Videos from December 2005 – part 5

Extreme fangirling, skaters vs the police, the children (who are the future), a bleak landscape and a Shore thing.

Odessa “Promises Promises”

It’s craft time, and the heroine of “Promises Promises” gets to work making some animations using pics of the band, sticky tape and a record player. The rest of the video shows the crafter hanging out in her cool flat, watching the band on TV and projected on the wall. It’s the ultimate fangirl experience. The video was another recipient of the $1500 grant from Positively Wellington Business’s Made In Wellington scheme, and it won Best Indie Video at the 2006 Juice TV Music Video Awards.

Director: Simon Ward
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Ryan McPhun and the Ruby Suns “Hard To Let You Know” – missing

Six years later, the Ruby Suns received funding for various videos, but there’s no sign of the video from the days when Ryan McPhun put his name out the front. Instead here’s the non-funded video for “Sleep in the Garden” from 2007.

Shapeshifter “We Bring Change”

The most unexpected thing about this video is how dated the galloping drum and bass sound is a decade later. For everything there is a season, etc. The song’s uplifting but nonspecific message – that we need to “bring change” – is illustrated with a CGI television floating in space, live action footage of children (who are the future) and clips of the band performing live. The sedate pace of the video makes the song sound like it is just a remix away from realising its true potential.

Director: Adam Gunser
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Shihad “None Of The Above”

The last funding Shihad received was for the “Home Again (Live)” video back in 2003, when they were rebranding as Pacifier. This turned up on one of the funding lists, but I think it’s another case of a video that ended up not receiving funding. It’s a bleak video, with scratchy black and white footage of snow-covered landscapes. Shihad needs a hug.

Director: Hinge Design

Shore Syndicate “That’s Us”

The lyrics sound like they’ve been generated by a 2000s hip hop lyrics algorithm, really generic rhymes about girls and “the club”. The unique selling point – that they’re from the North Shore – is all but ignored in the lyrics. The video, however, makes a lot of effort branding Shore Syndicate, with lots of attention placed on the individual members as well as their North Shore identity. If only it had worked.

Director: Shane Mason
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Tadpole “Control”

“Control” is the 15th and final funded video from Tadpole, making them one of the most funded artists. It was also the end of the band, with Tadpole all but split up by the time this was released.

The video is set in Wellington, with Renee walking along the Mount Victoria Tunnel. Normally it’s a really unpleasant experience – the damp walls, the smell of exhaust and the invasive noise from all the cars who toot their horns for various superstitious reasons. But the “Control” video overlays all that chaos with a bit of cool. The video also features a group of skaters who first drive through the Hataitai Bus Tunnel, and then go for a late-night skate down Wellington’s steep streets. The law catches up, though, with the riders being fined $750.

It’s like the evil twin of “Dawnskate 88” – instead of a joyful early morning skate down Wellington’s steep streets, it’s a late-night, dangerous hoon in the same place.

None of this seems staged for the cameras. On one hand, it’s really punk, but on the other hand, it would be just that more thrilling if it were Renee from Tadpole causing mayhem on the roads of Wellington, rather than just strolling through a tunnel. It’s nowhere near as slick as the band’s earlier videos, but maybe this is the right way for Tadpole to conclude.

Director: Michael Reihana

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