Rū Ana Te Whenua: Alien Weaponry Shake Europe. RNZ Music's new 10-part web series that follows Northland thrash metal band Alien Weaponry on their 2018 European tour.
In 2018, the three teenage members of Alien Weaponry achieved a lifelong dream: performing at the world’s biggest metal music festival, Germany’s Wacken Open Air. Rū Ana Te Whenua: Alien Weaponry Shake Europe follows their journey.
When Alien Weaponry found out they’d be playing the world’s biggest metal music festival, the three teenagers ‘lost their shit’.
Flash forward nine months and brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong with friend Ethan Trembath are onstage at Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival, with thousands of metal fans shouting back their Māori lyrics and screaming for more.
Rū Ana Te Whenua: Alien Weaponry Shake Europe follows Alien Weaponry as they travel across Europe, playing small gigs and giant festivals to thousands of fans.
Alien Weaponry performing at Wacken Open Air in Germany Photo: Screen capture
The band travelled with their parents Niel and Jette de Jong. Niel looked after front of house sound throughout the tour and Jette was tour manager, taking care of “everything else that no-one wanted to do”, including running the merch desk at all the band’s gigs.
The documentary was shot by DOP and Director Kent Belcher who was embedded with the band for six weeks in June and July 2018.
Kent went everywhere with the band, sleeping in the tour van, sharing campsite meals, and joining in with regular ‘Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi’ sing-alongs. He “basically became part of the Alien Weaponry whānau”.
Watch Rū Ana Te Whenua: Alien Weaponry Shake Europe online now.
Rū Ana Te Whenua was produced by The Down Low Concept with funding from NZ On Air.
