The team of five fresh-faced lads from
Whangarei wasted no time in setting the pace for the evening by laying out a slow-grooving
rhythm and a rolling bassline in that all-familiar sound of Kiwi reggae. After
all, this is what the rest of the night is about!
They moved quickly into their main single Curious, an extremely
danceable mid-tempo number that featured a great keyboard solo and a three-way
vocal breakdown between the keyboardist, drummer, and the lead singer.
What initially started out as a slow, lounge groove, oozing with Barry
White vibes, quickly became recognisable as Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees. This
was an impressive head-turning tribute, and was welcomed to claps and
excitement, with majority of the upper levels singing the chorus, and the bouncing
crowd boogying to the disco-hybridised throwback.
One couldn’t help but notice how strongly the danceable disco feel
remained throughout Otium’s set, even for someone who ordinarily never dances. Between
sliding funk rhythms and rigid four-on-the-floor beats, spiced with Red Hot
Chili Peppers, Boney M and Aotearoa’s own Kora, there was a little something new
with each song.
Each member added to the band’s sound in distinctively different ways;
each proficient at their instrument, and some even doubling their input. Almost
all members of Otium provided vocals, the lead singer adding great falsetto in
all the right places, the keyboardist adding tasteful melodic backing both in vocals
and his instrument, combined to become as potent as his gyrating musical hips.
Special mention must go to the drummer (in my eyes, drummers never get
enough recognition), who not only sung backing vocals and held the rhythm
section nice and steady, but also rapped succinctly nearing the end of Otium’s performance.
Closing with one final hype to House of Pain’s Jump Around, the band
thanked the audience and exited, leaving one craving his next Otium fix.
With a vibrant summery outlook,
impressive vocals and a tight, well-rehearsed set, this is definitely one band to
add to your “Look Out For” list. As the frontman meekly pointed out, “Some
people spell our name as O.T.M., but it’s actually OTIUM...”. Be sure to jot that
down.
Second act Rei brought forward the
hip-hop side of affairs. Largely a solo project, backed by a DJ providing
samples and additional vocals, the second performance was solely RnB and
rap, a sharp change from the funk and groove of the opening band.
With great confidence and modest
energy, Rei delivered good rolling verses, crossing topics of relationships,
pills and – of course, it’s not hip-hop without it – partying.
In honour of his heritage as well
as paying tribute to New Zealand hip-hop, Rei performed a handful of songs in Te Reo, quickly followed by a Te Reo version of Scribe’s hit Not Many.
This was warmly received by the now medium-sized audience, and a welcomed
experience; being a language that is making a comeback, it is still largely
under-represented in New Zealand’s scenes, and thus, adds a refreshing
perspective.
The energy of the crowd ebbed for
majority of the performance, save those in the front-centre of the stage. A
valiant effort was made at a brief cover of Peter Andre’s Mysterious Girl, and
though generally a fail-proof song to get people dancing, without a distinctive
personal touch – say adding a rap verse – the karaoke-like venture left many puzzled.
With a bit of banter between Rei
and the DJ, they beamed into his main single “Good Mood”, which was greeted
with excited cheers. This peak of Rei’s set rounded off the ending of a mostly
out-of-place performance, causing one to wonder if the opening band would have
been a better candidate to lead into the headlining act.
To a countdown from a deep,
augmented disembodied pre-recorded voice, the six-piece group took to the
dimly-lit stage to a large cheering audience. The set began with an impressive
blues-rock guitar solo, with strobing stage lights creating a highly dramatic
entrance.
The pace of the spectacular entry
braked to a deep groove of reggae, recognisable as the tour’s namesake song, Vantage
Point. At once, the live performance is already more impressive than on the
album, with the full band sounding bold, and clear soulful vocals filling the
entire venue. The triumphant anthem, with added rock riffs in the pre-chorus,
declared to the audience “with the world at our feet” driving a mission
statement to prove they’re as strong as ever.
The band drew upon another new tune
from the latest album, Leave With Me, a faster-paced tune with bouncy energy, with
lyrics bearing a somewhat club-like quality, detailing the advances of a lad unto
an attractive lady. Regardless, with the infectious positive vibes and the
irresistibly song-a-long chorus, this one was an easy highlight.
A personal pick of the setlist was the
dreamy and atmospheric-sounding performance of So Bright. By far the slowest
song of the entire night, the relatively stripped-back sound of keyboards and
vocals completely hypnotised much of the audience – myself included. As the
choruses flowed forth, the rigid and heavy snare sound emphasised the emotive
value, and the smooth vocal layers captivated and gently lulled the audience. Matched
with moody stage-lighting that echoed the liquid dynamics of the song, this
made for an unforgettable visual and aural experience, even if the song was unlike
most of Sons of Zion’s discography.
Of course, no reggae show is
complete without at least one nod to the iconic Marley family. Sons of Zion
treated the entirety of the venue to a faithful cover of Is This Love by Bob
Marley & The Wailers. There was not one person in the audience who did not
recognise the melody, delivered by the smooth vocals Sons of Zion have always
been famous for.
Sensing that the set ought to be
drawing to a close, the band finally pulled out their hit of the upcoming
summer, the acoustic pop single Drift Away. The lead vocalist announced the
track had gone platinum as of that day, with massively enthusiastic applause and
cheers from the audience. Even though the song sounded similar to many acoustic
guitar-based pop hits dominating airwaves of recent years, judging by the
tremendous response, one is sure to hear this single plus its various remixes playing
at bars and other public spaces over the next six months!
This is one band that has a large,
loyal fanbase, and good stamina to pull off a long setlist for spectators. Like
in studio recordings, Sons of Zion’s music is very much vocals-driven, propped regularly
with reggae vibes courtesy of guitar, bass and keyboards. Judging purely by
this performance, even though the band have adopted a new pop music approach and
aesthetic, it appears this move have served them very well. Showcasing the new
songs they’ve put together and testing them out on tour to such great reception,
it seems Sons of Zion can do no wrong.
Review written by Paul T Gheist
Sons of Zion have well and truly earned their place in the upper echelons of New Zealand music. From their humble Kiwi beginnings, to playing shows across the globe and dominating charts, Sons of Zion have amassed an impressive 48.5 million streams on Spotify, more than 15 million views on YouTube and 100,000-plus followers on social media.
For members Rio, Sam, Joel, Matt, Ross, and Caleb, it’s a track record that has established them as one the southern hemisphere’s most-loved and well-respected bands. In autumn 2018 the band made their mark with latest single Drift Away. Drift Away has been the #1 most played song on New Zealand radio for 3 weeks running, achieving the #1 NZTop20 NZ Single and almost 3 million streams and over 130,000 video views.
The track is featured on their brand new album Vantage Point, alongside a slew of their other hits including Now and Is That Enough (Ft. Aaradhna) – both #1 NZ & Urban Airplay Singles. Vantage Point hit #3 on the iTunes Album Chart, as well as entering the Billboard’s Reggae Chart at #9. Sons of Zion made their mark in 2009 with their self-titled debut album, following it up in 2013 with their full-length studio album Universal Love, which included the smash singles Be My Lady, Good Love and Tell Her - the latter two songs achieving #1 Urban and #1 NZ Airplay respectively. The hits continued to flow with Stuck on Stupid, Fill Me Up, I’m Ready and Hungover, winning over new and old fans alike.