Former One Direction member and Slow Hands hitmaker Niall Horan brought fun-loving beats and smooth vocals to the Spark Arena stage - and induced a boy-band craze in his loving fans.
It has been eight years since the mega boy band One Direction disbanded and left hearts broken across New Zealand and the globe. Now, it seems the fandom’s dedication lives on in another form - in sheer adoration of Irish singer Niall Horan.
Horan gave an exhilarating performance at Auckland’s Spark Arena last night, with the crowd throwing back just as much energy and cheer at the beloved Irishman.
However, what was most striking about Horan’s performance was not his One Direction past, nor his (lightly put) dedicated fan base, but his distinct style and charisma on the stage, affirming himself as a star in his own right and shedding light on his undeniable growth since his boy band days.
While the rain gushed in on Friday night, the arena was packed to the brim for the opening act - a sight you rarely get to see nowadays. However, with Birdy nabbing a spot on the setlist, it wasn’t a surprise at all.
The English songstress brought her ethereal hits Not About Angels and Wings to the Spark stage, as well as a spine-chilling rendition of Bon Iver’s Skinny Love, which catapulted her into the spotlight back in 2011.
Birdy's latest album Portraits. Photo / Supplied
The solo artist sat centre stage, armed only with a piano and a voice that filled an entire arena, inserting people into their feels and leaving them in a wave of emotion before Horan made his appearance.
Opening with Nice To Meet Ya, Horan immediately had his cheeky side on display, winking at the crowd, shredding the guitar and causing a collective swoon within the audience.
Admitting he was nervous for the Australasian leg of his tour, Horan found comfort in his New Zealand fans: “There’s no better crowd than a Kiwi crowd to get me started”, he said - and the audience went berserk.
Horan last graced the New Zealand stage back in 2018, bringing his FlickerWorld Tour to Kiwi ears. Of course, he was greeted with just as much screeching and cheering - minus a few new hits he has added to his musical catalogue since.
He performed an array of singles from his tour-titled album The Show, including Heaven, Meltdown and If You Leave Me.
The Show is Horan’s third studio album and officially hit speakers back in June 2023. Topping the charts in eight countries, the record has been a massive success worldwide, and you can see its popularity in the audience’s contagious energy.
Of course, he had to chuck a One Direction song in the mix. Horan brought an acoustic rendition of Night Changes to the stage, accompanied by an arena of fans singing word for word and a venue lit up with twinkling lights.
One Direction in 2012, from left: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Niall Horan.
The former bandmate, who famously suggested 1D be called ‘Niall and the Potatoes’ brought a similar cheeky humour to Auckland’s Friday night gig.
“There’s all this talk about sheep in New Zealand”, he shared. “I call bullsh*t.”
“Because I’ve never seen so many f***ing cows in my life. I’ve driven around the whole of the North Island over the last five days and I’ve seen 2500 cows and 250 sheep.
“You’re telling people lies”, he quipped.
Niall Horan shredding on the guitar in true rockstar fashion. Photo / @niallhoran
In another special shoutout to New Zealand, Horan paid tribute to Kiwi producer Joel Little, who had helped him with a number of songs on his latest album.
“He and his family are in the crowd somewhere here tonight”, he shared. “We’ve had some great experiences in the States writing music and we plan on doing plenty more.”
“He’s one of your own and one of the best producers in the world”, he gushed, before strumming his way into Dear Patience, co-produced by Little.
Horan finished off with a moving performance of Still, followed by an encore of Save My Life and his much-adored hit Slow Hands.
And as he left the stage, so did the audience return from their starstruck daze, left with only a gushing review of Horan’s dazzling stage extravaganza, a night of ear-numbing singalongs and a lingering question... One Direction who?
Megan Watts is a lifestyle multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald whose passions include honest journalism, backstage band chats and doing things for the plot.
