You Me At Six Video analysis Joshua Bartolo-Smyth

You Me At Six.

You Me At Six are an Indie rock band that originate from Surrey England currently singed to Epithaph (record label).The band rose to fame in 2007 with their debut album “Take Off Your Colours”. They have been Nominated for “Best British Band” at the 2008,2009 and 2010 Kerrang! Awards.

I am going to focus on their music video called Liquid Confidence. I shall also apply Goodwin’s Theory to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8wmZYPFdUs

Music Video Demonstrates Genre Characteristics.

Typical codes and conventions are used:• 5 person band – typical shot of all the members.• performance and narrative.•Typical Indie fashion – scruffy but smart.•Instrument shots – shot of the instruments being played.•Close up of the lead singer.• cut transitions. • Colour theme – dark/black.

Shot of the all the band members, fashion and instruments fundamental to all indie music videos .

Relationship between Lyrics and Visuals.

The song is about a couple in a relationship that doesn’t seem to be working, there is no link between a shot of a couple but it seems to shown through the male singers perspective, there is a link here though as he seems to be upset and distracted back stage as his fellow band mates attempt to cheer him up, his anger is also taken out as he sings. So lyrics such as “exits exits” have a symbolic link as the lead singer walks out an exit.

Lyrics – “Exits exits”Visual - walks out of an exit.

Fire exit – relevant to the lyrics

Relationship Between Music and Visuals.

This relates to the visuals matching the music therefore corresponding colour themes, correct time of transitions, appropriate images for the music genre and that the visuals match the tempo/beat/Rhythm of the music. This song is part of the Indie rock genre and has the classic black retro colour theme with the band playing which matches the music so therefore music and visuals link.

Black retro colour theme.

Demands Of The Record Label. You Me At Six are an Indie band so therefore would have to keep to the Indie image to keep fans interested and keep the image the record label wants them to uphold. The record label Epitaph signed You Me At Six so therefore the band has to keep with the contract and present their image how the record label wants them to. Although at the start of their career the band was able to make their own style with in the Indie image because they had no record label, luckily the band keep their image through fashion and musical style to please their fan base and gain more fans of course this was allowed by the record label to strategically make and keep fans.

Indie fashion to keep the Indie image with a mix of their own style to produce an overall band image.

References of looking and Voyeurism.

The opening shot engages the audience as it is a shot that makes you feel you are back stage where typically at concerts you are not meant to be giving the feeling of voyeurism as it is a private area. As the music video goes on there are more backstage shots that seem private and again build the feeling of voyeurism.

Back stage shots – voyeurism.

Intertextual References.

There are intertextual references with in the music video mainly to do with fashion as there are dominate brands and shots that focus on logos and products from specific bands this is also known as product placement.

Logos - Intertextual references to fashion product placement.