Editorial: Standing ovation due to chart-toppers Six60

Editorial

COMMENT: History was made at Western Springs last night as 50,000 music fans rocked out to the chart-topping beats of Kiwi band Six60.

The legendary venue has celebrated plenty of massive nights in its history of hosting gigs, including huge crowds to witness the likes of Bob Marley, U2, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Police and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Kiwi acts have taken to the stage as support bands for some of the biggest gigs at "The Springs" – but never before has one headlined its own sell-out show at the venue.

Tickets for the show sold out within two months of going on sale last year, a feat which promoter Brent Eccles described as "incredible".

Last night's record-breaking effort from the popular band comes 11 years after they formed while studying at the University of Otago. The then fledgling band named themselves after the flat they lived in at 660 Castle St.

Just like the lyrics behind one of their earliest chart hits – 2011's Don't Forget Your Roots – they haven't let their local music stardom change them hugely.

They are known as being amongst the nicest guys on the touring scene. They look after their fans (including when it comes to ticket pricing) and the work they put into making sure last night's gig was a goodie was evident in their buildup, which included rehearsing every day for several weeks.

Six60 rewrote the record books last night by becoming the first Kiwi band to sellout Western Springs. Photo / Taylor Mansfield

And it isn't just Kiwi fans and the New Zealand music industry who have stood up and taken notice.

Eccles confirmed on the eve of the gig that the achievement in selling out New Zealand's biggest concert venue had gained "a lot of attention" from music execs overseas.

"The people I talk to internationally, they say, 'Sorry, 50,000? Who are they?".

Amongst the sell-out crowd were several music industry bigwigs from overseas who had flown into New Zealand to find out what all the fuss was about.

A rapidly growing number of New Zealanders have fallen in love with the music of Six60 for over a decade.

Here's hoping their massive big night out at Western Springs will help springboard them to success in lucrative markets offshore.