Four rules of being in a band

Henry de Jong

Bream Bay College student and 15-year-old drummer Henry de Jong is a key member in Northland band Alien Weaponry. He keeps life simple, doesn't like secrets and believes Northland should have more music events for teens

1. Describe yourself in three words.

Loud, nocturnal, committed.

2. What time do you usually go to bed?

Anywhere from 9.30pm to 6.30am (anything after about 12am is normally due to being at gigs that run late into the night).

3. What is the most important advice you have ever been given?

Four rules to do with being in a band ... practice, write good songs, stay together, don't be a dick.

4. What part do you play in Alien Weaponry and what do you like about it?

Drums, I've never been good with composing toned music, and I have a knack for drumming. I also do some backup vocals. I like to add some guttural growls to our stuff.

5. At 7pm on any given weeknight, what are we likely to catch you watching on television?

I don't have TV. My family has exchanged TV for unlimited broadband, which I think is better.

6. What album are you listening to at the moment?

I don't tend to listen to one album, I like change ... although I am really fond of Lamb of God's new album Sturm und Drang.

7. What is the one thing you could not live without each day?

This is a hard one. I am a rather indecisive person so it's hard for me to decide on one thing, I'm gonna go with my brain.

8. Tell us something that most people don't know about you.

I can't think of much that people who know me don't know, I have a relatively open life and don't keep many secrets of my own.

9. When it's been a full-on week, what is your favourite way to unwind?

Four things - gaming, YouTube, doing a few rounds on a makeshift punching bag and sleeping.

10. What would make Northland a better place for teenagers?

More things to do would be nice, things like paintball or airsoft (a game where participants eliminate opponents by hitting them with spherical non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms called airsoft guns.). It would be good to see my peer group doing this rather than getting stoned or drunk (or both) every weekend. Also more community events like live music festivals and markets.