Live at The Domain
21 March 2026
Live Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
Faithless Commands the Night: Sister Bliss Leads a Sonic Tribute to Maxi Jazz at Synthony.
Faithless didn’t just play a set at Synthony in the Domain, they delivered a full-spectrum manifesto of UK electronic music, a culmination decades in the making. From the first pulse of bass to the last lingering echo, it was obvious: this is a band that no longer chases the crowd, they already own it.
Being front row for Faithless is witnessing pure wizardry. Not just electronic mastery, but musicianship at its finest. The bass lines cut through the night with precision, clever, melodic, commanding. This was no mere background thump, it was a conversation between instruments, a dialogue the audience felt in every fibre.
Of course, “Insomnia” landed with seismic force. The iconic line, “I can’t get no sleep,” rolled over the Domain like a living wave, shaking the air, pulsing through the crowd, a reminder of why Faithless redefined dance music in the 1990s and beyond. God Is a DJ and We Come 1 followed, each sculpted with a careful balance of nostalgia and urgency, reinforcing Faithless as a touchstone for generations of electronic music lovers.
The night also carried a poignant weight. Ayalah Deborah Bentovim aka Sister Bliss, took centre stage with the magnetic authority that has defined her career. Her keyboard and synth work was precise, expressive, and commanding. Yet it was the ethereal, almost ghostly appearances of the late Maxi Jazz on the big screens that elevated the performance beyond a concert. Hearing his voice echo across the park, knowing the legend has passed, was surreal, a cinematic moment blending grief, memory, and reverence.
New additions to the band, including Nathan Ball on vocals, shone. His performance of Synthesiser was hypnotic, pulsating with precise delivery and charismatic flair, a reminder that Faithless continues to evolve without losing its soul.
Faithless proved once again that electronic music is as much about human connection as it is about beats and loops. They didn’t play to perform, they played to transcend. In the warm, evening air of the Domain, they succeeded spectacularly.
By the final note, the crowd didn’t just cheer, they collectively exhaled, letting go of decades of reverence, celebration, and loss all at once. Faithless reminded Auckland that electronic music is an art, a ritual, and, when executed with this level of craft, utterly unforgettable.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
Photography by Paul Marshall
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