Holy Barbarians - Space Junkie HD

What this video is

Released April 1996 on Beggars Banquet Records, 'Space Junkie' emerged from a brief but culturally resonant project led by Ian Astbury following his departure from The Cult. Recorded at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, the band's sound synthesized 1960s psychedelic and proto-punk influences with mid-90s alternative rock production. The video was directed by Chris Cunningham at a pivotal pre-breakthrough moment in…

Why it matters

Documents the transitional post-grunge / psychedelic rock revival moment in mid-90s UK alternative music, while serving as a rare early-career artifact of one of the most influential music video directors of his generation. The video bridges the raw performance energy of guitar rock with the…

The director

English director and visual artist born in Reading, Berkshire, 1970. Before transitioning to directing, contributed concept art and animatronics to major film productions, including designing animatronic prototypes for Stanley Kubrick's A.I. Artificial…