October 2005: Kitsch, Kora, Losing Face, Motocade, Mt Raskil Preservation Society

The biggest punk band ever, a backyard feast, live energy and liquorice allsorts.

Kitsch “Memory Of Me”

OMG, this is glorious! Rather than just Kitsch lip-syncing along to their song, they’re joined by a who’s who of mid-2000s New Zealand punk-pop bands. I can see Elemeno P, Foamy Ed and maybe Sommerset in there – probably more, given the sheer quantity of guitars. Kitsch also have their moment alone, but the video is at its best when everyone’s rocking out together.

Director: Amibir Singh

Kora “Flow”

The “Flow” video captures Kora performing live – ain’t no lipsync happening here. They play around with genres – reggae, funk, metal – and give the audience a fake ending before getting even gruntier. Because the video is from the mid ’00s, only one (1) audience member can be seen holding a camera.

Losing Face “Spoken” – missing

The digital remnants of Losing Face showed there was great hope for this punk band. They had been playlisted on beloved radio station Channel Z (right up until it closed) and had a grant to re-record “Spoken” (AKA “Spoken like a True Asshole”).

Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Motocade “Spectacular Little Death”

“Spectacular Little Death” sounds influenced by bands like The Strokes, with its tight guitar and meandering vocals. The video isn’t as stylish as the song seems to demand. It’s just the band in a white studio space, with a few quirky touches (OMG, a lady eating liquorice allsorts with chopsticks!!!). There’s too much focus on the band’s technical prowess and not enough capturing the essence of the cool song. P.S. keeping in mind that “little death” is an idiom for orgasm, consider the shot where a guy gets a glass of milk chucked in his face.

Mt Raskil Preservation Society featuring Hollie Smith “Bathe in the River”

I was all ready to be a bit dismissive of this song (this Silver Scroll-winning song), but then I watched the video and found it surprisingly emotional. “Bathe in the River” was the theme song from the film No. 2, and spookily enough, that’s where the song charted, kept from No. 1 by Beyonce then the Pussycat Dolls. The video is solidly rooted in Mount Roskil, based around a party, complete with an umu-cooked pig, potato salad and Don McGlashan. The partygoers watch the film, then enjoy a backyard performance of the song. It’s one big loved-up celebration.

Director: Toa Fraser
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

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