The musicians generally take the focus in a music video, but when the beautiful city of Melbourne features it can be just as important as the artists themselves. Here are some of my favourite music videos starring Victoria’s capital.
4. “Happy Birthday Helen” – Things of Stone and Wood
“Happy Birthday Helen” is as much a love song to the city of Melbourne as it is to Helen. The band makes their way all over the city as they name drop about the Yarra River and the Taj. It was one of my favourite songs of the ‘90s, and I think it stacks up particularly well, don’t you? The only thing that beats it might just be that awesome parody The D-Generation did on The Late Show!
3. “Chances Are” – Invertigo
Invertigo were my great Melbourne love. They released just one album, yet I lost count of the number of times I saw them rocking out in pubs and festivals around the country. They even inspired one of my Melbourne holidays!
On that particular occasion friends took me to the spot where lead singer Christian Argenti walked while sopping wet in the “Chances Are” video. My memory’s a little hazy, but something tells me it wasn’t far from the Quality Hotel Batman’s Hill on Collins. At any rate, he walked, he looked gorgeous, and I was there. This clip might not show off the best of Melbourne, but it takes me back to a great time in that city.
2. “I Wanna Be Loved” – Elvis Costello
Aussies aren’t the only ones who film their clips in Melbourne. Long before Beyonce was in Brunswick, Elvis Costello sat in a phone booth in Flinders Street Station. It sounds pretty boring on paper, but it’s fascinating watching the singer be joined by different people in the booth.
Apparently filmmaker Evan English made Elvis stay up all night before the shoot and didn’t disclose who’d join him in the booth or what they’d do. Elvis actually said “What you see isn’t actually acting; it’s genuine emotion for what it’s worth.” The clip’s surreal but also one of the best made in Melbourne.
1. “It’s a Long Way to the Top” – AC/DC
AC/DC’s classic rock clip may be the most famous music video set against the backdrop of Melbourne. Bon Scott, Angus Young, and the gang travelled down Swanston Street on a flat-bed truck, which is only fitting considering the street’s buzzing live music scene. It’s where you’ll find venues like The Hi-Fi Bar and the Toff in Town and hotels like the Rydges on Swanston.
The clip’s so iconic you might not realise it was one of two music videos recorded for the song. The second, filmed on the same day as this one, featured the group miming the song on a stage in Melbourne’s City Square. It might have the members of the Rats of Tobruk pipe band as well, but it doesn’t sound anywhere near as cool. If you want to hunt it down you’ll find it on the Backtracks box set.
This post was written as part of the #HipmunkCityLove project. What’s your favourite Melbourne music video?
AC/DC cover bands are a dime a dozen, but few have the credentials of 
24 February 2017 – Parkwood Tavern, Gold Coast
