The Wellington Phoenix have a new club anthem, thanks to a guitar-driven four piece from Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Number 8 Wireless, which has been part of the Wellington music scene for more than a decade, have released Phoenix Rising, a song dedicated to the Phoenix and its fans.
Lead singer Gregor Allan, a Nix supporter himself, wrote the anthem earlier this year.
“I think it’s a great way to give back to the club,” Allan said.
“I find it cringey when I go to All Blacks matches and other sporting events and no one has anything to chant.
“The Yellow Fever do it the right way and I thought writing a song would be a good way to help get some proper singing going at Phoenix games.
“The melody and lyrics are pretty simple. My hope is that fans will be able to learn the song easily enough and belt it out as needed at games – in classic footballing tradition.”
Allan was inspired to write the song after watching an episode of the documentary series All or Nothing: Arsenal which showcased the Premier League club’s new anthem The Angel (North London Forever).
“I thought it’d be really good to write a song for the Phoenix and with that in mind I just sat down on the piano almost straight after watching that episode and bashed it out,” Allan said.
“It didn’t take me long to nut out. I must have had that melody and the chord progression in my mind.
“I took it to the guys at band practice and two of us got together and laid down some bass, guitar and keys and did a couple of versions of it.”
The first version was slow like The Angel.
“But it wasn’t uplifting enough so we just scrapped that completely, increased the beats per minute and gave it a reboot.
“We liked that enough and sent it off to the Wellington Phoenix and Yellow Fever to make sure they were up for it.
“Once we got some positive feedback and an indication from Yellow Fever and the club itself that we could do something with this we got in touch with the producer who recorded our EP.”
The result is a mastered version of Phoenix Rising, which is now available on Spotify.
The anthem will be played before Wellington Phoenix matches this season, starting with the women’s A-League opener against Melbourne City this Sunday afternoon.
Fans can join in with the lyrics below.
PHOENIX RISING
I feel it burn inside of me
Something coming alive in me
I feel it starting to rise in me
PHOENIX
In blackened ashes spread your wings
Flames of yellow in the winds
Upon the skies of Wellington
PHOENIX
That Fever Pitch it call me home
A sweet waiata from her gates
I follow where the winds are blowing
I ride the waves across the Strait
I’ll do the mahi required of me
To feed the ahi inside of me
To stand and sing with pride to be
PHOENIX
I feel it burn inside of me
Something coming alive in me
I feel it starting to rise in me
PHOENIX
That Fever Pitch it call me home
A sweet waiata from her gates
I follow where the winds are blowing
I ride the waves across the Strait
P.H.O.E. N-I-X
P.H.O.E. N-I-X
Come on PHOENIX!
[Repeat]
That Fever Pitch it call me home
A sweet waiata from her gates
I follow where winds are blowing
I ride the waves across the Strait
P.H.O.E. N-I-X
P.H.O.E. N-I-X
Come on PHOENIX!
[Repeat]
That Fever Pitch it call me home
A sweet waiata from her gates
I follow where winds are blowing
I ride the waves across the Strait
