I’m happy to have found some Mary videos online. Amplifier has four, and while they’re only available in the Windows Media format (sigh) and can’t be embedded, it’s still great that they’re there.
Mary bring their playful sense of humour to the “Someone Else” video. The quartet are hanging out at a bowling alley, enjoying milkshakes, when in walks a super cocky bowling champ.
He struts around surrounded by his adoring fans and shows off his precision bowling skills. He offers to show the Mary girls how to bowl, and starts with one of the Marys who’s wearing a skirt over trousers (yay, 1998!). After the first three Marys prove to be hopeless girly girls who can’t do anything with the balls, the champ tries his luck with the final Mary, making a bet with crumpled Rutherford.
To his astonishment, Mary 4 shoots the ball along the lane with lightning speed, knocking down all 10 pins. What the hell is going on here? The girls turn and walk away, $100 richer, the back of their shirts revealing themselves to be the New Zealand Women’s Bowling Champions.
As cheesy as the video is, it’s a perfect accompaniment to the sweet pop of “Someone Else”. As much as Mary played up to their “girly pop” sound, it was something they did well.
Best bit: the four milkshakes served in Longest Drink In Town cups.
The video was hosted at Amplifier, but it’s since been taken down, along with two other Mary vids. A genuine loss.
Director: Ian McLean
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Next… out of the darkness.