An icon of the 1990s and 2000s indie rock scene in Australia, Bluebottle Kiss (BBK) were known for their intense, atmospheric sound. Formed in 1993 as a grunge group, they later signed to Murmur Records, home to notable Australian bands Silverchair and Something for Kate.

This clip documents BBK playing their song 'Hitchhiking in New Zealand', live on the Channel [V] program The Gig. It represents an interesting period where Australian independent music was shown on Australian TV before the internet really took off, championed by Channel [V] and ABC TV titles like Rage, Recovery and – later – The 10:30 Slot. This footage captures the boundary-crashing energy of the era, and BBK's raw stage presence. Droning guitars, overlapping and associative vocals, a powerful sense of dissonance: BBK drew on these elements to create a unique emotive experience.

The band has worked with notable US producer Jack Endino, who produced the first Nirvana album, Bleach. After disbanding in 2007, lead singer and songwriter Jamie Hutchings continued to make music as a solo artist. In 2022, the band reformed to play live shows in support of the vinyl reissue of their third album, Patient. Their homecoming gig at the Crowbar in Sydney in October 2022 was filmed and recorded, and later issued on vinyl as a live double album titled Never Leave Town.