Betty’s Bar with very good-looking bar staff; multiple video screens count us down to show time. A solo man on guitar in the video – live man on drums plays along with the projected images throughout the performance. The sound is hissy and boomy making it hard to appreciate the music. Heels on a wooden floor – Mighty Mighty bar the night after man sits on wooden crates, plays doleful blues riffs ‘My babies leaving me’. We are heading ‘In Reverse’ back to demise of the band ‘The Sons of Midas’

Next is a man in a quarry with guitar; followed by some animated blobs – the drummer drums on in the corner.

There are line drawings and a catchy video sequence featuring a young Diana and Charles, assorted dolls, a rocking horse on speed and a spaceship to the stars that synch with the music to good affect.

We are on a crumpled paper bag stage with a monster in pursuit, bunny figures, a bicycle and a kite race. Settling into the images and sound is a pleasing place to be. For a while.

This is a series of music videos, visual representations of lyrics, blobs dancing on a footpath and back to the bar of clunky footsteps and more smoking blues guitar and chortling vocals from Mr Red Shirt.

About half way through the smeared and restless break-up party in October 09 I have had enough. The music is driving, but I have lost emotional involvement – maybe if I knew the band this would be a ritual of letting go and I would understand the personality of this slice of time when a certain musicianship held people together. Rumpled camera work marking place and time and stories of noise control and the endless moving of musical gear from one place to another and the camaraderie – sliced carrot music and notes in Shanti’s garage. 

Certainly the archivist has good intentions capturing the moment of collective imagination and the worlds that are conjured through song.

The images in a depression era clip resonate nicely underneath a hard times song. A ripped jeans guy looks on and lipstick girl is all breezy breasts goose pimpling in this spaghetti dust storm western as a smokey mouth blots out the sun.

A kamikaze swarm of bees coating the Beehive – house of parliament in honey and then we are into the final throes with fast guitar action in a live scene from Mighty Mighty until the final road trip to no more band.

Ably directed and shot by Lucy Parr and Mike Nyland, starring Sons of Midas who are Mike Nyland, Mark Newton and Shanti Costar with animation by Mike Nyland and Guy Cappa.
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