Cheap Trick - ELO Kiddies (Staged Performance Music Video)

In the grand tradition of rock’s unapologetic rebels, Cheap Trick’s ELO Kiddies official music video bursts onto your screen like a Molotov cocktail of raw energy and sardonic wit. From their 1977 self-titled debut album, this track, penned by the riff-slinging maestro Rick Nielsen, is a three-minute middle finger to societal norms, wrapped in power chords and Bun E. Carlos’ relentless drumming. The video, directed by Chuck Lashon, captures the band in their prime—mugging for the camera with a smirk that says they know something you don’t. It’s pure, unfiltered Cheap Trick: groovy guitars, pounding beats, and lyrics that taunt the “kiddies” to revel in their youth before the world grinds them into dust.

Why ELO Kiddies? The title’s a sly wink, either a play on “hello” or a nod to Electric Light Orchestra’s Roy Wood, a hero to these Rockford renegades. Nielsen once quipped the song’s about “real maniacs from nuclear power plants,” while Carlos saw it as a battle cry for kids to “go nuts and have fun” before life’s ulcers and headaches kick in. The song’s got layers—part satire of education’s soul-crushing grind, part call to arms for youthful rebellion, all delivered with a Gary Glitter-esque thump that’d make your grandma clutch her pearls.

The video itself is a time capsule of ‘70s grit, shot with the kind of bare-bones charm that screams “we spent the budget on beer.” Expect Nielsen’s iconic checkerboard guitar, Robin Zander’s sneer, and a performance that radiates the band’s live-wire stage presence. Fun fact: this was one of the first songs recorded at The Record Plant in NYC under Aerosmith’s producer Jack Douglas, giving it that raw, in-your-face edge. Rumor has it, the band’s love for The Move’s California Man influenced the song’s vibe, tying their sound to the roots of power pop royalty.

Crank the volume, let the riff hit you like a freight train, and revel in Cheap Trick’s gloriously defiant anthem. ELO Kiddies isn’t just a song—it’s a reminder to stick it to the man while you still can. Watch now, and don’t let the squares tell you to turn it down.