Sync Watch: Visit Victoria soundtracks Taxiride’s ‘Get Set’

The latest Visit Victoria tourism campaign features an iconic Aussie hit from 1999.

The creative promotes vibrant Melbourne through a series of video spots looking at favourite neighbourhoods; favourite day trips; the latest restaurants, bars, public artwork and boutiques in laneways, rooftops and basements; and even one aimed at hard-to-please teenagers.

The soundtrack comes from the harmony-pop band Taxiride, who were made up of four songwriters and vocalists, and who all hail from Melbourne.

They named themselves after a taxi driving friend of theirs who boomed out their demos to his passengers – one of whom turned out to be the Warner Music executive who signed them.

The campaign theme is “get set”, after Taxiride’s debut single from 1999, which reached #1 in Australia, broke New Zealand and got airplay throughout the US although its chances were affected because its overseas label was going through internal turbulence.

It was from their chart-topping album Imaginate which went on to score double platinum.

Starting with a swirl of sitar, the song declares: “Get set (get set) everybody/ We’re on our way (we’re on our way)/To meet you/…And I will be there.”

“The song was actually written just before Taxiride broke through,” singer Jason Singh tells TMN.

“We were singing about how we were going to prove we were going to take on the world and deliver, which we did. But I can understand why it was chosen for this series of ads – it evokes feelings of moving forward, travelling, and finding new experiences.

“It’s a great piece of escapism, and particularly relevant after the people emerge from pandemic restrictions having had time to reflect and looking forward to trying out new things.

“I’m so honoured that it’s having a second lease of life is about drawing visitors to my hometown.”

Made in LA with US producer Jack Joseph Puig, Singh calls ‘Get Set’ “a sonic masterpiece”.

Having the song on TV screens as part of the tourism campaign is great timing for Singh.

This Friday (March 19) he embarks on an extensive acoustic tour called Taxiride (Hits, Bits & Beyond), which lasts until July.

“It’s the biggest tour of my career and probably one of the biggest since restrictions were lifted.”

During the lock-in, Singh used his handyman skills and built a studio in his coastal home, and plans to start making a record after the tour.