Hoi Polloi “Rest Tonite”

Hoi Polloi were an “alternative gospel band”, and indeed “Rest Tonite” starts with a gospel choir. But then all that is swept to the side for some Christian pop, with a lead singer who sounds like an overexcited Margaret Urlich.

She’s even more excited in the music video, ripping out her hair band and shaking down her hair, vigorously strumming her guitar and singing so hard she bends over with the exertion.

Footage of the band’s performance (in a warehouse – edgy) is cut with literal depictions of the lyrics. “Fields on fire” is a burning newspaper, “breaking china” shows a coffee cup smash, “child cries” is a baby crying. This leads me to belief that the song isn’t metaphorically about someone wanting a break from the stress of the world, but someone who just wants a good night’s sleep without their cat coming in and walking on their face, meowing to be fed.

There’s also some outdoor footage of the singer at a beach, and she’s wearing a white peasant blouse. That’s the third one I’ve seen so far. Even I had ditched my peasant blouse by ’92. If I see a fourth one, I’m taking a drink.

Best bit: the lead singer gets so overcome with singing the song that she doubles over.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… Mikey is a twisted fire-starter.

4 thoughts on “Hoi Polloi “Rest Tonite””

  1. I’m sure this was NZ on Air funded – I think it was made by their American record company after the relocated to the US in the early 1990s. Scotty Pearson from Elememo P joined the band on drums around 1992 in Nashville. Their manager (an ex-pat NZr) went on to discover Paramore…

    1. Ok, I will check this one with NZOA. I know sometimes songs get funding but for one reason or another the video doesn’t get made, so perhaps this is sort of one of those cases.

      But NZOA or not, I still love the craziness of this video!

    2. Ok, I’ve checked this out with NZOA. They confirmed that the funding was paid to Hoi Polloi’s record company BMG at the time, so very much looks like it was NZOA funded.

      Moving overseas doesn’t necessarily put a band out of the running for NZOA grants.

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