Samuel Flynn Scott at Downstage
NZ’s answer to Neil Young?

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To complete the Soundstage trifecta following the success of The Woolshed Sessions and Little Bushman, Downstage presents Samuel Flynn Scott on 20 September.

Scott, known to many as one of the main songwriters and front-man for local sensations Phoenix Foundation, will play with his band Bunnies on Ponies at Downstage. Scott was immediately excited by playing in a theatre, giving him a chance to showcase his more delicate songs without the risk of general hubbub drowning out the sound. “I love playing theatre shows. It opens up a lot of possibilities for performance that don't exist in the pub/rock show world. It should also be a very intimate space …I think it could be a really nice show.”

Scott promises to build up from a showcase of gorgeous pop songs to a fuller sound as the show progresses, with fellow Bunnies on Ponies band members rounding out the sound – a sound described by Scott as “a psycho-tropic folk fest”. There’s no doubt that Scott’s work with the Bunnies has struck a chord with critics and punters alike “Scott’s best melodies stick in your head as firmly as your own teeth” (Sunday Star Times).

Soundstage producer, Angela Green, likens Scott & The Bunnies on Ponies to “a kind of Welly-indie supergroup”, made up of musicians from Little Bushman, Cassette and Good Laika. While not a marked difference from the style of Phoenix Foundation, there will be elements that delight and surprise “Perhaps Phoenix is Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to B.O.Ps Crazy Horse. Did I just compare myself to Neil Young, how arrogant of me!... I think we are gonna show two sides at this gig. The folky stripped back side and the more upfront good times side too.”

In a classic case of the Wellington small town scenario, Scott is good friends with playwright and actor Jo Randerson, whose new play Good Night - The End is playing at Downstage throughout September, and the band will perform their show on the Good Night set. It is rumoured that Randerson and some of the Grim Reaper cast members will make a cameo during the gig, alongside other familiar faces from the local music scene. Says Green, “Wellington is such a small town with an incredible concentration of artists – you get musos playing in each others bands, writing soundtracks for film, and then you bump into them at the supermarket with their kids”.

Soundstage is an experiment in music presentation aimed at showcasing Wellington’s best bands. Tailored for fans that prefer not to do battle with late nights and intoxicated punters, Sunday evening Soundstage gigs are the perfect chance to sit back with some friends, a glass of wine and enjoy the show.

Audiences benefit from seeing their favourite acts in an intimate, seated venue, alleviating annoying sightline issues that you often get watching bands in a bar. Not to mention the added benefit of a respectable 7pm start time.

20 September – Samuel Flynn Scott and The B.O.Ps
7pm
90 minutes
$35, allocated seating
www.downstage.co.nz/book

ENDS