Punky whippersnappers Steriogram had a bit of international success in the mid ’00s, but when they showed up with “Soccerstar”, they were still a new band trying to figure out their sound.
The punk-funk song has obvious Red Hot Chili Peppers incluences, but at this stage I can’t help feel that they’ve also been influenced by Supergroove, a kind of “Oh, so that’s how nerdy whiteboys from New Zealand do it.”
Tyson Kennedy is best known as the group’s frontman, but in their early days he was squirelled away at the back while guitarist Brad Carter was on lead vocals.
The simple vid is directed by legendary music journalist and series football fan Dylan Taite and it has a dash of his eclectic charm.
Much of the video involves the band performing the song in a studio while a football match is projected on them. Singer Brad spends much of the video wearing sunglasess, which I’d guess was done to protect his eyes from the projector’s bright light. Sensible, yes, and good health and safety practice, but it results in a video where the lead singer is hidden behind bogan shades.
It’s strange seeing Steriogram in this early form. They seem like a remnant of the ’90s, not like a group that was going to go crazy with lively punk pop rap. But I suppose watching them get there is all part of the fun.
Best bit: the black and white footage of football dramas.
Director: Dylan Taite
Next… vintage tomfoolery.
Fun fact: Brad’s sister Hannah was in my form at school, and in their pre-iTunes-song days I remember her happily handing out band stickers for all of us in Graphics class to put on our A3 folios! I probably have some stickers stashed somewhere in my old room.
Bizarrely, when Stereogram came to play at our school, in the mad rush of high school hysteria (it was an all-girls school) she ended up signing autographs for third formers as well…. Good ol’ mad small town NZ.