Tag: Dead Flowers

Dead Flowers “Be Someone”

The last time we saw Dead Flowers, they were flailing their hair about in the last days of hair metal. By now grunge had taken hold, so they had to up their game if they wanted to survive in the ruthless world of popular music.

The “Be Someone” video – the only video available online from this funding round – is shot in grainy, scratchy black and white, and takes place at a sinister “CHEMISTRY LABORATORY”. It looks highly influenced by the videos Nine Inch Nails were making.

The basic plot involves a bothered scientist running around the CHEMISTRY LABORATORY, while the band plays. I’m not sure why the band is playing in the lab, but this seems to greatly torment the scientist, causing him to go mad and then be particlised by a crazy science experiment.

The video keeps a consistent level of manic energy, but it could have done with a few pauses, moments to reflect. Even when the scientist pauses at a locked gate, he still has to madly scramble for his spectacles.

Best bit: the guitar-head-mounded camera capturing the scientist’s neverending torment.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next: old vids for new.

Dead Flowers “Lisa”

Like Push Push, Dead Flowers emerged just at the point when hair metal was being nudged out of the way by grunge. So the hair-flailing video for debut single “Lisa” was their once chance to just get their Salon Selectives all up in the air. It was as if they knew their moment to be mëtal gödz was running out, and a haircut was on the cards.

The video alternates between black and white performance footage (reminiscent of Push Push’s video in both the composition and the follicular action), and cut with black and white silhouettes against a background of flowers. Because that is the band’s name.

By this stage it’s noticeable that music videos are getting slicker. Is it a result of having more cash to spend on videos? Is the video production industry getting cleverer and more creative? Or has there been an moment of collective consciousness where everyone has simultaneously realised that naff green screen doesn’t make anything look better?

Actually, my new challenge is to find a whole funding round where none of the videos have naff green screen. Fingers crossed!

Best bit: the guitarist wearing demin overalls with no shirt, boyband style.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… set a-sail or shipwrecked?