Videodrome’s Video of ’Let’s Have a Kiki’ Goes Viral
Craig MacNeil and Blythe Russo, the masterminds behind the alternative, glitter-packed Boston dance night Videodrome Discothèque, have a lot to celebrate: last June marked Videodrome’s third year anniversary; and more recently the Boston Phoenix named the event the best dance night in the city.
The couple is also celebrating the success of their fan-made video for the Scissor Sisters’ sassy track, "Let’s Have a Kiki," from the group’s latest album "Magic Hour."
The video went viral last month and spread across the interwebz like wildfire as several media outlets reported on the retro-inspired clip, which currently has more than 250,000 views and 2,300 "likes." According to Billboard, the vintage-pop video became so popular it has even increased sales for the Scottish band’s song by 52 percent.
Videodrome’s "Let’s Have a Kiki" is a mash up of pop culture clips ranging from "Paris is Burning," "The Golden Girls" and drag queens, to Bill Cosby, sweaty men and everything in between.
Even the band’s front man Jake Shears approved the video via his official Twitter and said he was "obsessed," calling it "one of the best things I’ve ever seen. Thank you thank you thank you. Fking killed it."
MacNeil recently talked to EDGE about Videodrome and the popularity of their epic music video.
EDGE: What is Videodrome Discothèque?
Craig MacNeil: Videodrome Discothèque is an audiovisual dance night, where we play a mixture of Vintage Pop, Disco, New Wave, Rock’n’Roll, and select modern artists such as Lady Gaga, Scissor Sisters & Robyn.
EDGE: What do you and Blythe do at Videodrome?
Craig MacNeil: I am the DJ & VJ, so I select all of the music, edit all the video, and came up with the name and format of the night. Blythe designs all of the promotional materials, takes all of the photos, and is the face of the night on the dance floor. We both handle the promotions online and elsewhere.
EDGE: How did Videodrome start?
Craig MacNeil: The night began when I wanted to put on a night combining my passion for vintage video and love for music. The specificity of music was crucial to developing the flavor and feel of the night, as well as building a diverse audience.
EDGE: How did you and Blythe meet?
Craig MacNeil: We met at a karaoke night in JP. Blythe told me I looked like Tim Curry, which couldn’t have thrilled me more.
EDGE: What made you decide to make a video for the Scissor Sisters’ "Let’s Have a Kiki"?
Craig MacNeil: Really just hearing the song.
EDGE: What inspired the video?
Craig MacNeil: The lyric is so rich, and the track is just killer. I pictured a video in my head and wanted to make it a reality.
EDGE: Where did you get the clips for the video?
Craig MacNeil: I’ve been collecting video of all kinds since I was a kid, so I pulled from my collection.
EDGE: Have you made similar videos for songs in the past?
Craig MacNeil: I have - mainly for use at the night. I’ll be posting a few of them in the coming months, along with a few new items.
EDGE: Did you think the video or other videos you’ve made would go viral / get the response this video has received?
Craig MacNeil: I don’t think you can ever predict something like this. I basically made the video to play at episodes of Videodrome Discothèque, and had a feeling that the band might like it. It was put together for the love of the song as well as the love of the process. I made something I wanted to see and that I had a feeling my friends would like, which is a good guiding principle to go on.
EDGE: When did you first notice that the video getting popular?
Craig MacNeil: It was shortly after posting - we were beyond thrilled. The first big wave was from the band, and since they’re very special to me I was ecstatic.
EDGE: What was it like when Shears approved the video?
Craig MacNeil: I was thrilled to get such wonderful responses from the band after I sent it to them. All of them said some really wonderful things to me about the video, on twitter and in person. They’re absolutely lovely, and the whole thing couldn’t have been more of a dreamy experience.
EDGE: Do you know if the Scissor Sisters plan to make it their next single?
Craig MacNeil: As far as I know it’s been released as a promo single, and the video’s been serviced to clubs. As noted in Billboard, sales of "Let’s Have A Kiki" have already surpassed the current official singles, so I’m not sure if an official single will be issued.
EDGE: Is creating music videos something you are interested in? Will you continue to make music videos for songs? If so, any idea what you’ll do next?
Craig MacNeil: I never like to discuss projects in the works, but there’s definitely something in progress, so stay tuned to the Videodrome Discothèque on Twitter or Facebook.
EDGE: Has the success of ’Let’s Have a Kiki’ helped out Videodrome in any way?
Craig MacNeil: Absolutely. The video’s popularity has brought a lot of wonderful things to us, not the least of which is the heightened awareness of our dance-parties and brand. Why, we even got an interview with EDGE Boston!
Watch the video below:
Checkout Videodrome’s Facebook and YouTube channel as well as MacNeil’s Tumblr.
