In the biggest gigs in the world since the Covid-19 pandemic began, New Zealand band Six60 have recently played packed out concerts to tens of thousands of maskless fans. This makes the band the planet's biggest stadium band at the moment.
In April, they will play at Eden Park, New Zealand’s largest sports stadium to 50,000 people.
Last weekend the band headlined the 32,000-person capacity Sky Stadium for the fifth show of their Six60 Saturdays tour, which concludes February 27 at New Zealand’s Claudelands Oval – a 6,000-capacity arena.
Six60 Frontman Matiu Walters addressed the crowd from the main stage at the last gig: “Haere Mai [welcome] Wellington, welcome to the biggest show on earth!”
The band have recently found viral fame as they have become the accidental poster boys for New Zealand’s pandemic response, as well as being a symbol of hope for the rest of the world.
Earlier this year the band caught the world’s attention when they played to approximately 20,000 music fans in Waitangi, New Zealand – one of the biggest single gigs since the pandemic began.
New Zealand has managed to tackle and contain the virus so effectively that its alert level sits at one, with only a few imported cases or isolated local cases occurring.
The concert was the first of Six60’s six-date nationwide summer tour, and reports say that concert-goers came into close contact with one another and didn’t need to wear masks.
The news appears in stark contrast with the situation in the UK and beyond.
“When New Zealand went into lockdown last March, we knew it would be a long time until we could play live again and that was really scary. I don’t know anything else,” Walters told NME.
“Now though, we’re performing to stadiums full of people [including the 15,000-capacity TSB Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth]. Our geography has to have helped; we’re on a tiny island with a small population but also we worked hard not to politicise this whole Covid thing. We were fortunate to have some great leadership, and that everyone came together, suffered together and did what we had to do to get to this point.
“We had alternate dates booked just in case and we were worried about ticket sales, but you need to back yourself. It felt so important to have a go because live music is our life. We knew that we were taking a risk, but we wanted to do it for the music and we wanted to instil some hope.”
He added that the band is very aware that another lockdown could happen at any moment. Music fans are having to scan QR codes at their gigs just in case there’s another outbreak.
“There’s a whole campaign in New Zealand: make summer unstoppable,” he added. “We spoke to the government about getting visuals made up reminding people to scan in for track and trace. Once the music starts though, it’s hard for you not to forget what’s going on. There was no apprehension from the crowds, just this feeling of real excitement that they were together, embracing strangers and creating memories again.
“Being on those stages, it was amazing. It felt natural. We felt at home. After overcoming all this crap, there was definitely a sense of love, relief and togetherness in the crowd. There was a lot of hope.
“With these shows, we wanted to show people what was possible post-Covid,” he said. “I feel proud but, at the same time, it’s weird that we’re perhaps the only ones in the world doing it like this right now. We’re nervous about holding that mantle and we hate the fact that our friends overseas aren’t able to do it.
“It’s crazy that right now we’re the biggest touring band in the world. There’s this understated Kiwi humility, where I don’t like hearing those things – but at the same time, we’ve worked hard to achieve that. I’m heartbroken about what’s happening overseas but maybe these gigs will just give other musicians a little bit of hope until it’s their turn.
“I think over the past year, we’ve all learnt that there will never be replacement for live music,” he stated. “Live shows are so important for musicians, because not only is it how we earn money but they’re so vital for our mental health. It’s the same for music fans as well, you need gigs for your own well-being.”
The band said that they don’t hold out much hope for New Zealand’s borders opening this year, so international gigs aren’t likely anytime soon.