Urban Tribe 2: Scene

The next urban tribe I'm going to analyse is 'Scene Kids';

Scene kids are typically the urban tribe that listen to metal and rock. Scene kids are often mistaken to be emos but aren't. They have multicoloured hair - usually contrasting colours e.g. black and pink. They usually also do this with make-up. Stripy, plaid, patterned, band shirts, skinny jeans and accessories including sunglasses, hats and jewellery. According to uktribes.com scene kids are described as:

"scene kids are ruling the school with their looks and attitude - they live for social networking and aren't short on opinions"

Scene kids tend to stick to metal/rock and don't really stray from their path. Music they listen to can include Asking Alexandria, A Day to Remember and Sleeping with Sirens.

An example of a music video a scene kid would watch is Asking Alexandria's 'The Final Episode';

Elements of this music video that can be identified as scene or the conventions of a rock music video are:

• dark lighting
• long hair
• instruments
• screaming
• black/leather costume
• live performance

Long hair

long hair is a trait of rock music videos. Scene kids seem to fall at the knees for guys with long hair, which seems to attract that type of audience. Long hair on a guy isn't a usual thing you'd see every day (although nowadays they're around more but when this music video was released long hair wasn't very popular), so long hair attracts the scene kid audience to the music video.

Instruments

Scene kids love guys who play instruments. Along with scene kids watching channels like Scuzz and Kerrang! they are attracted to this type of music video. The playing of instruments are usually a convention of the rock genre, hence attracting a possibly wider audience to the band than they initially anticipated. Guitars/instruments are symbolic of alternative genres of music, which obviously won't really appeal to an audience of classical music or urban jazz. This allows the producers to target the correct audience and not give a misleading effect of what the band is about.

Dark lighting/grey scale

Dark lighting is another element of a rock music video. Scene kids contrast their hair and clothing with black so dim lighting and lack of colours obviously seem to attract them. Someone who likes pop music with lots of parties and bright colours won't be interested in this sort of music video - again, attracting an audience that will like and watch the music video multiple times.

Live performance

although this isn't a live performance in a sense of being in front of a crowd, it gives the effects to the audience that you are the crowd of the music video, allowing you to connect with the music and the band. Live performances along with the presence of instruments show that this is an alternative music video which won't be liked by every person that listens to it. The instant reaction of maybe a chav or a hipster would be to turn it off but if scene kids look at it then it will make them want to turn their attention to it.

Black/leather clothing

This blends well with the grey scale of the music video, giving the effect of the band blending into the background which is ironic because they're not the usual type of band that would fit in with a lot of people. Scene kids like to stand out from everyone and have an opinion so the irony of the music video that the band don't fit in will attract the audience of the scene kids because then they will relate to the music video and will continue to not want to fit in with the crowd.

Screaming

Screaming is a typical part of a rock music video and this also attracts the audience of the scene kids because you can hardly miss it. A lot of the time there is screaming with Asking Alexandria which a lot of people don't always understand. This is a typical element of this genre of music. Scene kids usually either don't care or listen to so much 'screamo' they learn to understand it. (Trust me, it' like learning a whole new language. Here are the lyrics (with the screaming parts in bold);

Oh my God.

Oh my God.

If only he knew,

If only he knew,

If only he knew about the world without the bullsh*t and the lies,

We could've saved him.

They could've saved me.

But instead I'm here drowning in my own f*cking mind,

And I'll be damned if you're the death of me.

Blood and ink stain the walls.

Silently with bloodied knuckles, I carry on

Hoping it's not too wrong.

You said the nights were far too long.

'Honey, it's just the start of it.'

Oh my God.

If only he knew.

Oh my God.

If only he knew.

If only he knew!

If only he knew.

Just stand up and scream.

The tainted clock is counting down.

(Faster and fast!)

You gave in to me.

Would you say the nights are far too long now?

(Faster, and faster and fast!)

(My God!)

Oh my God!

Oh my f*cking God!

The tears that stain my cheek make me look weak!

I wear them proudly!

I wear them proud!

Just stand up and scream.

The tainted clock is counting down.

(Faster and fast!)

You gave in to me.

Would you say the nights are far too long now?

(Faster, and faster and fast!)

[x2:]

Your knife,

My back!

My gun,

Your head!

You need a doctor baby,

You scared?

You need a doctor baby,

You scared?

You need a doctor baby,

You scared?

You need a doctor baby,

You scared?

You scared,

You scared?

Yeah!

You need a doctor baby,

You scared?

You need a doctor baby,

You scared?

You need a doctor baby!

You need a doctor baby!

You scared?

Scene music tend to be a lot angrier than most music, hence the screaming. This, however, is a way they describe and express themselves. A lot of the scene kid urban tribe is about expression - this definition of expression is demonstrated through music and physical appearance.

Voyeurism isn't usually an element of the scene kid music video tribe however in some music videos there are aspects of voyeurism, especially if the lead singer is a female. An example of this is 'Miss Nothing' by the Pretty Reckless: