I am utterly charmed by this band. They are a five-piece folk-rock band, with a 100% geek membership. Their lead singer has a cherub-faced look going on, and they all look like they’ve been taking music lessons since they were kids.
The band play the song in a slightly shabby looking Vulcan Lane of the 90s, in front of a wall of band posters (one for an Elvis impersonator). The inner-city location gives the band an edge of cool, but did they even need it? The song chorus even ends with the hilariously anti-BJ line “stop going down”.
There’s one great bit where a band member steps up on a park bench, then almost immediately steps down, as if he’s not quite ready for centre stage.
The video is obviously low-budget and a bit repetitive, but it captures the charm of the band and is a good debut as any.
Best bit: a brief shot of an old man enjoying an ice cream.
Note: this video has since been made private so it can no longer be viewed. Booo.
Director: Karyn Hay
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Next… Bond-esque thrills.
If I recall correctly – and it is entirely possible that I do not – these guys were from Christchurch. With the same line-up, they also played as an Irish band at The Bog, which was the leading venue for the jumping-up-and-down-on-the-spot that we called Irish Pub Dancing in the early 90s. (At the end of exams in 1994, I sprained my knee dancing to this band in that bar – a venue that changed hands & names but stayed Irish till this year. The building has just been demolished, post-EQ.)
Their Wikipedia page (ooh, fancy!) confirms that they were indeed from Christchurch. Interesting factoid – Paul Hester from Crowded House co-produced much of their second album. Sony must have held high hopes for them.