Home Brew are the self-made anti-heroes of New Zealand hip-hop. They’ve recently achieved mainstream success through independent means, without compromising their extreme lyrical content, absolute honesty and D.I.Y values. For a bunch of dole-bludgers from working-class Auckland, that’s a pretty decent effort.
Friday August 10 saw Home Brew headlining a packed show in the Gershwin Room at The Espy, as part of their Speakeasy tour. The Gershwin Room is great: it has a quality, professionally operated sound system, a tidy side-bar and a fantastic period-ceiling that astounds even the soberest of the bar’s clientele.
Home Brew surpassed all of their supporting acts in both style and substance, but a particular standout was One Sixth. Their sound blended the dark smoothness of Roots Manuva with the lazy grooves of Apollo Brown. Slick flows were layered over heavy beats, offset with uplifting melodies and upbeat rhythms. Sky High bumped out aggressively impressive beats and bright, memorable vocal hooks. They didn’t quite fit Homebrew’s vibe but put on a good show as the main support act.
Home Brew took the stage by storm, opening – as does their album – with the inspiring and hilarious Dedicated To. They followed the tracklist of their latest release for several songs before breaking things up with older numbers, including crowd favourite Underneath The Shade, NZ’s underground drinking anthem Bad Bad Whisky, and a few standout tracks from the Last Week EP. Their show as a whole leaned on the ‘light’ disc of their self-titled double-album, this tendency broken by appropriately sobering but not-too-intense tracks from the ‘dark’ disc to complete their set. The powerful and aggressive Good God as an encore satisfied the crowd’s demand for more.
Bringing a live backing band on tour rocketed the atmosphere of this performance to new heights. I don’t know where they found their rhythm section (possibly a South Auckland pub), but they were tight, versatile and innately groovy. The drummer’s dry tone and tight snare drove the performance, and his lazy shuffle on those hats was fucking incredible. Add to this a bassist who perfectly balanced full, simplistic bass-lines with well-placed, groovy runs. The man behind the keys/organs doubled his role by playing the horn-hooks staggered throughout Homebrew’s newer tracks, and some pre-recorded backing controlled by a DJ ensured that key details of the record’s sound were present. Esther Stephens (featured on the ST album) made a mind-blowing appearance. Her alluring, smouldering vocal tone and demanding stage presence perfectly matched the sheer youthful energy of the boys, and gave a real depth and maturity to their live performance. Whoever was manning the desk deserves a pat on the back: for the headline act the speakers spat consistently crisp, clear, bass-heavy-but-not-muddy sounds.
This was an impressive show. Homebrew truly elevated the potential of New Zealand hip-hop with a flawless performance, unrelenting energy and a set that, through its highs and lows, held the complete attention of a mental crowd. I’m not usually a patriotic person, but if I could do a haka, I would. Ka mau te wehi!
BY JEREMY MILLAR
LOVED: That bassist, damn.
HATED: Massive lines at the bar.
DRANK: Jugs and shots.
