Textual Analysis – Blink 182 – The Rock Show

I chose to do The Rock Show by Blink 182 as other piece of textual analysis as I believe it has an interesting video that is very unique.

The video is a mixture of performance and possible with both concept and narrative. The beginning of the video actually explains what they are doing in the video, which is different from most music videos. Aside from the performance side of the video, the rest is set out more like a documentary.



The music video shows connotations of punk rock videos and skater videos. The first example of this is the fish eye lens used for the bands performance in a very small room (see first picture below). This is also shows a contrast to stereotypical performance aspect of videos as we expect to see the band playing in a large open area or on a large stage with a crowd watching, not in a small room the band can barely fit in. However later in the video the band’s performance location changes and they get the signature rock band crowd (see second picture below).

The second point is that video is shown more as a documentary than being concept or narrative based. There is a lot use of handheld camera shots and in one shot you can even see one of the other cameramen, which, not only shows the video is aware of it’s constructed nature, but also this is common in skater videos and of music video’s of this same genre. Towards the end of the music video they show this link again by having skateboard’s doing tricks over the band’s van (see below). The band is also shown smashing up various objects throughout the video such as a TV, their instruments and even a car, which again shows connotations of the punk rock genre.



This video also doesn’t show appear to show any relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. However there is a connection between the music and the visuals with lots of cuts on the beat by using straight and jump cuts. One part of this video shows strong connotations of the postmodern theory of style over substance when the band takes a homeless person and they turn him into a well-dressed gentleman. He is still homeless however just seeing him afterwards you wouldn’t think he was (see below).



The video is also constantly self aware, with Blink 182 written on the side of the band’s van as well as on the banners hanging around the band for the performance shots. The video ends with the plane towing a banner saying, “take of your pants and jacket” which is the name of the album that this song comes from (see below).