March 2011: Lydia Cole, Massad, Mel Parsons, Opshop, PNC, Ruby Frost, Shotgun Alley

A leisurely jog, the suit case, down on the boardwalk, an interrupted video, skeletons and birds, glitter at the beach, and a pool pash.

Continue reading March 2011: Lydia Cole, Massad, Mel Parsons, Opshop, PNC, Ruby Frost, Shotgun Alley

August 2010: Midnight Youth, Motocade, November Zulu, Opshop, Pieter T, Rosie Riggir, School For Birds, Seth Haapu, Shapeshifter

Great balls of fire, point and click, unexpected subversion, underwater mystery, proper like, applying lippie, an amorous rabbit, rooms full of weirdos and augmented reality.

Continue reading August 2010: Midnight Youth, Motocade, November Zulu, Opshop, Pieter T, Rosie Riggir, School For Birds, Seth Haapu, Shapeshifter

December 2009: Ivy Lies, J Williams, Jonny Love, Lawrence Arabia, Lisa Crawley, Motocade, Opshop

Mysteries of the hotel room, world ruler pretend, around the country, the dandy in the city, paintings see all, colours and quirk, and a post-apocalyptic world.

Continue reading December 2009: Ivy Lies, J Williams, Jonny Love, Lawrence Arabia, Lisa Crawley, Motocade, Opshop

December 2008: Luke Buda, Miriam Clancy, Motocade, Nat Rose, Nathan King, Opshop

The kids take over, good lip colour, retro grids, down at the beach, a church concert, and Dave gets covered.

Continue reading December 2008: Luke Buda, Miriam Clancy, Motocade, Nat Rose, Nathan King, Opshop

February 2008: Katchafire, Mareko, Opshop, Salmonella Dub, Spacifix

A celebration of the glorious proletariat, work-related travel expenses, subterranean homesick New Zealander, nature porn, and cramped working conditions.
Continue reading February 2008: Katchafire, Mareko, Opshop, Salmonella Dub, Spacifix

October 2007: Magik Johnson, Mumsdollar, Natalie Elms, Opshop, Pluto

Dramatic smoke, a beachy stroll, a beardy run, and farmyard dangers.
Continue reading October 2007: Magik Johnson, Mumsdollar, Natalie Elms, Opshop, Pluto

February 2007: Opshop, Paul McLaney, Revolver, SJD, Streetwise Scarlet, Taye Williams

Torture the band (in style), vast barren mudflats, fighter pilots, cheerful gloom, and Taye entertains.
Continue reading February 2007: Opshop, Paul McLaney, Revolver, SJD, Streetwise Scarlet, Taye Williams

April 2006: Misfits of Science, My Life Story, Opshop, Stellar, The Electric Confectionaires

Jason’s in Sydney, Boh’s in Auckland, Andy’s in London, the Misfits are all around the world, and there’s a book.
Continue reading April 2006: Misfits of Science, My Life Story, Opshop, Stellar, The Electric Confectionaires

Opshop “Levitate”

2005-opshop-levitateIn Auckland, it is possible to walk from Queen Street to Federal street through buildings, using a series of private escalators (and one lift) to avoid the treacherous incline of Wellesley Street West.

The “Levitate” video is set on one of these escalators, the super narrow ones in the lobby of the old ASB building between Albert and Federal Streets, which conveniently enough looks like something out of a 1960s sci-fi film. This provides the location for Opshop’s theatrical rock number.

In the world of “Levitate”, people are trying to escape via the escalators, but two heavies wearing gas masks usually pull any runners back. Jason makes a few goes at it, but there’s always something that brings him back down – a mysterious woman, a man with a briefcase full of money and general tiredness.

Finally, pursued by the masked men, he makes it to the top. The ending of the video is ambiguous. Has he made it to freedom (across the road to the casino!) or has he somehow disappeared, because this is a mysterious sci-fi world?

Best bit: Jason angrily hurls a suitcase full of money into a water feature. He has no need for your space dollars!

Director: Adam Jones
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… radios and televisions.

Opshop “Being”

2004-opshop-being“Being” is set at an old cinema, which I immediately recognised as the Crystal Palace in Mount Eden, the star of Dead End Beat’s porny “All My Riches” video. But things are a lot more G-rated with Opshop.

While Opshop are performing on stage in the present, we get flashbacks of the theatre in previous decades, bits of the 1940s and 1950s. You can tell it’s the 1940s because a solider and a lady with hair rolls are doing swing dancing in the foyer, which is what people did in the ’40s.

But historical inaccuracies aside, the thing that bothers me the most is the really unflattering t-shirt that Jason Kerrison is wearing. It’s a solid red t-shirt that just hangs off him and makes his head look tiny. With all the extras in the video wearing quality historical costumes, it’s a shame that the same styling wasn’t applied to the present day.

The video ends with the ghost of a magician’s assistant leaving a bouquet of flowers on stage, no doubt to say thank you to Opshop for lyrics such as “And we don’t wanna go to war again!”

While the song and the video are both pretty boring, it still feels like another step towards the mighty Opshop of the late ’00s and their two number one albums.

Best bit: the tableau of an American-style 1950s, straight outta Mount Eden.

Director: Adam Jones

Next… a dark and stormy night.