Tragedy haunts band: ‘It will never escape us’
A BALCONY collapse that left a young woman at one of their Dunedin concerts paralysed is something the members of New Zealand band Six60 will live with forever.
The band has a documentary coming out this week as well as a new single, and its second album, Six60 (2) (or the Colours album), has spent 298 weeks in a row in New Zealand’s top 40, breaking a record held by Pink Floyd’s 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon.
It is four years since an informal concert in Castle St, Dunedin — where the band was born while some members were flatting together at 660 Castle St — led to a balcony collapsing, leaving a student paralysed.
Bass guitarist Chris Mac said it was devastating for the band.
‘‘We did what we thought was enough, and it wasn’t, and we know that now.
‘‘There was the tragedy that had occurred, and then there was the barrage of anger and hatred towards us having something to do with such an awful event.’’
The band had been in touch with Bailey Unahi, the woman crushed by the falling balcony, Mac said.
‘‘We didn’t want to do her the disservice of pretending nothing happened,’’ he said.
‘‘When we see her from time to time, she is always gracious.
‘‘It will never escape us.’’ Being in the spotlight was difficult at times, Mac said.
‘‘A lot of the time, when you’re in the public eye, the humanity gets lost and you look like an entity.
‘‘The truth is we’re five human beings, and of course we’re filled with empathy and regret about it [the balcony collapse].’’
Drummer Eli Paewai said band members did not speak publicly at the time because they were processing the event and trying to figure out what went wrong.
The impact of the collapse and the band’s other struggles are featured in the documentary, Six60: Till The Lights Go Out.
Mac said he was intrigued to see how people would react to the film.
The band watched it together, laughing and reacting emotionally at different parts.
‘‘But I think the message that comes through is one of tenacity, never giving up . . . anyone who does anything in life has to jump hurdles and climb different peaks.
‘‘A lot of people think it’s been a bed of roses going up and it’s not always like that.’’
Six60 would not visit Dunedin in its upcoming summer tour, because it had played in Dunedin twice in the last two years, and was now going to ‘‘show Christchurch a bit of love’’, Paewai said.
However, Dunedin was always close to their hearts.
‘‘Go Highlanders.’’
Six60: Till The Lights Go Out will screen at the Regent Theatre in Dunedin on Thursday, and will be released in theatres on November 26.
On Saturday, the band flew from Auckland to Dunedin on an Air New Zealand flight premiering the film.
AUCKLAND: At last year’s music awards, Auckland’s pop sensation Benee scooped the win in all four categories she was nominated in.
Last night she did the double, repeating that feat at the newly rebranded Aotearoa Music Awards, which were held at Spark Arena.
The singersongwriter collected the Single of the Year Tui for Superlonely, her song which went viral on social media site TikTok during the first lockdown to become an international hit for the Grey Lynn resident.
Benee, real name Stella Bennett, also collected the awards for Best Solo Artist, Best Pop Artist and the International Achievement award.
It has been a massive year for the 20yearold. Last month her song Glitter won the Apra Silver Scroll award and on Friday she released her longawaited debut album Hey u x, which features collaborations with artists such as Lily Allen and Grimes.
Indiepop band The Beths won three categories, including the coveted Album of the Year award, which they claimed for their second album Jump Rope Gazers.
For the second year in a row they also won awards for Best Group and Best Alternative Artist.
Crowd favourites Six60 scored a hattrick, winning Highest Selling Artist for the third consecutive year.
Other awards:
Breakthrough artist of the year: Jawsh 685 for Laxed — Siren Beat; best hiphop artist: Church & AP; radio airplay record of the year: Drax Project for Catching Feelings; best roots artist: L.A.B; best soul/RnB artist: Haz & Miloux; best rock artist: City of Souls; best electronic artist: Lee Mvtthews; best Maori artist: Maimoa; best classical artist: Andrew Beer and Sarah Watkins; international achievement award: Jawsh 685.
NZ Music Hall of Fame inductees: Johnny Cooper, Max Merritt, Peter Posa, Dinah Lee, The Chicks and Larry’s Rebels. — The New Zealand Herald