THE comedy duo behind a new song about travelling on a tram believe their tune could be Croydon's answer to global hits Gangnam Style and the Harlem Shake.
Korean singer Psy's single has been viewed more than 1.5 billion times on YouTube and the Harlem Shake dance craze is also an internet phenomenon.
More than 1,000 people have watched Croydon Tram, by electro comedy act Eccentronic, since it was posted on the Advertiser's website last Friday.
Susi O'Neill, who performs under the name Ms Hypnotique, believes it could be the start of something big.
"Recently there have been amazing examples of how videos can spread across the world if they hit the right note," she said.
"Everyone's copying the Harlem Shake and Psy created this incredible video which went viral.
"You never know; maybe taking some pride in our local area will put Croydon on the global map."
On face of it, the videos have little in common, although Gangnam Style was shot on a bus, hinting at a shared love of public transport.
Eccentronic's song is less punchy, featuring a synthesised beat influenced by German electro band Kraftwerk.
The video, recorded on a tram and at various stops in and around Croydon, features Susi and partner-in-rhyme John Callaghan sporting luminous green ties while extolling the virtues of Croydon's transport service.
"From London suburbs its off to work, gridlocked traffic drives you berserk. Trains and autobahns old and slow, but there's an alternative way to go," sings John before the chorus kicks in.
"Let's take a journey on the Croydon Tramlink, the future's plastic and the future's electric. It's like riding in a giant Scalextric. It's the only way to go. It's fun, fun, fun, on the Croydon tram, tram, tram."
Susi, 35, said: "People think of doing techno as very serious but we've always had a lot of fun.
"Tramlink is such an amazing transport system I think we should be talking about and celebrating it a lot more."
The video shows off local landmarks like the Croydon Clocktower and "the Brit school which gave us Dane Bowers".
"It's tongue in cheek," said John, 43. "It would have been easy for us to make a song which said 'isn't Croydon rubbish' but that isn't what we're about."
Croydon Tram, which will be released as a download in the summer, is part of a show Eccentronic plan to perform at the Brighton and Edinburgh festivals.
