Music Video Analysis Two

Halestorm- Amen

 

To contrast with the other video I analysed, I decided to look at Halestorm, who are a signed American band (Skarlett Riot are from the UK and unsigned).

Once again, this video contains a performance element, but there is also a narrative segment at the start.

All the members of the band are seen carrying out normal careers at the start and later go on to perform in a warehouse type setting.

 As seen below, the band members can be seen in the aforementioned normal jobs. Arejay is a chef, Joe is working at a guitar shop, Josh is a school bus driver and Lzzy is working at a call center. They are later seen performing, dressed as they would normally be seen (Josh is out of shot in the picture). However, the way Arejay appears is completely amplifying, as he is wearing a white jacket and suit, yet rarely wears this in other videos or when the band are playing live.





In terms of the lyrics and the visuals, it is amplifying as the song is about it being your life and doing what makes you happy. The band can be seen breaking away from a 'normal' life that makes them miserable, or at least unsatisfied, to play in a band that makes them truly happy, despite the fact that they are not playing a huge area.

When the video cuts, it is amplifying as it sometimes cuts on the drums, but also on Lzzy's vocals and guitar. One cut where the cut occurs on all three is when Jessie can be seen hitting the counter while Arejay is cooking.

There is some sexualising in the female body in this video, as there is a woman who is playing with fire while wearing a bra and skirt. This can be seen as presenting women as dangerous while showcasing the female body.

This can also be viewed as being the case with Lzzy, who is wearing short shorts with ripped tights, something that is typical of a girl in hard rock and may be playing towards the heterosexual male viewpoint of sexualising women without having them down to their underwear.

 

 

 

 

Another thing I have noticed in the video is the common characteristic of the close up for the solo being present when Joe is playing the solo, although the video cuts a lot during this segment to show the others playing. This part is followed by Lzzy singing through the first part of the chorus, and a medium long shot shows her screaming the word 'lust', another characteristic that is common in music videos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, I found the idea of the band going to play this show reminiscent of the video for 'This ain't a scene, it's an arms race' by Fall Out Boy, where the band wake up after having dreamt about this epic career, and rush to get to a high school where they play a small show. While Halestorm aren't rushing to this warehouse for the sake of the show, the fact they are leaving their normal lives to play this small show remind me of Fall Out Boy's video and may be seen as an intertextual reference.