the landfill bin, nobody else knows either. 

Anywho, onto the big, extremely buzzy show itself. We arrived just as the Christchurch-born popstar Cassie Henderson was closing out her set with a ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ cover and new single ‘It’s a Wonder’. “This city has shown some amazing resilience, so it’s a privilege to sing this with you,” she said. Resilience count: one. MC Sarah Gandy then came out and promised a night of many, many surprises. Could she mean yet another Scribe cameo? The Crusaders horses launching a barbershop quarter? Dan Carter booting the ball and hitting the roof? Here is just some of what eventuated.

Surprise #1: Kaylee Bell made a music video

Country singer Kaylee Bell started her set with a backstage video getting hyped up to ‘Conquest of Paradise’, a nod to the ongoing Crusaders horse saga, before taking the stage in sparkly red sequins and tassels to play her big hits like ‘Cowboy Up’ and ‘Keith’. “I was living here and working here through the earthquakes and I just want to say I am one of you, and I am so happy to be here celebrating together,” she said. “I want this night to live forever, and so I thought maybe we could make a music video tonight.” Keep your eyes peeled for me and my guest, halfway through our Black Burger and simply covered in sauce. 

Surprise #2: The Black Ferns came out and did line dancing

And also Nathan King came out for a country duet but didn’t sing even a little bit of ‘Glorafilia’, which should be illegal. 

Surprise #3: The crowd showed amazing bracelet compliance

Before Six60 took the stage, Gandy asked the entire arena to turn off their green flashing bracelets (dished out by Kiwibank at the door) as they would muck about with their visuals. What’s impressive is… basically everyone did it? By the time the band came out with the opening licks of ‘Don’t Forget Your Roots’, complete with a kapa haka group, I could count only three rebellious green twinkles in the crowd. God defend our free, compliant land. 

Surprise #4: New Christchurch Six60 lore dropped

Among all their hit songs – many of which I was stunned to discover I knew every single word to – Matiu Walters revealed that Christchurch was where they had their first paid gig ($150) at the Bedford, which stood just across the road before the quakes. “We know you hear this all the time,” he said, “but we really admire your strength and your resilience.” Resilience counter: two. 

Surprise #5: Scottish drummers and CTI stars

Be it a kilt-wearing marching band, Drax Project, or Celebrity Treasure Island’s Harrison Keefe rocking out with fellow vibe guy Nepia Takuira-Mita, there were no shortage of cameos throughout the Six60 set. No Scribe though :(

Surprise #6: A surprise stage in the middle of the crowd

In a handover moment of sorts, Six60 and a couple of the Synthony violinists jumped on a mini stage in the middle of the crowd to perform ‘Purple’. By the time the song was over, the entire Christchurch Symphony Orchestra had assembled in the dark on the main stage, clarinets at the ready, and it was time to finally find out what the hell Synthony is after all.

Surprise #7: Synthony is buzzy as hell 

The violinist threw her sequin jacket off in ecstasy as they launched into Fatboy Slim’s ‘Right Here, Right Now’, conducted with fervour by Sarah Grace Williams. Hypnotic cuboids and what looked like pulsating neon buttholes filled the screens as Synthony took us through a mishmash of 90s dance nostalgia and songs like ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ by The Chainsmokers which I swear came out yesterday but is actually 10 years old. Sometimes it felt like a rave, sometimes it felt like a megachurch.

Surprise #8: Please give it up for Savage!!

There is perhaps no occasion that can’t be made better by hearing the bellow “CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR SAAAAAAVAGE”, and Synthony was no exception. He performed ‘Swing’ to rapturous applause and later returned for ‘Freaks’, complete with an impromptu “ooh ah, up the Wahs” chant which was perhaps the loudest the crowd sounded all night.

Surprise #9: A saxophonist in the sky

This was a cheese dream.

Surprise #10: … Carlos Ulberg? 

After Synthony closed out with ‘Darude’ by Sandstorm, Six60 joined them back on stage for a few more songs and Matiu Walters rose to the heavens for ‘Rise Up’ on what looked like an enormous Pez dispenser (another merch collab opportunity there). Just when you thought there were no more surprises left, they ended the show with ‘The Greatest’ and introduced UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg to the stage, belt and all.

After a night filled with star power, spectacle and surprises, we spilled into the chilly Christchurch night and got stuck in one last do-si-do with mayor Phil Mauger himself. Once in a lifetime, indeed.