Fresh off the back of their Bay of Dreams announcement, iconic Kiwi six-piece reggae/rock/dub/funk band Sons of Zion brought the goods to The Good Home Ferrymead on Saturday night.
In the second stop of their ‘Come Home’ tour, the band showed why they won ‘Best Roots Artist’ in 2018 among their many other accolades. The crowd was grooving and bopping to favourites all night, with dazzling lights and non-stop rhythmical sound from Sons of Zion and Disllastrate.
Opening act Dillastrate warmed everyone up on the chilly Christchurch night with their high-energy performance. The duo performed the title track off their ‘Black Diamond’ album alongside covers including the ever-so-popular ‘Sweet Dreams’ by the Eurythmics. By the end of the set, they had the audience moving and their vocal chords warmed up, ready for the main act.
Sons of Zion started their set with a bang, opening with ‘Tell Her’, ‘Be My Lady’ and ‘Now’. They showcased some sweet harmonic melodies as they slowed things down with ‘Love Song’ that had everyone singing along. The audience was showered with good vibes as the band were fist bumping and high-fiving anyone within reach while they thanked everyone for coming out. The Good Home was worked into a frenzy when Kanye West’s ‘Clique’ was thrown into the mix, a pleasant and unexpected surprise that took energy levels for the show to a high point.
As the show was nearing its end, they pulled out their latest hit single ‘Drift Away’, which was the most played song on New Zealand radio for 11 weeks running and gave everyone a final burst of get-up-and-go. In their 12th year together, it’s easy to see how this hard-working and humble band have received the acclaim and success that they deserve. If you want to see a banger of a show with some killer lights and sound, there’s still time to catch the band as they make their way around New Zealand.