This badass collection features a select list of titles that were withheld from our TV screens when first made, or caused trouble in other ways. Moral offenders include heavy metal band Timberjack’s town belt satanists, Hell’s Angels bikers, and a ‘no nukes’ Spike Milligan. Also in the list is The Neville Purvis Family Show, which did manage to screen, but got in hot water after an infamous use of the ‘F' word (not included here). Other offenders include meat-is-murder music video AFFCO, and Headlights’ drunk babes at the milk bar. 

This episode of C4's music series Homegrown Profiles looks at the long career of New Zealand heavy rock's favourite sons Shihad. Singer Jon Toogood talks frankly about the band's highs and lows, from forming at Wellington High School to the release of Love is the New Hate in 2005 (when this was made). In a sometimes brutally honest self-appraisal, Toogood talks about the band's success in Australia being tempered with too much drug-taking and ego, their ill-fated name change, and the great American dream that didn't quite work out as planned. 

This documentary delves into Christchurch underground band Into the Void. The Black Sabbath-inspired group was formed in the late 80s by art school students Jason Greig, Paul Sutherland, Ronnie van Hout and Mark Whyte. Two decades spawned only two albums; the reputation of “Christchurch’s answer to Spinal Tap” rests on legendary live shows, with noise complaint-worthy riffs splitting ears at former bar Dux de Lux. Director Margaret Gordon assembled archive and interviews with band members and mates to capture the milieu of metal, booze, quakes and art. 

A social cricket match in Cornwall Park needs a third umpire after a bogan's dog swallows the ball in this short film. As the men in white struggle to field the ball, a statistics-obsessed sport crosses absurd boundaries. A line-up of contemporary NZ comedic talent features on the field— plus New Zealand Black Caps cricketers (and 1992 World Cup bowlers) Chris Pringle and Willie Watson. Bradman was written and directed by Peter Tait (actor in classic shorts The Singing Trophy and Kitchen Sink). The film includes classic song ‘Bradman’ by Australian singer Paul Kelly.

Hamilton hard rockers Knightshade produced a run of sweaty, riff-heavy 80s anthems. This live performance of ‘Out for the Count’ comes from a 13 May 1987 show at The Galaxy in Auckland, which was recorded for both a 1987 album and a Radio with Pictures special. The other featured band was Stonehenge. Knightshade vocalist Wayne Elliott is joined by Gael Ludlow (then better-known as presenter of nature show Our World). The live album Out For The Night Live! made it to 37 on the Kiwi charts. ‘Out for the Count’ had previously got to number 26 on the singles charts in November 1986.    

Head Like A Hole (aka HLAH) were a clap of heavy metal thunder over the jangly chords of the early 90s New Zealand music scene. Known for unhinged, "apeshit" live shows and outrageous clothing-optional antics, their flame died out amidst drugs and acrimony before a 21st Century reformation. This all-access passion project from director Julian Boshier was a decade in the making, tagging along with Nigel 'Booga' Beazley (and partner Tamzin), Nigel Regan et al, as the still rocking members of this distinctive Kiwi rock’n’roll family enter middle age: spats, moshing n’all.

Designed to provide viewers with a “perfect storm” of gore, guitars, girls and comedy, Deathgasm is the tale of a two young heavy metallers who accidentally summon up a demon. Blazing a bloody trail at festivals across the US, the film was born from the Make My Movie Project. Four hundred pitches for a low budget Kiwi horror movie led ultimately to one winner, a tale inspired by the metal and movie-mad youth of digital effects man turned director Jason Lei Howden. After debuting at US festival SXSW, Deathgasm won enthusiastic reviews and festival slots in Sydney and NZ.

This segment of regional show Today Tonight covers the arrival at Wellington Airport of glam-rockers Kiss (with faces obscured), and the erection of 22 tonnes of equipment for their 1980 ‘Unmasked’ tour. Presented by Roger Gascoigne, the item shows playful sound bites from Simmons and co in full make-up, plus contest winner Scott Loveday after he gets to meet the band. Gene Simmons might have been made for loving you baby, but the "hottest rock show on earth" (tickets $12.50) battles against wind and rain at Athletic Park. The park is now the site of a retirement village.

The Datsuns’ origins are in Trinket – a high school band in formed in Cambridge in 1997. They renamed themselves in 2000 and made an immediate impression in Britain – hailed by the English music press and recording sessions for John Peel’s BBC radio show. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin produced their second album and Lars Ulrich of Metallica has also praised them. Dolf de Borst says of their music, “It can be too light for people into heavy metal, and too heavy for people into straight garage - we purposefully make it so it doesn't fit into one place”.

Alien Weaponry shot to prominence in 2016, after becoming the first band to win both the Smokefree Rockquest and Pacifica Beats contests, with their unique brand of te reo-infused thrash metal. The band's debut single 'Urutaa' followed later that year. Released in 2018, first album Tū was streamed over a million times on Spotify in its first week of release. Signed to Austria's Napalm Records, Alien Weaponry performed at Slovenia’s Metaldays festival, plus one of the world's largest heavy metal fests — Wacken Open Air in Germany — fulfilling drummer Henry de Jong's goal of playing at Wacken before he turned 20.