Peter Bjorn and John Nothing to Worry About Director: Andreas Nilsson

Swedish director Andreas Nilsson is a vet. Having worked with most of Sweden’s hottest musical exports over the last few years (The Knife, José González, Loney, Dear) he’s developed a distinctive style while picking excellent tracks to create visuals for. But his latest effort, on Peter Bjorn and John single “Nothing to Worry About,” is unlike anything Nilsson has ever done.

Most of his work has its roots in ADD-style cutting, cartoonish animations and video collage. No grotesque masks or pen-wielding pillow monsters here; his new video is–in effect–a documentary film on the Japanese Rockabilly subculture.

Rockabilly may have already had its heyday in the United States; in fact, it has had two (thanks, Brian Setzer). But for a small group of street performers in Japan, it never left. Their hyper-stylized manner of dress, slicked back hair and choreographed dances may evoke images of Danny Zucco or even West Side Story, but these black leather-clad greasers are not to be fucked with.

The video follows Gin, the leader of a gang called Black Shadow. He makes his way from his crappy apartment to the bar to “work,” where he and his buddies spend the day dancing, acting tough and putting on a show for the tourists. The gang’s clothing is worn and tattered, with holes in their jeans and shoes held together by bits of tape. Nilsson paints what is ultimately a sad picture of Gin’s life, who takes his drink alone, spends hours styling his hair into his signature pompadour yet still wakes up alone.

The song itself, with its chorus of “do this thing, this type of thing/put a little money in this type of thing/I got nothing to worry about,” seems to be an ode to the street performer, and Nilsson is not afraid to direct the viewer towards literal interpretations of the song. He even goes so far as to overdub Adam West-era Batman fight sounds when Gin starts throwing ‘bows.

While mostly a love letter to the fearless leader and his gang, the video takes on a sad clown quality, expressing admiration as well as pity. Even the video’s closing shot ends on a funny but pitiful tone; Gin tries to show off by doing a burnout on his bike, which promptly backfires and spews black smoke over the tourists. But perhaps the most light-hearted moment in the video comes when they laze around the square eating noodles and laughing—because ultimately, it’s why they do it all in the first place. Everyone has to eat.

Related article: Peter Bjorn and John – Living Thing [Album Review]

Written by: Matthew Ismael Ruiz on April 3rd, 2009 | Filed under Features, Music Video Reviews