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In time for mighty Iron Maiden’s The Future Past Tour in September, Heavy Choir has released their first tribute video, covering the band’s ‘Aces High’, filmed at the historical Moorabbin Air Museum in south-east Melbourne.
As the only metal choir in Australia, uniting people across gender, generation and ability through heavy metal singing, Heavy Choir hopes their first tribute video will reach out to Iron Maiden – and maybe get a horns up.
On location at Moorabbin Air Museum, the video features the choir rocking around impressive vintage aircraft in well-worn Iron Maiden shirts. Video Director, Melanie Kuhn of Aydindril Studios, aimed to capture the playful, raucous character of the choir, inspired by a rock documentary style and weaving the song’s narrative into the historical backdrop.‘We wanted to create a video that would capture the essence of 'Aces High' while paying homage to our military and aviation history,’ Kuhn explains. ‘We even had choir members incorporate actual WWII antiques from their personal collections.’
‘We filmed with 360-degree camera rolls to sync up with the lyrics pertaining to the plane motions such as rolling and turning,’ giving it a dynamic feel, like you're in the plane - as you’re no doubt, singing along.
Although the museum has played host to weddings, funerals and even paranormal investigations, hosting a heavy metal choir to rock out an Iron Maiden song was a welcome first for the venue.
'Engaging the wider community with heavy metal in a fun and positive way is important to us,’ Heavy Choir’s Founder, Emily Stekly said. ‘Moorabbin Air Museum is a real gem for aviation enthusiasts and history buffs, and now, metalheads. Bruce should definitely visit if he has time!'
A vintage Bristol 170 Freighter Mk 31, deHavilland Sea Venom and GAF Canberra all played a prominent role in the video – as the choir, dressed in varying shades of black, studs and chains, relished the opportunity to play fighter pilots in the cockpits and run amok on the CAC Comair bus.
Directing a line of metalheads to spin windmills in front of a jet engine inevitably piqued the interest of museum visitors young and old, who stopped to enjoy the unusual spectacle. They were surprised to discover a choir actually singing heavy metal – and having fun.
The choir version of ‘Aces High’ was arranged by Music Director and Choir Master, Dee Davidson, whose idea to have the ‘bass vocals, deep and low, rumbling their way towards a target, and the sopranos, light and agile, soar into the stratosphere’ was to evoke the feeling of being part of an elite flying squadron.
The final arrangement was recorded at Pony Music in Hallam, mixed by renowned sound master Troy McCosker. Additional footage from the choir’s recent showcase gig at The Gasometer Hotel, where the choir’s northside chapter rehearses with Alana K Vocal, also features.
Heavy Choir’s tribute video of ‘Aces High’ is a spirited and thoughtful testament to Iron Maiden’s enduring popularity and the power of heavy metal to bring people together across generations and communities.
Watch the video below.
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