Iron Maiden rocks the house

**Hurin_Rules** · 08-15-2005, 16:35

I got the chance to see Iron Maiden this summer (thanks again, Ichi!) and I have to say they still rock the house. I'm an old Maiden fan but hadn't seen them in over a decade. I was wondering if they're still any good (they are about 50 now) and what they'd be like.

On this tour, they were only doing material from their first four albums, and that was fine with me-- I wasn't so big on Somewhere in Time and the stuff after Seventh Son. I started listening to them with Number of the Beast and think that their first two albums are tow o ftheir best.

I was blown away. Their set was draped with old singles and ep covers. I saw the one from Maiden Japan (Eddie with a Katana) and Run to the Hills. Before they came on, they played Ides of March (an instrumental), then the music built and when the drum solo on Murders in the Rue Morgue hit, they all blasted onto the stage. They all looked great--only Nicko had a bit of a paunch, but hell, he's a drummer. Bruce was great; for the trooper he came out in a british army uniform with a huge Union Jack. But the heart and soul of Maiden has always been bassist Steve Harris, and he was just as intense as ever, singing every word of every song even though they never give him a microphone. I could get close enough to look him in the eye, singing at the top of my lungs to let him know that we were with them. That just made them even more intense. They played stuff that they had not played for 20 years. Some of it Bruce had never played in concert before. He noted that the first song the band made him sing when he was interviewing for the position of lead singer was 'Remember Tomorrow'-- a very demanding song. Then they sang it, and Bruce did great. It was fantastic seeing songs like Purgatory, Phantom of the Opera and Prowler performed. Their finale was even Sanctuary, which brought the house down. My buddy went with me--we managed to snag floor seats--and I was a bit worried, because although he was a bit of a fan, he didnt' know the old stuff. At the end of it, when we finally found each other, he was laughing his balls off, he was so blown away. He told me that he looked back at the crowd and saw everyone on their feet, going crazy. He was just almost doubled over saying he couldn't believe how awesome it was. Their old stuff has a lot of time changes and crazy guitar solos and he couldn't believe how intense and relentless it all was.

Thanks Maiden for making me a teenager again, if only for one night.

**Taffy_is_a_Taff** · 08-15-2005, 17:07

I'd like to see Maiden some time. When I was very little I used to greatly enjoy it (I think I liked the art work and Harris's incredibly awful boys' own adventure style lyrics).

**Axeknight** · 08-15-2005, 17:28

Ooh, you lucky bugger you! I don't think Maiden are playing the UK on this tour, and I'd really love to see them.

Did they play 'Wrathchild'? That's one of my favourite Di'anno songs

**Ronin** · 08-15-2005, 18:29

is that the old people house?

**Templar Knight** · 08-15-2005, 18:45

Originally Posted by Ronin

is that the old people house?

nope - the young and cool house!

**Hurin_Rules** · 08-15-2005, 18:48

Originally Posted by Axeknight

Ooh, you lucky bugger you! I don't think Maiden are playing the UK on this tour, and I'd really love to see them.

Did they play 'Wrathchild'? That's one of my favourite Di'anno songs

Yep, it was great. One of the highlights.

**English assassin** · 08-16-2005, 09:55

I don't think Maiden are playing the UK on this tour, and I'd really love to see them.

Not as such but they ARE headlining Reading on Sunday AND I'M GOING !!

Man I hope they play the same set HR heard.

Reading is an awesome line up this year but Iron Maiden will surely be the high point. And the best thing is any teenybopper festival-goer wearing a Linkin park T shirt is going to get stomped, no messing.