Live at The Domain
21 March 2026
Live Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
From Wellington to the Domain: The Black Seeds Ignite a Spiritual Groove at Synthony.
The sun dipped slowly over Auckland’s lush Domain, casting long shadows as festival-goers settled in for what would become one of the most soulful sets of the day. The air carried the scent of burnt-kissed grass and anticipation, the kind that settles into your bones long before the first chord is struck.
When The Black Seeds took the stage, a palpable sigh of collective contentment rippled through the crowd. This wasn’t just another set in a stacked festival line up, it was a gathering. A congregation. And when Barnaby Weir leaned into the mic and asked, “What a vibe… how you feeling?”, the answer was written plainly across every face: pure, unfiltered joy.
From their earliest days in Wellington’s vibrant roots-reggae underground, resisting pigeonholes while blending funk, soul, dub, and rocksteady, The Black Seeds have always been more than a band. Formed in 1998, they’ve grown into one of Aotearoa’s most enduring musical exports, layering grooves with lyrical warmth and a rugged, unforced spirit. From their platinum-selling debut Keep On Pushing through to global tours and festival stages, their journey has always been driven by heart over hype.
At Synthony, the crowd wasn’t just watching a show, they were feeling it.
Opening with a laid-back groove that moved hips before minds had time to catch up, the eight-piece collective unfolded their set with effortless flow. Horns swelled like ocean tides, keyboards shimmered, and bass lines burrowed deep into the gut of the audience. Live, The Black Seeds are a different beast, heavier, richer, and deeply immersive.
Then came the moment that stitched the entire performance together. Mid-set, the rhythm dropped into a deeper jam, the bass wobbling like a heartbeat you didn’t know you had. Weir’s voice, familiar, warm, and weathered with experience, cut through the layered harmonies.
He addressed the crowd with quiet conviction: “If you’re gonna do one thing, look after each other out there.”
Festival cliché? On paper, maybe. But in that moment, beneath the sprawling Auckland sky, with faces glowing in the golden half-light, it landed like gospel.
The Seeds didn’t just play songs; they invited communion. So True, their 2005 release, felt like the spine of a wave-building set, flowing from blissed-out vintage grooves to trippier, more expansive material that nodded toward their Love & Fire era, an album rooted equally in resilience and celebration.
As the set drifted into a slow, hypnotic trance, the crowd’s bliss didn’t fade, it radiated. Fans danced on shoulders, lovers swayed in the glow of lingering riffs, and longtime followers sang along as if soundtracking their own youth. By the time the set edged toward its close, one thing was clear: this wasn’t just another festival performance, it was a moment that stitched the spirit of Wellington’s reggae diaspora into the beating heart of Auckland.
In a festival stacked with big names and even bigger hype, The Black Seeds delivered something deeper, a reminder that great music doesn’t just move you… it connects you, body and soul.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
Photography by Paul Marshall
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