The first song off the Fits’ final studio album, the “Done” video mainly takes place in a recording studio, shot in high-contrast black and white, like a goth’s seventh form photography portfolio.
This concept could potentially we quite dull – I mean, “We Are the World” is people performing the song in a recording studio – but then something happens. Shayne’s t-shirt suddenly disappears and the stakes have been raised.
The early ’90s saw a lot of male shirtlessness in music videos, but that was generally the domain of young funk-rock groups who were inspired by the non-musical bits of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. So it’s a bit of a surprise to suddenly see the Straitjacket Fits becoming citizens of man-chest-er.
So far in the list I haven’t come across any music videos with dudes being overtly sexy, but here we go. The thing is, Mr Carter’s songwriting and the Fits’ performance is usually so sexy on its own that shirtless antics aren’t necessary. But when you combine the shirtlessless with the guitar playing… Oh, if you’re young and beautiful you might as well.
Best bit: David Wood has a smoke.
Director: Andrew Dominik
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Next… Dave’s 10 inch
After having my socks knocked off by ‘Melt’ and several live shows of the sort oft described as “incendiary” I was worried about how the Fits would follow it up. When I heard the “Done” EP I was very happy.
Oh yes.. sex. On a stick. Ooer.