February 2007: Gasoline Cowboy, Haylee Fisher, Inverse Order, Katchafire, Madam Parker, Odessa

Katchafire say aloha, space Cowboys, over accessorising, penthouse luxury, pyro dummies, and paper dolls.

Gasoline Cowboy “Outta My Hands”

Gasoline Cowboy are dressed in spacesuits (GASA instead of NASA), rocking out by sand dunes. But let’s be clear – this is no attempt to pretend they’re in an alien environment (like David Kilgour’s “Beached”). This is clearly three Earthlings on an Earth beach, watched by an audience of cool kids. In case there was any doubt where they were, the final scene clears things up with a localised Planet of the Apes reference.

Director: Stephen Ballantyne

Haylee Fisher “High”

https://vimeo.com/4875747

“High” wasn’t released until 2009, and that’s also when Haylee Fisher seems to have been launched on the world. She even performed at the fifth annual Mobile Music Awards in 2009 (which ended up being the last, after mobile music became, well, just music). The video sets her up as a popstress, lounging about in a luxurious beachside apartment. This is cut with footage of her and her BF watching a hot-air balloon being inflated. The video seems to make a lot of effort but don’t end up achieving much.

Inverse Order “Hope For Us All?”

“Hope For Us All?” sounds influenced by Muse, with shades of that prog lite sound. The video was shot at the St James theatre, two weeks before the theatre was closed following a fire. It’s a performance video, with the audience played by dozens of mannequins. There’s a bit of dummy drama, and the video concludes with one of the mannequins exploding. Oh, is that how the fire started?

Director: Anton Steel

Katchafire “Say What You’re Thinking”

Katchafire’s horizons have broadened with the band performing in sunny Hawaii. The tropical metropolis of Waikiki is the perfect location for Katchafire’s chilled-out reggae. The video sees them performing in a studio and on stage at a big festival, as well as footage of the band enjoying the island’s delights.

Director: Adam Jones

Madam Parker “Gimme the Night”

R&B singer Madam Parker (and that is her real name) is probably best known for her appearance on Australian Idol in 2008 where she placed ninth. But a year before that she released “Gimme the Night” in her home country. The video sees Madam and getting ready for a night out, then joining two friends to go accessory shopping. (I don’t know if it’s 2007 fashion or just poor styling in the video, but you know that rule “Take one thing off before you leave”? They need to each take off about a dozen things.) The video ends with a party around a line-up of cars, one of which has the licence plate HOBAGD. (Remember “hobag”? Ah, those were the days.)

Director: Dennis Murphy
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Odessa “Turn Out The City Lights”

Inspired by the lyric mentioning “a suitcase full of dirty magazines”, the video enters a world where everything (except the band members, sometimes) is cardboard. There are paperdoll people, glamorous cardboard wigs, and an expertly detailed drum kit. There’s even a nicely choreographed section of dancing from the wearers of those glamorous wigs. The video adds lightness to the song which might otherwise be dragged down with a more serious treatment.

Director: Sally Tran
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

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