Pluto “Bananas In The Mist”

2001-pluto-bananas-in-the-mistPluto pack a lot into this video, showing a day in the life of a glam metal band. The band lives in a Monkees-like house, all sleeping in the same bedroom. They wake up looking fairly ordinary but soon transform themselves into gödz of glam.

They head off for a photoshoot, then jump on some toy scooters and go hooning around Auckland, including an arduous trek up Mount Eden. Then it’s over the Haslett Street-Waima Street overbridge (and I need to note that this is the second Pluto video that has been shot outside an old flat of mine).

They spill off their scooters, but some comedy sexy nurses come to their rescue. And then it’s off for a skinnydip, which lands them in jail. They escape, though, and are shown fleeing from the actual police headquarters in Auckland.

Their limo driver comes to the rescue, transporting them off to their gig where a crowd of screaming fans awaits. Only their fans are more interested in the limo, piling in and hooning away, leaving the glam boys alone and dejected on New North Road.

The song itself is a bit average, but the video, an antipodoean descendant of “A Hard Day’s Night”, is much more interesting, an alternate reality where Pluto are the hottest glam band in Eden Terrace.

Best bit: the expertly executed photoshoot lip-bite.

Pluto “Stick With It”

2001-pluto-stick-with-itIf there’s one band that can do dress-ups without an awkward self-confidence, it’s Pluto. “Stick With It” sees the band as cabaret performers, dressed in dapper suits and hats, entertaining a small club. (Bang on trend for that “Great Gatsby” look, plus eyeliner.) And it all seems like a real performance in front of a real audience, so there’s a refreshing lack of the “Woo! I’m watching a live band!” style of music video audience acting.

As well as the band, we also see glamorous party girls, similarly dressed in that 1920s style. But given that that flapper style has long been a fancy dress cliche, their costumes aren’t as effective. It’s hard to buy into that world when I’m thinking “Oh, those satin gloves were $5 at Geoff’s Emporium, right?” This detail spoils it for me. Up until that point, it went from a cool Pluto cabaret gig to something on par with Napier’s Art Deco Weekend.

But the party girls are a small part of the video. Most it is dedicated to Pluto, who are properly into their fabulousness. Witness Milan pull out a cardboard heart from his suit for the “love!” lyric. He does it with flair and conviction, but there’s just the slightest hint of “OMG, check me out!”

This kind of dress-up is rare in New Zealand music videos – especially with a rock band. It’s nice to see some guys who aren’t afraid to make an effort with wardrobe.

Best bit: Milan breaks character and gives someone the finger.

Note: The audio on this version of the video is out of sync by quite a lot, so all the dramatic flourishes don’t match up.

Next… the name of the game.

Pluto “She’s Jive”

2000-pluto-shes-jiveAt the heart of the “She’s Jive” video is a cautionary take about drugs. But the Pluto lads dress it up with a kind of Monty Python style humour. A lesson is a lot more palatable when there are lolz involved.

The tale begins with the Pluto lads wracked with grief, as they engage in some extreme mourning in a churchyard. What could be behind this dramatic loss?

We then flash back the point of view of a young woman who’s bribed a chemist with a Rutherford to ditch her prescription Prozac in favour of a mysterious drug that comes in a big black bottle with a pink “X” on the lid.

The woman get all fancied up and head off to a party with the X bottle crammed into her little clutch purse. Arriving at party (where Pluto are playing), she sneaks into a toolshed, gets out the bottle and takes an X pill. But – oh no! – there’s a cop standing behind her and she’s nicked. Cut to a courtroom scene where a bewigged barrister furrows his brow.

At this point the lyrics tell us “she died” but the video doesn’t make it clear how this happens. Nonetheless, it’s tragic enough to send Pluto into Mark Lundy-style grief dramatics.

“She’s Jive” is a short song – little over two minutes – but the video manages to pack a lot into it. And the band are clearly enjoying the chance to play multiple characters. Everyone loves a comedy moustache.

As for the cautionary tale, well, it’s obvious: don’t bring a whole bottle of drugs to a party, and when you take something, lock yourself in the toilet.

Best bit: the brief appearance of the neon ice cream cone sign on the Tip Top factory.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… dem bones.

Pluto “Hey Little”

2000-pluto-hey-little

Pluto are an unusual band. They always seemed to be stuck between singles-driven pop and album-driven rock. “Hey Little” was their first single, a sweet acoustic ode of the joys of early childhood. But just in case you thought they were soft, the video begins with a close-up, slow-mo shot of lead singer (and former child actor) Milan Borich chugging back a glass of whisky.

The video starts with a drive along Mount Eden Road. We get a sped-up dashboard view from the Normanby Road intersection, towards Mount Eden village before – spookily enough – it stops in traffic right outside the flat where I ended up living two years later. Whoa.

The car ends up at the house of a little kid (who would now be a young teenager). I think he might be the offspring of one band. There’s a backyard party with Pluto and pals, shot in comfortingly grainy back and white. It feels like that moment when friends start having kids and social gatherings start becoming more daytime affairs with sensible bedtimes.

We get glimpses of Pluto rehearsing, as well as a low-key gig at the King’s Arms. But mostly when we see the band, it’s just the individual dudes hanging out. It feels like an effort to introduce the band as people, rather than as a rock unit – and certainly not as a live band.

Best bit: the kid’s headbutt of the camera.

Director: Milan Borich

Next… value for money.

Missing videos from 2000

February 2000

Brett Sawyer “Supercool”

Another track from the elusive Brett Sawyer. His single “Supercool” has almost no digital traces, but there is a brief review by Graham Reid in the NZ Herald, where he accurately describes Sawyer’s album When It Happens as being “Not bad, but over the long haul not gripping.”

Joshna “Anything”

Joshna’s single “Anything” notably was written by New Zealand songwriter Pam Sheyne, best known for co-writing Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle”. The song has a cool housey sound with undeniable pop chops.

Mary “Big Boy (Santa’s In Town)”

Mary contributed the gentle track “Big Boy (Santa’s In Town)” to Christmas on the Rocks a yuletide compilation of New Zealand indie artists. (It’s actually quite a good CD, by the way.)

Moana and the Tribe “Speak To Me”

Moana, having ditched the Moahunters and rebranded to Moana and the Tribe, has “Speak To Me” the first single off her third album “Rua”. It was, as Graham Reid noted in the Herald, a departure from the hip hop sounds of earlier albums and a move to the world music sound she’s known for today.

Suzanne Neumann “Lose Control”

Suzanne reports that the video for “Lose Control” was released and was played frequently on television. Unfortunately the video is not currently available online.

April 2000

Before Friday “Now”

Before Friday were a duo of Dean Chandler and Ben Bell-Booth. They had a few singles – including “Now” – before deciding that it would be better if Dean went solo with Ben as his manager.

Carly Binding “We Kissed”

“We Kissed” was originally intended as the first single off TrueBliss’s second album, and indeed the funding was originally given as a TrueBliss single. But but eventually Carly Binding left the group, taking her pop with her. Carly’s first solo single was “Alright with Me (Taking it Easy)” had its video funded in 2002, leaving the funding for “We Kissed” on the books for later use.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Dave Dobbyn “Just Add Water”

“Just Add Water” was the opening track from Dave Dobbyn’s 2000 album “Hopetown”. Here’s a live version with Bic Runga and Tim Finn.

Deep Obsession “I Surrender”

After their run of three number one singles, Deep Obsession weren’t able to keep up the same level of success. “I Surrender” was the final single from their album “Infinity” and it charted at 25.

Fiona McDonald “I Don’t Care”

“I Don’t Care” was the eighth and final track to have a music video funded from Fiona McDonald’s album “A Different Hunger”, leaving only four tracks without a video. I think that’s a record!

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

June 2000

Breathe “Get Yourself Together”

“Get Yourself Together” was the fourth single from Breathe’s major label debut Don’t Stop the Revolution.

Brett Sawyer “No Mistake”

“No Mistake” is the fifth Brett Sawyer track to have funding and it’s the fifth where the video can’t be found.

Dave Dobbyn “My Kinda People”

Dave Dobbyn goes back to his sneery, punky roots with “My Kinda People”, the second single from his album Hopetown.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Pluto “Moscow Snow”

The moody “Moscow Snow” was the first release by Pluto, appearing on an Antenna Records compilation. Here’s a live version recorded at the Helen Young Studio for TV show Squeeze.

August 2000

Breathe “When The Sun Comes”

Breathe has “When The Sun Comes”, which includes the lyric, “Everybody likes to grow their hair long/Every once in a while/Or something like that”.

Director: Julian Boshier
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Confucius “Rollcall”

Confucius was the work of Christchurch electronica musician Nava Thomas. Director Gaylene Barnes intriguingly describes the “Roll Call” video as “Confucius and MysteriousD become trapped in a drum and bass time warp, in this sepia toned music video which incorporates archive footage.” The video was also a finalist in the 2001 New Zealand Music Video Awards.

Director: Gaylene Barnes
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

House of Downtown “Downtown Groove”

The House of Downtown track “Downtown Groove” was best known as the closing credits song for the Tarantino-esque 2001 New Zealand film Stickmen.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Leonard “Claire Swire”

Leonard’s second and final funded video was for “The New Claire Swire”. An intriguing song, assumedly about an office worker who wrote a personal email about semen that was forwarded around the world.

Director: James Moore
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Mary “Ophelia”

More sweet guitar pop from Mary, with their harmony laden track “Ophelia”, an ode to two kittens.

Shaft “Might As Well Be Dumb”

Last seen in the mid-’90s with “Downhill Racer”, Shaft return with the loping “Might As Well Be Dumb”.

Sola Monday “All For A Dance”

Sola Monday’s second and final funded video was “All For A Dance”, a sweet folky, jazzy number.

Splitter “Supermarket Girl”

August 2000 is proving to be not a particularly fruitful month for finding music videos online. Joining the missing persons line-up is Splitter with “Supermarket Girl”.

The Nomad “Life Forms”

There’s no sign of The Nomad’s second video, “Life Forms”.

October 2000

DNE “The Cause”

DNE’s second and final video is for the upbeat dance-pop number “The Cause”. “We are bound to see this group do great things,” says the equally positive bio at Amplifier.

Goldfish Shopping Trolly (GST) “Hey You”

Goldfish Shopping Trolley (or GST for short) was the original name of Opshop. “Hey You” was their first single and has the classic Opshop anthemic sound. At the time, GST were threatening to release the alarmingly titled album “Homo-Electromagneticus”, which promised to capture “the turbulent etheric renderings and solid earthy rhythmic growl of the native New Zealand west coast”.

December 2000

Breathe “She Said”

After a run of 10 videos, Breathe go out with “She Said”. They just seem like a band that – for whatever reason – never quite lived up to their potential.

Loniz “Child Street Blues”

Loniz were a Tauranga-based trio who later became Pacific Realm. “Child Street Blues” was their first single, which the Kiwi Hit Disc says was playlisted on iwi and b.Net radio stations.

Shihad “Just Like Everybody Else”

The list I have of completed videos includes the Shihad track “Just Like Everybody Else”. But when even the very thorough Shihad Wiki doesn’t list it in their exhaustive videography, it’s likely it was never made.

The Subliminals “Uh-Oh”

Oh, this is cruel. There are two older Subliminals videos on NZ On Screen, but no sign of their one NZOA funded video, “Uh-Oh”. Here’s the band playing the song at Flying Nun’s 30th birthday celebrations in Dunedin in 2011.

Instead…

Weta were one of those bands who seemed hovering on the verge of greatness, but for whatever reason, things didn’t happen. (But things are very much happening for Aaron Tokona’s new band, the psychedelic AhoriBuzz). This is Weta at their best, getting series amongst shipping containers.