Sol3 Mio share a long-haul tip many won't want to try

The much-loved trio are home, briefly, with some advice.

It has been a busy year, to say the least, for beloved Samoan-Kiwi crooners Sol3 Mio. After their sold-out tours this year, Pene Pati, Amitai Pati and Moses Mackay have been travelling the world and focusing on individual ambitions.

In September, the family trio shared an exciting update from Pene; "Bro, you did it . . . you bloody well did it. Malo le folau, malo le tauivi. Get it for Samoa, bro. Get it for NZ. Super proud."

It was not an overstatement. Pene had just unexpectedly opened the San Francisco Opera Gala, the most prestigious event for SF Opera. The San Francisco Chronicle review of that performance was headlined in such a way to make hearts swell across the Pacific; 'In SF Opera's Romeo, the tenor understudy walks off with the show'. It was nothing short of a love letter;

"When the week began, tenor Pene Pati was the cover singer (opera speak for understudy) for the role of Romeo in the San Francisco Opera's season-opening production of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. Then, just days before opening night, the lead withdrew, and on Friday, September. 6, Pati got a chance to show what he could do.

"The answer, it turns out, is 'pretty much everything'. It's surely not too much to hope — in fact, I'd say it's a certainty — that Pati is on his way to stardom. After Friday's performance, anything less would be hard to imagine."

This comes as no surprise to fans. To see Sol3 Mio perform is to be swept away by their sublime singing, engaging personalities and brotherly bonhomie.

Tickets to the first A Sol3 Mio Christmas show on Saturday, December 21 have sold out but don't fret, Sol3 Mio have announced they'll perform a second show at The Civic on Sunday, December 22.

Tickets to the second show go on sale at 9am on Monday, November 11, via Ticketmaster.

Pene says this is going to be a special one, "We hardly - despite what people think - see each other. It's actually very special. Because what you see on the stage, it is legitimately us seeing each other for the first time in a while. So what you see is completely off-the-cuff. It's just what we wanted to say the whole time we're away from each other

"Before anyone asks, we can't take the show anywhere else, I'm going to be in the country for only a few days before I head back overseas to sing opera!"

Brothers Pene and Amitai Pati were able to meet us and answer some quick-fire questions about their travels. Moses was last seen on Instagram chilling in Japan during the Rugby World Cup.

"We don't know where he's gone," Pene admits. "The last time we were [in touch] he was in Morocco."

Best music for road trips?

Pene: Ballads and orchestral music ,
Amatai: Reggae is quite cool, a little bit of rock, yeah, rock music.

First thing you do on return to NZ?

Pene: We get a pie and we drink some milk, because yeah, those are the two things [you miss].
Amitai: Take a lot of deep breaths.

Long-haul tips?

Amitai: A lot of water, drink a lot of water.
Pene: This is what we've been doing for the past five years. I'm sure a lot of people will be like 'I don't want to try it' but we don't eat at all on the plane. We don't eat breakfast or the airline dinner. For all 12 hours you're fasting. All you do is drink water so that when you land the first meal you have resets your body. So, if you land and it's breakfast have a 'proper breakfast' and start again. If you've got to be relaxed, that's it.

Best active holiday?

Both: Disneyland!

Ideal place to spend Christmas?

Amitai: I would say for me here in Auckland, I mean it's always good to come back and see the family, especially if you've been travelling the entire year. It's good to come back and just put your feet up.
Pene: It's more like just being home just being in the familiarity of everything. You know where to get the food you like or whatever. That's something special.