“Sport and Religion” was the fourth video from “The General Electric”, but it wasn’t accompanied by a single release, and the vid feels like a cheapie promo.
The video was directed by Aaron Dustin of Morse Media (who were also behind the late great NZmusic.com) and the video is filmed at a live Shihad performance. I’m going to assume it was at the Wellington Town Hall. The venue is packed the the audience is surging with energy.
But despite Shihad’s fierce live reputation, the video is an awkward combo of the performance and the song. The song has processed vocals and is layered with electronic sounds. The live performance isn’t a lip-sync and only roughly matches the song. The video editing does a good job of getting around this, but it still doesn’t quite work as a concert video. But if you consider the video on its own, it’s a brilliant visual record of Shihad kicking arse at their peak.
The song, a call for there to be more to life than just the double pacifiers of sport and religion, has a feeling of both hope and despair. And that’s kind of what the video has too. Here’s a band rocking out, but it feels a little gloomy.
Best bit: Jon’s scrawny rock dude shirtlessness.
Director: Aaron Dustin
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Next… it’s alright.