Sons Of Zion
31st August 2018
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review & Photography by Sarah Kidd.
It is the eve of the first day of spring, the promise of warmer weather and long summer nights hangs in the air; so, what better way to usher the new season in then with one of New Zealand’s favourite bands, Sons of Zion on a Friday Night? Currently in the middle of their Vantage Point tour in celebration of their third and latest album of the same name, Auckland’s PowerStation was filled to the brim with good vibes and those start of the weekend frivolities.
Those who arrived early had the absolute pleasure of being treated to an outstanding set by Whangarei five piece Otium. Winners of Live Vibes in 2017, this young band formed just four years ago, yet have such maturity in stage presence that it is astonishing that they are not already headlining their own shows. While influenced by artists such as Fat Freddy’s Drop, Kora and D’Angelo – not to mention the infectious Ocean Alley and Jamiroquai which Otium certainly incorporate elements of in their music – these five young men led by the soul-uplifting lead vocalist of Jesse Samu have blended together a sound that is uniquely their own. With a set that comprised both original tracks such as ‘Curious’ and ‘Dollar for the Man’ as well as covers of the Bee Gees ‘Staylin Alive’ and ‘Jungle Boogie’ by Kool and the Gang – the future of New Zealand music is looking hella bright in the hands of fledgling artists of such high calibre as this.
While smaller in numbers, second act of the night hip-hop artist Rei (being accompanied only by his DJ), proved that there was nothing minor about his set that was positively infused with energy and delivered by a rather charismatic artist. Ensuring that he covered the entire length of the stage at least several times, Rei was the epitome of New Zealand style both in the way he was dressed and engaged with the audience; tracks such as ‘Them Feels’ proving to be an early favourite with his fans. Impressively Rei is also an artist that holds his indigenous culture close to his heart – dropping not only his Te Reo Māori track ‘E Kī’ on the hundreds in attendance but also a cover of Scribe’s hit track ‘Not Many’ completely in Te Reo! But Rei also showed that he knows how to deliver a club banger or two as well, his latest single ‘Good Mood’ seeing the entire venue vibing in time to the beat. Hailing from Wellington and with two albums already under his belt – his sophomore effort A Place To Stand released just last year – Rei is well on his way to cementing his place in the wider New Zealand hip-hop scene.
By now the PowerStation was absolutely heaving with fans who were more than ready to revel in the sweet sounds that Sons Of Zion were sure to deliver; a deep voice over the sound system advising all in attendance that the band would be appearing in ten minutes. In between the house music that only worked the crowd up further, the voice would continue giving an ETA before climaxing in a ten second countdown complete with strobe lights.
As the six members took to the stage the crowd erupted in deafening applause; having formed back in 2007 Sons of Zion have certainly built up a loyal fan base and it was clear that many of them were in attendance last night. Taking the opportunity to showcase their latest album, Sons of Zion began with the hip-grinding groove of ‘Mash it Up’, the fans immediately immersing themselves within the layers of sound. As Joel Latimer stated in a recent interview, one of the band’s biggest strengths is the fact that they have three lead singers in their midst who are not only accomplished vocalists but musicians as well. Thanks to this the harmonising on tracks both recorded and live is something to behold.
While the reggae roots hold strong with the band, Vantage Point has seen Sons of Zion explore new elements in their music and create music that feels right for them. Proving to be the right decision much of their latest work blended in seamlessly with even their earliest album from which they played for their “day one fans”. Sons of Zion have the uncanny ability to draw in influences from history – their cover of Bob Marley’s ‘Is This Love’ filling the room with an overwhelming feeling of joyfulness and camaraderie – while ensuring that they maintain a distinctly New Zealand flavour to their sound. With a set list that included something for everyone, it was indeed a picturesque scene when looking across the venue, fans of all ages and ethnicities joined together as one in song.
‘Is That Enough’ which features the vocals of one of New Zealand’s queens Aaradhna certainly had the ladies in the audience hooked but it was ‘Drift Away’ that the crowd had been waiting for. With the single having recently gone platinum – a fact the band celebrated last night along with their fans – the song which features the stunning vocals of Caleb Haapu was the perfect set closer. Or was it? Having already surprised the audience with a killer short rendition of N.E.R.D’s ‘Lapdance’ dedicated to family both present and passed on and which saw Zane Graham strut his stuff on the drum kit, Sons of Zion had one more song up their sleeve; ‘Be My Lady’ from their 2013 album Universal Love finishing the night on an unadulterated high.
Eleven years and counting, this is a band who continues to grow in strength while travelling the inevitable road to success!
Were you there at Powerstation for this triumphant Reggae fusion gig? Or have you seen Sons Of Zion perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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SON’S OF ZION’Z POWERSTATION CONCERT WAS OFFFFFFF DA CHAINNNNN!! LOVED EVRYONE OF DEA SOUND’Z FLOWING THRU DAT ARENA!! Cudnt stop dancing..lol BUT den why wud Ya?..SOOOOOOO GOTA CATCH DA REST XO