To help celebrate NZ Music Month, Robyn Gallagher from 5000 Ways to Love You shares some of her favourite NZ music videos from the 1990s. This year, for the first time ever, Show Me Shorts will be accepting music video entries. Check out the entry guidelines here to get your music video in competition before July 1. Without further ado, here’s Robyn and her musically nostalgic Screening Room.
In 1991, the newly formed broadcasting funding agency NZ On Air began funding music videos, giving New Zealand bands $5000 towards the production of a music video. To date, over 3000 music video have been funded. On my blog 5000 Ways to Love You, I’ve set myself the mission of tracking down and reviewing as many NZ On Air-funded music videos as I can find. Here are three from the 1990s that help capture the spirit of New Zealand music videos from that era.
Money Worries
Artist: MC OJ and Rhythm Slave
Director: Matthew Palmer
MC OJ and Rhythm Slave – aka Otis Frizzell and Mark Williams – were a young Auckland hip hop duo whose fresh tunes reflected the culture of Auckland in the early ’90s. For such and Aucklandic group, it’s surprising to discover that their video for their ode to pennilessness is shot in downtown Wellington.
Director Matthew Palmer sets the pair in an old waterfront warehouse, accompanied by dancers, classic cars and Mikey Havoc in a phone box. Back in 1991 Wellington wasn’t the cool city it is today. Here were a couple of young guys from Auckland in a city filled with boring grey-suited bureaucrats, rapping about having no money. The video is full of attitude and ambition – all about taking that NZ On Air funding and stretching it as far as it would possibly go.
Papa People
Artist: Bressa Creeting Cake
Director: Steve Morrison
Sometimes it’s easiest to just shoot a band performing the song in a studio. But sometimes bands like to take the harder path and do something really complex and weird. Bressa Creeting Cake were masters of oddness. “Papa People” tells the story of a woman who is heartbroken after her being dumped by her boyfriend, who just happens to be a human-size weta. She comes up with a plan to win back her man, but will it work? Or will things just get extra weird and surreal?
Lydia
Artist: Fur Patrol
Director: Jonathan King
Directed by future feature film director Jonathan King, Lydia puts rock band Fur Patrol in the intimate but elegant red velvet surroundings of a cabaret stage. But to keep things interesting, there’s a twist – the band are miming their instruments. There are more twists to come, giving extra emotional weight to Julia Deans’ searing lyrics. While the video has a fairly minimalist setting, the performances of the band members and the strength of the video’s narrative carry it far beyond the confines of the nightclub stage.
And there’s a lot more to discover in the world of New Zealand music videos from the 1990s. Cheesy green screen effects, an obsession with Quentin Tarantino films, and the fun of one-take videos all featured in this decade. NZ On Screen has a good selection of notable New Zealand music videos, and you can join me in my journey through New Zealand music videos from the ’90s and beyond at 5000 Ways to Love You.
