Drax Project
12th May 2018
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Lauren Sanderson. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
After opening for Ed Sheeran In March this year, Drax Project returned to Auckland to play a one-off gig (That due to popularity morphed into a two night run) at the Powerstation and let’s just say it was not to be missed.
Before the four-piece took to the stage, the crowd were letting out screams of excitement. The energy in the room was contagious, even if the majority of screams were coming from teenage girls, it was almost impossible to not join in. As they took to the stage the screams enhanced and the night kicked off with their EP Cold which had us geared up for the night ahead.
Falling Out of Sight came next, which was the perfect song to showcase lead singers Shaan Singh’s vocal range. The chorus was sung in a piercing falsetto, which even I’m still astonished at how his voice reaches those heights, it really is incredible. Next up was the first of many covers they performed, Ginuwine’s Pony, the crowd chanted word for word while Singh took to the saxophone to do what he does best.
The band from Wellington have so many elements to their music, that sometimes you question whether it’s all going to work, but there is no question about it, the sax, the bass, the drums, the guitar, the musical score all come together to create a unique blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop and elements of jazz.
Another cover that wooed the crowd was Sam Smith’s Latch, their stripped back version allowed you to pick each lyric word for word and actually notice all of the different elements that contribute to the track. Singh’s vocals can almost be confused for Sam Smith’s during this song, he can hit the same high notes as Smith and certainly leaves goosebumps on your skin as he pushes his vocals to new heights. I had a huge appreciation and I think the crowd would agree, for Singh and the way he moved from singing to playing the sax in such a smooth transition.
The band as a whole, lead Singer Singh, Matt Beachen on drums, bassist Sam Thomson and guitarist Ben O’leary all had an incredible connection on stage. The four-piece looked like they were having just as much fun as the crowd. You could tell that they had come from busking on the streets to now performing in front of thousands, as they still had the same interactions with the crowd and it was evident that they were on that stage to make sure everyone had a darn good night, and we certainly did!
Of course, a favourite of the night was their number one Woke Up Late, which had more than 5.6 million streams on Spotify and you can see why. Singh took a step back from the mic and let the crowd chant their lyrics to them, the lyrics ‘last night we met at one, drank till two, danced till four’ echoed around the Powerstation and the lyric ‘Now I want more’ rang true for all of the crowd. Luckily for us, there was one more song and it was their cover of Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River, which had us bouncing simultaneously around the space to the sweet sound of the Sax.
Drax Project are certainly on the rise and after supporting Ed Sheeran they’re in hot demand. Judging by last night’s performance, I am not surprised! I’m glad the show was in an intimate setting because the next time we’ll be seeing this quartet will be in sold out arena’s.
Drax Project:
Robinson:
Were you there at the Powerstation for this triumphant performance? Or have you seen Drax Project perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
This content is a part of our NZ Music Month coverage, celebrating old, new and upcoming Kiwi artists. For more information on NZ Music Month you can visit their website.
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