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Music

VICE Premiere: Montero's "Xenides" Video

This goes out to the late, long-time letter-spinner of Australia's Wheel of Fortune.

Oh shit, Montero just sent us the first clip from their upcoming rock opera project Xenides. If you’re not old or Australian enough to know already, Adriana Xenides was the long-time letter spinner and co-presenter on our version of Wheel of Fortune. She did it for eighteen years (a record eventually broken by Vanna White) and once went sixteen of them without missing a single day. She was married three times for less than three years each and had no kids so you could say the show was her life. Also, she was a babe and it’s sad she died age 54 of a ruptured intestine. Don’t think of that when you watch this clip.

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VICE: So what's with you and Adriana Xenides anyway?
Ben Montero: Adriana just kept popping into my head at night so I became a bitobsessed about her and thought her story should be told in song. She was an amazing woman with an interesting story, a tragic ending and some wonderful outfits. She was the Guinness Book of Records holder for longest running game show host at one point, and she spoke five languages.  I don't think she handled living without the limelight very well though.

Did you watch a lot of the show?
Yes everyday, but I didn't pay attention to the actual game ever. I liked all the colours of the set and I liked to zone out on the wheel spinning around. Sparkly gold, black bankrupt, funny noises, easy listening music, shopping. Adriana sets off those associations for me.

This is directed by Christian J. Petersen of I Want You. How did you guys link up?
There's a Facebook page for PPennetrationn NNoww, his audio visual art night that's based in in Seattle and we kind of met through that. He does crazy GIF art and mental video stuff. We thought we should work together and I wanted something for this track.

Are you gonna work together again?
Oh for sure.

We heard there's a chance of a live musical based on your Xenides album. Will it look like this?
That would be amazing! Maybe in the projected visuals but hard to pullof in real life without DMT. Yeah it's definitely coming soon and it's should be ace.

And do you have favourite Adriana moment after watching all that Wheel?
No they're all special to me.

Like this guy and wanna see more? Watch Meet Montero on Noisey.com