I’ve been told that only two things in life are certain: Death & Taxes. I’m here to tell you there’s a third: purchasing a ticket to an Iron Maiden concert is worth ever penny of the admission price. Every penny!
Things have changed a little since I first saw the band on the World Slavery Tour in June of 1985. Most notably, is the size of the tour shirt I purchased: 1985 = L, 2008 = XL. Heh. Onward.
The only stop on the Somewhere Back In Time tour I was able to attend was last night at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. I joined the fan club a few months before the announcement of the US dates with hopes of getting advance tickets and taking a week off work and traveling from show to show. Unfortunately, that dream had the lifespan of a housefly. I guess I’m not too bummed about it though, because what I experienced last night will definitely hold me over ’til they pass through a nearby venue again.
From the moment the crowd surged forward and the tour footage video featuring “Transylvania” appeared on the video screens at each side of the stage, I could sense I was about to experience something incredibly special. Everything about last night’s show blew away the Maiden shows I’d seen previously. The set was incredibly tight, which is expected of Maiden and was once again delivered. Bruce Dickinson has obviously been taking good care of himself and sounded better than ever. The energy level executed by Bruce and bassist Steve Harris was contagious. The stage was definitely more amazing than anything I’d seen prior and featured different backdrops to accompany the song being played (which can be seen two photos below with “The Trooper” backdrop). The pyrotechnics were enough to set the entire east coast ablaze. Those who made their way up front will be my witness when I tell you the temperature rose a good 10 degrees when the “…hell and fire were spawned to be released” during “Number of the Beast”. The following photo will give you an idea of what I’m going on about:
The three guitar players (Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Jannick Gers) shared the stage in perfect harmony and steered this well-oiled machine from start to finish. It’s amazing to see how well this band plays together. Every member is a vital part and performs without missing a beat. And speaking of beats…how incredible of a drummer is Nicko McBrain?! I once read a comment that Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee said about Nicko: “The man is a ~*%#$% octopus.” Well said, Tommy. Well said.
I realize I’m gushing throughout this review (and have every reason to), but unless you’ve experienced a Maiden show firsthand, it’s hard to put into perspective how great the event is.
I know a lot of the regulars of the site aren’t big fans of the band (or metal), but I’ll close this review with the following statement: I’ve seen Big Star, Cheap Trick, The Jam, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, Jesus And Mary Chain, etc. Iron Maiden blows every single band you consider influential off the stage…if you consider yourself a music fan and have never taken the time to experience Maiden live, it’s hard for me to…uh…er….consider you a music fan.
I hope that any Maiden fans who stumble upon this will share their experience of the Rosemont show (or any other for that matter) in the comments section. “Scream for me, Chicago!”
Two that were on the World Slavery setlist, but weren’t played last night:
Download: Iron Maiden - “Running Free”
Download: Iron Maiden - “Flight Of Icarus”
Note: Photos from this entry are not from the Rosemont show. They represent the experience well though, so I swiped them lovingly without permission from the Maiden website. Up The Irons!!
June 13th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Hey Dude. I saw Maiden on the current tour 2 times in australia. Everything you said was exactly how it was in sydney and brisbane. The band was fabulous, and the crowd went nuts, sang every song and just cheered and cheered. At one stage bruce sat down cause the crowd were just screaming and screaming and even bruce couldnt get a word in. We didnt get the mummy eddie in australia, but we got bruce say, “scream for me sydney!!!”
I still nearly cry when I think about it.
I have seen Radiohead, pearl jam, gunners, kiss, heaps of aussie bands including AC/DC, dinosaur junior, heaps of bands during the indie years, slayer and ministry and many more. Never have I seen adoration for a band like I did with Maiden. And never have i seen a band not only live up to the adoration, but surpass it. On the train going to the show and the station, people were singing and cheering and even then the atmosphere was electric. I google maiden and it seems that this is repeated across the globe. I was under the impression that maiden didnt do well in the states. Did ok but not huge. It seems to me that you guys have joined the party.
Not bad for a band that has no radio airplay and never has.
I cant wait for the next record and next tour.
Up the irons.
By the way, slayer rocked hard and were good too.
June 13th, 2008 at 9:50 am
The show on June 11th was definitely a special experience. I went with my brother (I’m 17. he’s 15) and it was our FIRST TIME seeing Maiden live! Finally, after missing AMOLAD Tour because of school, we were able to fulfill our dreams!
Right from the first note of “Doctor Doctor” the crush began in the pit. A few rows behind me, a couple of 30-35 year-olds thought it would be funny to count down and then repeatedly ram the row in front, pushing us forward. As the lights dimmed and Churchill’s speech started, the crush became more intense, now coming from the sides as well as the back. From the moment when the lights came up and the band played the first note of Aces High to the last note of Two Minutes To Midnight (the second song) the crowd in the pit was absolutley fucking INSANE! You couldn’t hold your place for more than a couple seconds! Now I know that it is inevitable that there will be a crush in the crowd for a show like this, and I was able to deal with it just fine, but to the assholes who started that shit and kept it up, there were a lot of smaller people in the pit who couldn’t handle that (including one woman who I had to help lift up to the barrier). I pretty much have no memory of Aces or 2 Minutes because I had to concentrate so hard on not getting crushed, and that’s not why I came to see Maiden.
However, after Bruce told the crowd to take a step back because “people were turning blue” the show was perfect! At one point in between songs Bruce sat down on the monitors for about 5 minutes, and the crowd kept a deafening roar up for the entire time! I think we definitely exceeded their expectations, and hopefully we helped counter the negative connotations that seem to have been associated with US crowds. Anyways, I’d have to say the highlights of the show were: Revelations, The Trooper, ROTAM, Moonchild (!!!!) and Hallowed Be Thy Name. The pyro during NOTB was spectacular! Six 20 foot-plus towers of fire shot into the air! And the pyro explosions in ROTAM were perfect! The huge Eddie mummy at the back during Iron Maiden was awesome as well, although the lighting and pyro work as a whole was the real highlight of the stage show. The stage set looked amazing, don’t listen to anyone who tries to tell you it’s not “Powerslave” enough: the thing was fucking great! The band were in top form, Bruce hit all the high notes, Nicko stayed on beat, etc. and towards the end I got about three rows from the barrier (started about 7 back) It was SO SURREAL to be THAT close to my heroes!!! I’ll never forget that moment during The Clairvoyant when Steve Harris LOOKED RIGHT AT ME. I know it sounds cheesy, but they really do make you feel like you’re right up there next to them, they don’t leave anyone in the crowd out!
All in all: it was perfect. I stopped caring about the setlist. I got into every song (even CIPWM, which I hate) and the band, lights, pyro, and atmosphere (except for the constant weed smoking :P ) were FANTASTIC! 100% definitely the best day of my life so far!!!!!!!
June 13th, 2008 at 10:30 am
It’s only fitting that Iron Maiden flaunts the most frightening mascot in the business because their amazing performance last night in Chicago was so good it was scary.
Iron Maiden is just one of those bands, much like AC/DC, that despite the decade, their loyal following will always be there ready to shower them with adoration.
Before Maiden even graced the stage, the crowd was going absolutely bonkers with Maiden chants and deafening rounds of applause that were encouraging the band to feed the hungry crowd with their metal classics.
After the short Winston Churchill speech, like a bolt of lightening, Iron Maiden was already seconds into “Aces High”. The devoted crowd stayed on their feet with devil horns in the air the entire two hour set. I do not believe that I have ever seen a crowd so continuously energetic during a show. The frenzied crowd was so worked up that the Allstate Arena was literally bouncing up and down.
Iron Maiden blazed through a stellar set of all 80’s era Maiden with the addition of the always-pleasing “Fear Of The Dark”. What you wanted to hear you heard - “The Trooper”, “The Number Of The Beast”, “Run To The Hills”, “Powerslave”, “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”, “The Clairvoyant”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, “Wasted Years”, “2 Minutes To Midnight”, “Iron Maiden”, “Heaven Can Wait”, “Revelations” and “Can I Play With Madness” were all included in the setlist. For me, the standout performances were “Powerslave”, “The Clairvoyant”, “The Number Of The Beast”, “Iron Maiden” and “The Trooper”.
Bruce Dickinson’s voice was crystal clear and as powerful as ever, and the complex musicianship of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain was an education in the pursuit of flawless Heavy Metal perfectly executed.
What is so sensational about this current tour is that you get to see all the classic Maiden stage setups all at once. The backdrops and props constantly change to give the crowd a glimpse of the Iron Maiden heyday - an Eddie Sphinx head separates revealing an enormous Mummy Eddie, a Two Story Somewhere In Time Cyborg Eddie walks around onstage and interacts with each member, picking at their guitars and mimicking the act of masturbation, and a giant Beelzebub lurks onstage during “The Number Of The Beast”. Iron Maiden without a doubt puts on the best stage production that I have ever seen.
The Iron Maiden show was an epic moment in my metal history and a must see for any true Metalhead. If you do go see the current Maiden tour, a little advice - get there early. At each stop the band has special event shirts for that particular city and they sellout fast. I was fortunate enough to get the Chicago event shirt, which features Cyborg Eddie as a gangster in Prohibition Era Chicago (it is a play on the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that bloodied Chicago’s history). Let’s face it, you all want that shirt souvenir because Eddie is hands down the best mascot in music history.
June 13th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Great review buddy
June 13th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Best live act ever. End of conversation!
June 13th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
This was my first real Maiden concert and I was just feet from the stage. I say real because the first time I saw them was at Ozzfest. This was hands down the most awesome experience of my life. The crowd was tough but I had fun battling them all night. I tried hard to keep the guy in front of me from getting smashed and a couple behind me worked on keeping me from getting crushed. Oh well, that’s half the fun. I sang every note until I was hoarse! I have wanted to see Maiden for a long time and when I got the chance I wanted the full experience. Boy did they give me a show! The stage set was phenomenal and the set list was perfect. I don’t think I can ever attend any other concert because nothing can compare to what Iron Maiden does. Bruce Dickinson is a mad man and Steve Harris is a god! I want to thank the lady behind me for the Dave Murray guitar pick. I pays to watch out for other people!
June 14th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The show in Chicago was the best Maiden show I’ve seen since I first saw the Piece of Mind tour back in ‘83. The thing, though, that impressed me the most was how the band played the songs at the same speed you’re used to hearing them on their albums. When the adrenalin is flowing during a live show, the songs just naturally seem to speed up, and in some cases, are almost unrecognizable. Not in Chicago. I think it’s a true reflection of the approach Maiden takes to their craft that they played the songs as we’ve all come to know and expect. And someone made a reference earlier about the time Bruce sat down on a monitor and just the let the band revel in the adoration they got (very much deserved!), and said “Welcome back Chicago”! All in all, it was a tour de force, and I can’t wait for their next tour stop! I brought my son from Kansas City to see the show, and he’s already planning (and plotting) on how to get closer to the stage. Well done, Chicago.