The YouTube clip of this video is taken from an episode of Wreckcognize. Introducing the clip, DLT and Sir Vere note that the video was made by Mark Tierney and Johnny Sagala, and that “Otara – O Town – has never looked so good”. And that’s true. With Mark Tierney’s stylish urban eye, suburban Otara has been transformed into a golden South Seas village. Even buying a drink from the local dairy looks really really cool.
Johnny and his posse hang out, performing the song. This is cut with lovely picturesque shots around town, particularly involving a girl in a pink dress running around, and the highly symbolic mother hanging washing on the line.
It seems almost a rule that groups from South Auckland have videos that are shot on location in South Auckland and are very strongly visually identifiable as South Auckland. Whereas bands from other parts of Auckland seem more likely to set their video nowhere in particular, a generic part of Auckland, rather than, “Wahey, Kingsland!”
But it’s these South Auckland videos that last the distance. A reminder that, despite its occasional bad reputation, it’s not a bad place to be.
Best bit: the mum hanging washing on the line.