Performance Video Study

Performance music videos often contain shots of the artists performing:

• Can be a live stage performance, including shots of the artist and audience.
• Can be the artists in “real life” situations, for example: warming up, talking, fooling around
• Lots of close ups of the artist.
• A particular visual style that goes with the artist, e.g. clothing, actions, props, type of images.
• Often the artist can appear to perform in an unusual place - Use of lip-syncing, e.g. a field or rooftop.

As one of the most famous glam rock bands of the 1980's, Bon Jovi's video for 'You Give Love A Bad Name' has been renowned for its iconicity. 

• What is interesting is the representation of men in the women, because the audience is predominately women.
• The hierarchy of the band members is also put on show, with main shots focused on the lead singer, followed by the lead guitarist. There are very few shots of the keyboard player.

• What is immediately addressed in the video is the dangerous LA neighbour setting. This challenges the principles of a rock performance video because you would normally have a performance setting in a confined environment, only focussing on the band rather than the environment in which the performance video is being shot.
• What was unique about the video is the the events depicted in the video show what actually happened that day almost in real time, and getting busted was an integral part of the plan.

• This minimalist video breaks the conventions of a performance music video. 
• The video became the subject for many parodies, such as Gina Riley's parody "Nothing Is There" on Fast Forward, playing on the fact that she was bald.