Hard-Fi - 'Suburban Knights'
There's an unintentionally brilliant bit in this video, where the band Hard-Fi film themselves playing this song - a rabble-rousing dissection of what it's like to grow up overlooked in the suburbs of a British city - outside a satellite dish which is presumably responsible for beaming SOME TV stuff out to CERTAIN CHANNELS, and then, because they've plugged themselves into the dish and they're Hard-Fi and therefore very technical, they manage to interrupt all of the TV broadcasting in THE WORLD.
And that's not even the best bit. The best bit is the look on the face of a child who is presumably supposed to represent the good people of China. He/she has been watching whatever his local equivalent of CBeebies is, and suddenly here comes this British pop band, with their intense TRUTHS about the PAIN in STAINES.
Now, I'm no expert in international diplomacy and communication, but I'm fairly sure that there are countries in the world who would view the interruption of their television broadcasts, especially with a song about how sometimes people who live in British suburbs have a hard time, might be seen as deeply confusing (and annoying).
I think what the band want people to think, by using an innocent Chinese child's face, is that their revolutionary mix of the Clash and, erm...OK, so it's just the Clash...is so inspiring to people who are STUCK in THEIR LIVES like the LOST KIDS on THE STREETS that everyone will RISE UP and OVERTHROW their OPPRESSORS. A concept which brings a whole new meaning to the word 'optimistic', really.
Not that it's wrong to think big with your music, or to presume that just because you sing about British suburbs, only people who live in British suburbs will get anything out of your songs. And this is clearly intended to be another Hard-Fi anthem in the making - musically it's a bit like 'Cash Machine', only with a broader remit and a better bassline.
So maybe it's a little rich to mock the 'Fi for having delusions of being able to actually change the world through song. Who knows, that child could grow up to be the Chinese Eminem or something...
Download: Out now
CD Released:August 20th
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comments
What you've written is proof you're starting to ramble in your old age. You go on about the video and forget to mention that this song is one of the BEST songs of the year.
This video symbolises Hard-Fi from being Star Of CCTV to Stars of TV.
I'd have given it 5 star cos it's a brilliant tune which sets up nicely for the new album.
BTW I think you read too much into these videos....you may need help.....you DO know that the tooth fairy isn't real....don't you???
[Wow, condescended to by a Hard-Fi fan. Life doesn't get any better than this! - Fraser]
I love this song. Another great tune to listen to on a Friday night.