June 2006: dDub, Deja Voodoo, Dimmer, Donald Reid, Evermore

Date drama, more dystopia, serious branding, a lot of lights, and a very messy stairwell.

dDub “Ju Ju Mama”

“Ju Ju Mama” starts off in a dystopian world, where Mr dDub is working in the nightmare job of being a typist. Yeah, typing – what a nightmare. But he escapes and runs for freedom, through the city, a swamp, a desert, before finally reaching home. There’s no sense of jeopardy – not helped by the chilled out reggae music. He just seems like a guy who has ditched his job and gone home (the long way).

Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Deja Voodoo “Shotgun”

The song is about a guy calling shotgun on his girl, but the video is all about the Deja Voodoo logo. It’s everywhere. As the band perform the song on stage, their logo can be seen on their t-shirts, guitars, amplifiers, microphones, drum kit, and there’s a big lit-up sign on the stage backdrop. It’s even on cans of beer. Why? Well, they’re Deja Voodoo. Maybe this is their way of calling shotgun on the world.

Dimmer “Don’t Even See Me”

Ok, so this is like a cross between the sinister singer of Dimmer’s “Evolution” video, the lounge-bar heartbreak of Fur Patrol’s “Lydia”, the comedic subtitles of Betchadupa’s “Man on My Left”, and the goofball humour of Deja Voodoo. The last connection isn’t so surprising – the video is directed by Chris and Matt of Deja Voodoo and it’s more remarkable that they manage to keep the video so straight for so long before ending with a classic dadjoke. Note: it’s possible this video didn’t actually have NZ On Air funding.

Director: Chris Stapp, Matt Heath
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Donald Reid “My Favourite Thought”

You are standing on the LANDING of a nondescript building. To your left is the LIFT and to your right is the STAIRS.

> stairs

You enter the stairs. They are covered with OLD NEWSPAPERS, OLD MAGAZINES and OTHER RUBBISH. Sitting on the steps is DONALD REID singing and playing his GUITAR.

> smash guitar

DONALD REID continues to sing. At the bottom of the stairs is a door leading to the LANDING

> walk to landing

You are standing on the LANDING of a nondescript building. To your left is the LIFT and to your right is the STAIRS.

> walk to lift

The lift doors open. Inside the lift is a QUIRKY PERFORMER doing something whacky, zany and madcap.

> walk to stairs

DONALD REID continues singing amongst the RUBBISH.

> cry

You have been defeated by DONALD REID.

Director: Rajneel Singh
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Evermore “Light Surrounding You”

Years before she was an international actress appearing in Years & Years’ “Take Shelter” video, Emily Browning was an Australian actress who appeared in Evermore’s “Light Surrounding You” video. In it, she plays a young woman who follows a trail of lamps where she finds Evermore playing in the desert, surrounded by the lamps. The song was a huge hit in Australia, reaching No.1. It only charted at No.15 in New Zealand (The Feelers, Brooke Fraser and NZ Idol series three winner Matt Saunoa charted higher that week), but in 2008 the song got another life as TV ONE’s station ident music.

Director: Stuart McDonald
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

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