Autozamm “Day to Day”

2003-autozamm-day-to-dayAutozamm were an unusual band in the history of NZ On Air funding. They received funding for 12 music videos, but none of their singles and only one of their albums charted. Consider the other acts who’ve received funding for 12 videos (Che Fu, Die! Die! Die!, Dimmer, Fur Patrol, Goodshirt, Headless Chickens and the Mutton Birds) –  they were all over the charts. But the charts aren’t the be-all, end-all over musical achievement (and it’s certainly not a criterial for NZOA funding). One bio says the band were “renowned for exhilarating live shows”, so perhaps they were taking a very mid-2010s approach – forget the charts (there’s no money there, anyway), live shows are where it’s at.

The “Day to Day” video is very simple and low budget. Filmed in a steep Wellington suburb, it’s a one-take video, following the band as they leave a house and run along the street. Well, when I say “street”, it’s one of those theoretical Wellington streets that’s too steep for cars to drive down or people to walk down, so it’s been turned into a zig-zagging walkway. The group end up in a park at the bottom of the hill, with a rope swing to muck around on until the song runs out.

It seems to be shot digitally, with the footage later stabilised, meaning there’s an ever-changing border floating around the image. It’s just as well – if it had been left as it was shot, it would be unwatchably shaky.

The song is an angry rant – “I am not happy from day to day,” Mikee snarls. The video doesn’t convey that anger. It’s more like a fun adventure the Monkees might have, messing around with wacky video tricks. If this is a band known for their live shows, I’d like to see that captured in a video.

Best bit: the council worker tending to the garden with a weed trimmer.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… glorified karaoke.

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