VIDEO FILE: THE DANGER DOLPHINS
VIDEO: I’m Not An Alcoholic | BAND: The Danger Dolphins | DIRECTOR: Fraser Whitehead
Life is hard: a hamster wheel of working for the man, trying to eat enough green vegetables and navigating the rising cost of living. It’s almost enough to make you want to rewind a few decades and have another ping at infancy.
Which is exactly what The Danger Dolphins doin the playful music video for their new single, I’m Not An Alcoholic. Directed and shot by local filmmaker Fraser Whitehead, the accompanying video features the classic rock ‘n’ roll duo taking turns at playing the role of baby and parent -from struggling at feeding time to navigating the streets in a pram. This narrative is interspersed with moments of pure teenage nostalgia, as band members Nick and Zac skate through suburbia, hit the bowling alley and frolic in the parklands.
Garage in its production style and simplicity, the anthemic track is designed for a 2am shout-along at your local drinking hole. So, in keeping with the lo-fi energy, the music video was filmed in just one day, casting detail aside in favour of fun and chaos.
“When Nick and Zac came to me with the idea, I thought it would be cool to shoot it with a grungy sort of aesthetic,” Fraser explains. “Balls-to-the-wall style, where continuity doesn’t really matter. As our video progresses, it definitely becomes a little less cohesive and a little more unhinged.”
The clip was inspired by classic skate videos and fittingly shot with a Video 8 camera – the style of handycam that conjures up home video hijinks. “The cool thing about shooting on tape is that all the glitches just kind of happen randomly when you stop and start recording,” Fraser explains. “Every single scratch is unique.”
And charmingly unique it is. From the opening scenes that show a baby Nick rejecting a warm bowl of porridge, to the closing shots which see the pram thrown from an alarming height, it’s hard to keep the smile off your face.
The team have created an ode to adolescent memories and drunken stupidity, and you can tell they had a wonderful time doing so. “It’s not really a baby and a father at all, is it?” Fraser smiles. “That’s why the roles switch back and forth throughout the video. It’s just reflecting your inner child.”
So, if you’re feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, the answer is simple: pretend you’re six months old, climb into a pram and go for a ride. Or alternatively, watch the I’m Not An Alcoholic video.
Words by Timothea Moylan
Cover Photo by Ella Burton
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