1. Oasis - Supersonic
Oasis wereaalternative rock/Britpop bands that also
fall under alternative rock. In most music videos
associating with alternative rock, a convention of the
genre seems to be that the videos are more so about
seeing the band and them playing their instruments
Genre rather than a narrative to the video. Similarly, in this
video, it is mainly about Oasis and the camera
concentrates a lot on their guitars and drums. Meat
shots of Liam Gallagher are also used, showing lip
syncing which is a popular association with Britpop in
general. The location of the video, on the roof of a
building, is a common setting for this genre. The
majority of alternative rock videos are normally shot
within a city or indoors. For example, I don‟t think
you‟d see this video been shot on a beach or abroad.
The video for „Supersonic‟ by Oasis mainly targets a
male audience, ranging from aged 16-35 however;
this audience has changed in recent years with
younger generations becoming more attracted to the
band and their image. The use of common clothing
and an edge to their personalities appeal to many
Audience males but also attract females who like the rough
around the edge look. The use of such a significant
and attracting frontman like Liam Gallagher also
attracts a range of audiences. To the younger
generation, he can sometimes be seen as a
flamboyant and egotistical person. However, to older
generations, the common idea associated with him is
of his arrogance and hubris.
Oasis are a prime example of a strong, influential
Britpop band. Liam Gallagher, the front man,
portrays a strong individual and this is shown a lot
within this video. Such a unique frontman with a
strong personality makes many males respect him
and aspire to be like him. This has been proven in
Representation such bands as The Killers, Artic Monkeys, The Strokes
and Kasabian. In the early days, Oasis were also seen
to represent the working classes of society, which the
band emphasized on a lot. Liam Gallagher used the
ideas of John Lennon and his working background
and incorporated them into his music, which would
also represent older generations who supported John
Lennon and his ideas.
The video for „Supersonic‟ does not have a narrative
of such. Instead, the band are playing on a rooftop,
with close ups of the members playing their
Narrative instruments. The camera, however, seems to focus on
Liam Gallagher the most though. This proves Andrew
Goodwin‟s theory of “Star Image” when the main
“star” is shown a lot to show their importance and
dominance within the band. Looking at the lyrics, the
song doesn‟t really have a straight up meaning. There
is a Beatles reference to “Yellow Submarine” but
personally, the only thing I could say from the video
about the narrative is that it‟s about a drug addict
called Elsa, who‟s having a tough time and the lyrics
are offering her help e.g. “Cause my friend said, he‟d
take you home”.