REVIEW: Six60 and Synthony unite Christchurch at roaring Once in a Lifetime gig

Once in a Lifetime wasn’t just the gig to open Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium - it felt like a release and moment of unity and celebration for a city that’s waited 15 years for this moment.

The sold-out crowd of 37,000 got everything from local legends and surprise guests to Crusaders fan-girling, line-dancing Black Ferns, and even a flying saxophonist - every stop imaginable was pulled out for this show.

The night started with Christchurch band Castaway becoming the first-ever music act to perform in the stadium. Pretty massive moment for a group of local lads who’ve grown up in a city without a proper stadium for most of their lives.

We all know Cassie Henderson knows how to rock a stage, but this set felt personal. She used her stage time to highlight local legends who share the same passion as her - music.

She brought everyday Cantabrians into the spotlight - including Mike, a busker she discovered playing on the streets of Christchurch. She approached Mike, asked if he plays gigs, took his business card, and emailed him.

“I said, the gig I would like you to play is at Te Kaha Stadium, and luckily for me, the lovely Mike said ‘abso-fricken-lutely’,” she told the crowd before he joined her on stage.

She also brought young singer Annie on stage during ‘Burns Brighter’, and it was impossible not to get emotional seeing the contrast between Annie nervously stepping onto a stadium stage and Cassie now absolutely owning one herself.

Having gone to primary school with Cassie (yes, Christchurch really is that small of a world), it was emotional seeing young Annie up on stage because she reminded me so much of the younger Cassie I remember - from school talent shows and busking outside our local supermarket to auditioning for X-Factor. Not a dry eye was seen around the stadium as the pair shared the stage.

Kaylee Bell made her Cantabrian pride known from the second she stepped on stage. The Waimate local showed plenty of love for the region right from the get-go.

Walking out to ‘Conquest of Paradise’, every Crusaders fan knows the second that track starts, your brain chemistry changes.

I was mid-run from the Korean fried chicken vendor - which absolutely slapped by the way - when I heard it and immediately started hunting for a view of the stage because I knew something unmissable was about to happen.

Sure enough, in a video shown on the big screens, Kaylee walked out from backstage alongside Will Jordan in her merch before stopping to sign gear for Codie Taylor and Ryan Crotty - fan-girling their hearts out - before doing a special hand shake with none other than Izzy Dagg.

From there, the night levelled up into a full-blown spectacle. Giant custom visuals lit up the LED screens, smoke cannons blasted, dancers stomped around in cowboy boots and suddenly it felt like the night was amping up to live up to it's name.

While the Crusaders surprise was an incredible start, nothing prepared the crowd for the Black Ferns appearing in white cowboy hats to line dance on stage.

“You guys are making history tonight, you’ll never get to dance with the Black Ferns ever again,” Kaylee laughed.

By this point, there was already far too much happening to keep up with.

Then came the main event. Six60 opened with a stunning whaikōrero filmed inside the stadium alongside musicians from Christchurch Symphony Orchestra before launching straight into ‘Don’t Forget Your Roots’.

Watching kōwhaiwhai designs light up the screens while the band performed both the English and te reo Māori versions of the song, followed by a haka group launching into ‘Ka Mate’, was one of those moments you feel deep in your chest - the energy of the room shifted and the blessing of Te Kaha was well and truly underway.

“We are blessed to be your first headliners here,” frontman Matiu Walters told the crowd.

“We always think about our shows as not just us up here on stage, but all of us together as one. We are all opening the stadium tonight.”

And genuinely, that’s what the night felt like. Not just a concert, but a city finally getting its moment.

When Six60 played ‘Only To Be’, with lyrics about being "right where I'm supposed to be", just hit different, standing there surrounded by family and friends after years of having to travel to Auckland or Dunedin just to experience stadium gigs.

Later in the set, Matiu reflected on the city’s journey. “We’ve been looking forward to this gig for so long,” he said.

We saw the devastation, and I know you guys probably hear this all the time, but we really do admire your strength and resilience.

And from there, the night somehow kept getting bigger.

The band moved onto a second stage in the middle of the crowd with members of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra before things took a completely unhinged turn in the best way possible - when violinist Arna Morton ripped off her shirt to reveal a sequined bra glistening under the stage lights, and launched straight into Fatboy Slim's hit 'Right Here, Right Now'.

Then Savage came out for ‘Swing’, and any hope of still hips became impossible. The transitions throughout the night were elite too. Whoever decided to go from Queens' 'Bohemian Rhapsody' into Fisher's 'Losing It' deserves a pay rise because it somehow united every generation in the stadium.

There were lasers, fireballs, smoke cannons and people fully abandoning their seats to have a boogie.

But my personal highlight was standing directly underneath the flying saxophonist - the same guy I’d been dancing with outside the pre-party just hours earlier.

The solo itself was insane, but the fact he was suspended above thousands of people while being able to play every note flawlessly made hime the star of the show - and we hadn't even gotten to the final act.

As Six60 and Synthony joined forces for the first time ever we weren't sure what to expect.

The two Kiwi music powerhouse acts kicked off their joint finale set with 'Rise Up'.

That was the moment it really hit me. I remember watching Six60 perform during the ‘Rise Up Christchurch’ telethon after the 2011 earthquake, and hearing that same song performed again - this time inside a packed-out stadium built for a city that’s spent over a decade rebuilding - felt full circle.

At one point, I stopped filming, stopped singing and just looked around. Every seat was packed. Thousands of people belting lyrics back at the stage. Matiu suspended above the crowd.

This was the new Christchurch.

For a city that’s spent years hearing “one day”, we finally got to experience it.

It was a night of firsts, history and memories that we'll be taking with us for the next 15 years.