Avantdale Bowling Club @ The Hollywood Avondale

It has now been over a decade since Tom Scott entered the New Zealand hip hop scene with his seminal hip hop outfit, Homebrew. Together with his fellow bandmates, Homebrew acted at the centre of a change in New Zealand rap. Focusing, the scene towards life in New Zealand and their personal experiences. Hence, rejecting the portrayals of the rockstar lifestyle so heavily represented in popular American Hip Hop at the time.

Cut to 2020 and Tom has proven he has not lost his ostensible realness with his project Avantdale Bowling Club. Arriving on stage accompanied by his band playing an instrumental piece, Tom Scott proudly states how he has walked straight from his house to the stage. His appearance was met by a roaring applause from a sold-out Hollywood Cinemas in his home suburb of Avondale.

What proceeded was an electric set with the band showing off their musical expertise with massive harmonic brass swells, emotive solos and several instrument changes. Tom accompanied this with his signature rhythmic rapping style, belting out intimate bars about his transition to adulthood and fatherhood.

The audience met the band and with an equivalent level of energy. Dancing, singing along and cheering throughout the performance. This was most evident when Tom's vocals got a bit quiet in the mix and were supplanted by the audience rapping every word alongside him.
Other highlights included a clinical beatless freestyle from Tom Scott and an impressive feature from fellow local icon Melodownz.

The show was capped off with a stellar encore performance of Years Gone By and much like how it started with a stellar instrumental performance from the band and roaring applause from the audience.

In conclusion, a fantastic set from Tom Scott & Co. If you haven't had the chance to catch Avantdale Bowling Club keep your lids peeled for when they're next playing.

Words Nathan Cairns

Images Madeleine Brighouse-Mayo