Residents of a New Zealand town are being terrorised by gangs of hoons blasting Celine Dion songs in the middle of the night.
Power ballads by he French-Canadian singer ring out as late as 2am on some nights in Porirua, north of Wellington on New Zealand’s North Island.
The tunes are being blasted by drivers known as ‘siren kings’ who rig their car’s stereo system with sirens fitted to the outside of vehicle.
The Titanic theme songstress is known to be a favourite for siren kings because of her high treble and minimal bass, making it easier to crank up without the use of subwoofers.
Songs such as ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’ carry throughout the 60,000-strong town because it sits at the bottom of a valley which reverberates the sound back and forth.
Residents of a New Zealand town are being terrorised by gangs of hoons blasting Celine Dion songs in the middle of the night
Police have received almost 150 noise complaints over the past year about the bizarre phenomenon.
The city’s mayor, Anita Baker, said in a statement that police ‘have limited powers to stop this kind of activity happening’.
‘Often the sirens and noise are spontaneous and we can’t control where this happens.
‘We’ll continue to work with all the parties involved – including the siren clubs – to try to find solutions.’
Police responding to noise complaints in the city often find themselves arriving at the scene long after the siren kings leave to blast music elsewhere.
Even when they arrive on time, officers usually don’t have the equipment to disperse large crowds.
The tunes are being blasted by drivers known as ‘siren kings’ who rig their car’s stereo system with sirens fitted to the outside of vehicle
The siren king subculture has gained popularity in the past decade, after a ‘siren jam’ by a young South Auckland artist, Jawsh 685, became an international hit.
One of the leaders of an Auckland-based siren king group, Paul Lesoa, said the club was nothing more than a hobby that helped kids stay off the streets.
‘You’d be surprised how talented and creative these guys are,’ he said, according to the NZ Herald.
‘It’s not easy wiring all these sirens together and there’s also real camaraderie in learning it and helping each other out. It keeps guys off the streets, it keeps guys out of gangs, and it’s a brotherhood here.’