HLAH knew how to make people dance. “Hootenanny” is a hootenanny, a boistrous rockstravaganza that got crowds moving. The video works with this energy, using footage of the band playing in various live situations.
There’s a reminder of Bands in the Square, the annual Wellington alternative rock series, sponsored by the much loved radio station Channel Z. It seems quite outrageous to see bands packing out the area between the town hall and the library. These days the Homegrown festival sprawls over most of the downtown waterfront area.
As well as the live footage, we also see the band mucking around in various situations – in guitar studio, jumping into a lake, teeing off, and in front of an old concrete building.
The pace of the video gets a little slack at times, missing opportunities to really kick arse with the music, but it fits right in with the crazy universe of HLAH.
Best bit: mini golf!
Director: Ian McCarroll
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Next… chatter rings.
Bands in the Square was more every few months or so rather than annual I think, but it was a long time ago so I could be wrong. Great events though, I’m pretty sure I was at the one in the video. I also saw HLAH playing a short but epic set outside Tandy’s in Manners Mall around the same time, complete with irate shopkeepers complaining about the noise 🙂
I’ve changed it to “series” and I’ll see if I can find someone who remembers the olden times.