October 2005: Dam Native, Die! Die! Die!, Gasoline Cowboy, Goodnight Nurse, King Kapisi

A highly symbolic lollipop, polite zombies, a beach dream, and an old abandoned rugby ground.

Dam Native “Whakarongo Mai Nei”

The video opens with a sobering dedication to “all the tamariki who have died at the hands of their caregivers” (which is a perfect opportunity to link to Stuff’s extensive reporting into New Zealand child abuse). The song itself has a positive message, urging people to “Kia mau ki te reo Maori/whakaronga mai nei”. Dam Native deliver slick bilingual lyrics, with more flow than the Waikato River”. The video focuses on scenes of the group rapping, graffiti artists painting a wall (including a tribute to Prince Tui Teka), and photos of cute kids.

Directors: Jeremy Mansford, Preston McNeil

Die! Die! Die! “Shyness Will Get You Nowhere”

Initially appearing as two-thirds of the super ambitious Rockquest band Carriage H (see them in part three of this 2000 documentary, along with early Nesian Mystik and Evermore), the band turned into Die! Die! Die! The video, shot in Auckland, is based around a low-key zombie attack, taking in scenic downtown Auckland.

Director: Thom Burton
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Gasoline Cowboy “Beach In Cali High”

For a song that has such an evocative beachy, coasty sound, the video puts the band in a small windowless room – a recording studio. But this neutral setting lets the song dominate, creating its own ambience. In a way, it’s such a better option than faking a California coast at Piha.

Goodnight Nurse “My Only”

This video – which is uploaded to the official YouTube account of Goodnight Nurse – has recently had a copyright claim made by the overzealous algorithms of Warner Music, meaning that viewers in New Zealand can’t watch the clip. So you’ll just have to imagine the band playing the song at night, in the middle of the playing field of the abandoned Carlaw Park. The abandoned league grounds are looking very spooky.

Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

King Kapisi “Lollipop”

King Kapisi takes the sweets-as-sexual-metaphor of 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” and adds in a bit of the whispered style of J-Kwon’s “Tipsy” and then – just to mix things up even more – the video takes inspiration from Donny Darko. So while there are sexy ladies dancing with giant lollipops, it’s shot in a very gothic style, black and white, and also with a dancing guy in a rabbit suit.

Wait, what’s going on? King Kapisi explains in a YouTube comment: “This is a piss take of the ‘ass focused’ music that was being and still is being released – based on mindlessness. ALSO NOTE: the words Mai and Flava are sung in the chorus – which pertain to the two ‘RnB’ stations in Auckland who refuse to play and support an artist if the other station is supporting them. More mindlessness not business savvy – since there is just over 4 million people in this country! The market is too small here if they haven’t noticed. WORD”

Director: Sam Peacocke
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

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