Perhaps a poor choice of song
This week the South Australian Tourism Commission released an ad featuring the beautiful landscape of the Barossa Valley, showing the earth, the food the people and all set to a Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds song.
Now, while Red Right Hand may not technically be about a killer, the song is from the guy who made an album called Murder Ballads. Not to mention the Barossa Valley is less than two hours drive from Snowtown, where a series of homicides took place in the 1990s.
A “long bow” there Mumbrella.
And, dont forget, the word ‘nick’ is often used as a colloquial reference to theft, as in ‘to nick’ something. And ‘caves’ can sometimes be dark. And cold. Oh. Oh. Oh. And Bad is, well, bad. And dont get me started on ‘seeds’.
Slow news day then Tim?
Definitely feels like I’ll be murdered down in South Australia…
A very long bow, indeed.
Mumbrella. Incisive one minute. Mumbo jumbo the next.
Murders transcend geography, you dope.
It’s a technical point, but only one of the 11 murders was committed at Snowtown. Snowtown was where the bodies were dumped.
Of course, this never happens anywhere else, does it? What’s Ivan Milat? A block of flats?
Dreamworld once used a punk song about a hangover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXyplMT2dWI
Lyrics are irrelevant. It’s emotion.
Well a long bow maybe. But my guess is that it’s more a big budget for production and none for media. Hoping that this gets commentary to give it air.
While I’m not technically an alcoholic (or even an alcoholic), I live less than two hours from the Barossa Valley where there’s lots of wine. Not to mention McLaren Vale where there’s also wine. I’m a bit further from Snowtown, so I’m probably not a mass murderer.
Give me a break Mumbrella!
I’m with JG on this one.
You could of course also stretch the bow in another direction. First, Red Right Hand was on Let Love In and not on Murder Ballads. The first song on Murder Ballads is Song of Joy that ‘red right hand’ is from John Milton’s Paradise Lost.
So maybe the message is that you can Let Love In and have a Song of Joy by visiting a Paradise Lost (aka the Barossa Valley).
So, Tim, I’ll admit my interpretation is a load of bollocks if you will.
This is very creepy and does not want me to travel to SA.
Good ad, stupid commentary Mumbsie…back to the pub for you
I totally know where to get rid of the body now.
Worse, the song is about the coming of the antichrist! Lyrics might ordinarily be irrelevant, but Red Right hand has such distinct vocals that it casts a pretty apocalyptic tone to the content. Great song, just inappropriate.
It’s an evocative ad with great imagery. I’d certainly pay attention if it came on tv more than most tourism ads. Perhaps the Sydney Opera House shouldn’t have used the Ship Song Tim? After all Sydney is only 140 kms from the Belanglo State Forest.
Perhaps as a Brit your knowledge of Cave is intrinsically linked to Kylie and that album and not the Birthday Party and his early work like most Australians.
OK, it is a fine song beautifully executed,, but for me, it is incongruous.
Not a poor choice of song for any relative conflict, but a poor choice of partner for the magnificent images.
Tempo and mood are right, but something is missing, a little component that would make this beautiful work complete.
How about we all suggest a bunch of other songs that could be put to these beautiful images and the best suggestions can be edited together and played during breaks at Mumbrella 360 next week?
Here’s my nomination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjxNnqTcHhg
(seriously, it works beautifully)
How come we can have an emotive and stylish ad to flog Australia to Australians and then get cheesy dross to sell it o/s ?
@Hoges – agreed, I think this is very stylish, evocative and actually appropriate to SA – there is something here that is slightly dark, visceral yet always redemptive – much more intriguing than horrid sunny couples in vineyards and a 2nd Rate hotel.
beautiful food and wine shots but as a destination ad i found it pretty off-putting. my impression was a deliverance-style pack of hillbillies holding shotguns in the dark which i know is not true (mostly). the music and some of the images just gave me the creeps.