The music world is up-in-arms over YouTube threatening to block music videos by indie bands and their labels that refuse to sign to allegedly unfair royalty schemes, but one local Aussie band has already found their new clip ripped from the popular music site.
Though the New South Wales duo’s video wasn’t removed as part of the emerging industry battle but instead banned over something far more frivolous: a dead fish.
Central Coast band Little Earthquake claims that the video for their latest tune ‘Brightside’ was removed from YouTube by administrators for the depiction of a dead fish under charges of animal cruelty.
The humorous video, directed and conceived by Allan Brady, follows singer Matt Hyland discovering his perished pet and then fantasising about going out for a night of debauchery with his aquatic friend – played in human form by his sibling bandmate Justin Hyland – finishing with the Little Earthquake frontman pouring alcohol on the fish and burying it.
“At no time did we harm a fish. For the filming we used an already deceased fish we acquired from a local aquarium,” says Matt Hyland (who ironically, is a vegetarian) disputing the claims of animal cruelty.
“In fact the clip is a celebration of the love between man and fish and a touching tribute to their relationship. We didn’t make an ACTUAL fish [drink] vodka and we treated the corpse with respect at all times.”
The ‘Brightside’ video was apparently removed for breaching YouTube’s terms of service but Little Earthquake are fighting the fishy ruling, saying that it’s an example of censorship gone mad as well as actioning strange double standards.
“There’s a fine line between clever and stupid,” says Justin Hyland. “John Butler had zombies in his (‘Only One’) clip earlier this year so depicting dead things in a clip didn’t seem to matter there. But I guess we used an ACTUAL fish.”
“We apologise to all those in the aquaculture community whom we have offended, but that certainly wasn’t the intention.”
An automated response from the Google-owned video site suggests that Little Earthquake may receive a response over the clip, but for now the brothers are focussing on touring, promoting the release of their new ‘Brightside’ single and EP of the same name.
Having played Ric’s Bar in Queensland this past Saturday, Little Earthquake continue their trip along the East Coast for the rest of the month. But don’t expect any live fish murder.
Little Earthquake Australian Tour 2014
25th June – Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle NSW
27th June – Armidale Club, Armidale NSW
4th July – Beresford Hotel, Sydney NSW
20th July – The Evelyn, Melbourne VIC
24th July – The Globe, Brisbane QLD
31st July – FBI Social, Sydney NSW
