Synopsis

Helium perform "XXX" inside a cavernous, condemned hospital, turning the abandoned building into an unnerving stage. Mary Timony sings and plays guitar while projected liquid forms ripple across the band and an overhead projector. The performance is intercut with images of the group wandering through the derelict site, Timony soloing on an escalator, and the eventual demolition of the building. The stark, sluggish visuals mirror the song's weary mood, combining deadpan humor, decay, and noisy guitar experimentation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed around 1993, before "XXX" appeared on Helium's 1994 EP *Pirate Prude*.

• The band gained access to a condemned former hospital in Boston. The building was reportedly demolished soon after filming, giving the video an accidental document-of-a-lost-place quality.

• Mary Timony recalled that the shoot took place in extremely cold weather, yet she wore a nightgown for the performance.

• Timony later described the songs from the *Pirate Prude* period as an attempt to "unlearn" her established guitar technique. She deliberately detuned the instrument, bent strings, and played in a rougher, less conventional style.

• The video's combination of decaying architecture, warped projections, and an overhead projector being destroyed made it a memorable example of early-1990s alternative video culture.

• "XXX" was featured on *Beavis and Butt-Head*, whose commentary helped expose Helium to viewers outside the indie-rock audience.

• The video was cleaned up and reissued online in 2017 as part of the renewed attention surrounding Matador's Helium reissues and the rarities compilation *Ends With And*.