Hilltop Hoods: Dancing lads and a shoutout for ya dad
Suffa with his powerful vocals during the middle of The Nosebleed Section.
The famed Aussie-Kiwi rivalry is a partnership that time and time again has bled into entertainment and onto the stage. So, when Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods and South Auckland rapper Freddy Reynold took to the stage to perform on fathers day, worlds certainly collided.
The Ngaio Marsh Theatre, UC’s lecture hall turned gig venue, hosted Hilltop’s third and final stop of their New Zealand tour. It’d been a while since Hilltop performed on NZ soil, four years to be precise. Despite the mild wait between drinks, the trio picked up right where they left off, putting on a show for a packed fathers day crowd. The South Australian group reeled in an incredibly varied crowd, bearing testament to their widespread appeal. A bit of crowd polling showed that the dads were out by the dozen and for most of them it wasn’t their first Hilltop show.
South Auckland’s Freddy Reynold was a stellar opening act. The up-and-comer appears to be experimenting with his sound, incorporating elements such as UK drill-inspired 808 slides and tightly wound house percussive. He takes pride in his willingness to mix things up, saying “You heard a couple dudes in the south, but the dudes out south don’t sound like this” on his song Southside Run It.
This high-octane track was a particular highlight of the night and was a homage to South Auckland and a likely nod to Auckland’s siren car and bike subculture, with the hook, “I can hear the sirens coming.” Reynold’s continued to represent his city with his latest release SILVER GREEN AND GOLD, which featured lyrics such as “I put Auckland on my back like a Blues jersey, but I don’t play no rugby.”
Freddy Reynold’s hits the stage with his powerful lyrics and energy.
During the break and the set-up between acts, the buzz for Hilltop Hoods to enter the stage was feral, with people shouting their enthusiasm out to the stage. Hailing from Adelaide and considered the ‘pioneers’ of Australian hip hop the group is made up of Suffa, MC pressure, and DJ Debris. They were also joined by a small brass section, and at that point we knew we were in for an absolute ride.
Boy, oh boy, did they deliver and start with a bang. Leave me Lonely served as a fantastic opener with the electric guitar sample leaning into an almost summer-like sound with its surf-rock riff. The brass section chimed in sublimely, giving the track some hearty warmth. The trio are clearly veterans when it comes to crowd working. This was noticeable not only in the team’s camaraderie but in how they got the mosh pit involved in the act. This piece was then closely followed by “Chase that feeling” which was a completely different sound altogether with its bright, bluesy piano loop.
Suffa (right) and Pressure (left) working the crowd.
Known for absolutely saturating the TikTok “For You” page a couple years back, The Nosebleed Section riled the crowd up immediately and played loudly and proudly throughout the venue. They kicked the song off with a loop of Melanie’s People in the Front Row, before transitioning into the pitched-up sample the song is known for, which the crowd emphatically sung word-for-word. Everybody was roaring. The song, with its commentary about themes such as concerts, living the high life, parties and getting a wee bit loose on the piss, was clearly a crowd favourite.
While we’re sure many fans came to get their fix of 2010s hits, the Aussie rap group did dive into some of their fresher material. They performed 2022 releases like Show Business and A Whole Day’s Night, eventually wrapping the night up with their newest single Laced Up. All three tracks are set to appear on their anticipated ninth studio album.