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Supreme Being
Group: LFM Metal DB
Last Login: Today @ 11:07:06 AM
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Going to an Iron Maiden show has been widely considered as a right of passage for metalheads for over 25 years. Until a true metal fan sees an Iron
Maiden show, it is as if something is missing from their lives. It's not only seeing the legendary band perform, it's the entire experience of the whole
night. Listening to your Iron Maiden albums the whole day so the songs are fresh in your mind, sitting in whatever form of transportation you are taking
impatiently as you anticipate the night of metal that is about to ensue, arriving at the arena where Iron Maiden music is blasting out of hundreds of cars
while people are having bar-b-qs and beer. An experience like that is one of a kind. Especially when you consider the fact that very few metal bands
could attract such a large crowd for this to be possible these days.
This is also a multi cultural experience. Not only people from all over the country were present, but people from countries ranging from Canada to
England to Israel were in attendance. Yes, I don't only mean people from those countries who live in the US were present, I am talking about people that
flew in from their respective countries were at the shows!
Where else could one see something like this? People from all different backgrounds, cultures, religions, age groups and musical preferences are all
gathered together for one purpose, and that was to see Iron Maiden! I even had some quick conversation with some of these individuals and I can
honestly say, Maiden fans are some of the most loyal fans ever.
My night started as I was patiently waiting in Penn Station so I could take the LIRR to Nassau County (I don't remember the name of the stop, I think it
was Hempstead or something like that). Arriving at the station, groups of fans went splitsies on cabs. That in itself was somewhat of a social experience.
Once arrived at the arena, I walked around the venue to try and take in the whole "Heavy Metal parking Lot" experience. While it wasn't quite like the
movie since I got there about 45 minutes after doors opened, the parking lots were still full. Many people had the same idea as I did, get in the venue at
9pm so we can skip the god awful opening act (Bullet For My Valentine, or shall I say Bullshit For My Valentine) and just see the live spectacle that is
Iron Maiden. Although I had another problem with getting in and walking around helped me get an idea as to how I shall solve that problem, but I won't go
into that now.
So by the time I get in the venue, the opening band had been long gone thank goodness. About 5 minutes later, Iron Maiden's cover of UFO's Doctor
Doctor blasts out of the PA. Everyone is cheering since they know that Maiden will come on stage as soon as the audio cover finishes (it was an
amazing cover by the way, I liked it as much, if not more, than the original from 1974 if I'm not mistaken).
Once Doctor Doctor ended, the band came running on stage and the band started with Different World, the opening track to their recently released
album, A Matter Of Life And Death.
The stage was covered in forts, trenches and a huge screen that showed newspaper clippings, "Eddie" art, and the like all with war themes.
After blasting through that set opener, they go into These Colors Don't Run, the album's second track.
As I had seen the set list before hand, I was expecting, as well as ecstatic, that the band would be playing the 70 minute album in its entirety. For those
who were not expecting it, the fans were probably starting to figure it out.
After a few songs, Bruce talks to the fans for a few minutes. He mentions how this is a special night because the band will be playing their new album
in full, which may have pissed off some fans, but it sure was a special night for your's truly!
He also mentions how this album has reached number 9 on the American Billboard Charts, a chart which is dominated by pop music. He mentions how
important heavy metal is, how it's starting to make a comeback in the USA, and how pointless pop music is.
After his short dialogue with the fans, the band continued to play.
When the band was in the middle of playing For The Greater Good Of God, not only did a tank with Eddie in it appear, Bruce saw a fan holding a banner
that said "Play Classics" on it. He pointed to that fan, signaled with his finger that he wants it brought to him, and he tore it up and threw it to the side of
the stage. At one point in the show, a piece of that paper was flying through the air.
As the band was going to finish off the A Matter Of Life And Death section of the show with the album closer, The Legacy, a few guitar stands with
acoustic guitars were brought up to the stage. It kept the music very true to the album's version. With The Legacy ending, the band had fulfilled their
promise of playing A Matter Of Life And Death in its entirety, something I will not forget at any time.
Right after, without skipping a beat, Iron Maiden began to play their classic epic, Fear Of The Dark. Fans were cheering, as everyone in that venue
was, or at least should have been, very familiar with the 1992 classic off the album with the same name.
After playing that, Bruce's trademarked "SCREAM FOR ME....!" had the audience cheering, which led to the band playing a very well known riff. That
one riff caused horns to be raised, beers to be chugged, "stuff" to be smoked, but most of all, heads to be ferociously banged. That riff was none other than the intro of the classic track off of Iron Maiden's self titled album, Iron Maiden. Fans were singing along and throughout the song, they were
cheering and shouting out to the band. After that song was completed, the band left the stage.
Horns were raised and hands were clapped as one chant filled the arena filled with well over 10,000 metalheads. "WE WANT MORE" had brought the
band back to the stage.
Bruce had informed us that they have to stop playing by 11pm, but if anyone wants to stay for almost another hour after the show, it would be 2
Minutes To Midnight. Of course, they executed that song wonderfully.
Next up was the classic from Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, The Evil That Men Do. As the atmospheric guitars and synths started the song, everyone
was clapping along rhythmically. As the song got heavier, the clapping turned into horns and headbanging. During the song, a 2.5-3 story tall Eddie
came walking on stage. He had his machine gun pointed at the band and the audience. To give you an idea of how big he was, from where Bruce was
standing, his feet were at around the middle of Eddie's chest and his head reached Eddie's hair.
Then the night's closer, concert staple Hallowed Be Thy Name started out with soft guitar strumming and the sound of thousands of metalheads
clapping in unison. Fans were singing along to the NWOBHM classic as the band flawlessly played through it.
As the night had ended, fans chanting out "MAIDEN, MAIDEN, MAIDEN...", the roadies came on stage and started taking the equipment.The band sounded amazing. Bruce had an amazing amount of power in his voice, which really impressed me since from all the live CDs and DVDs I
have seen/heard, he doesn't always sound so great live. He can sing off key and lose a lot of power. But not this time. This time, he sounded better
than he did on many of Iron Maiden/Bruce Dickinson albums! He also had amazing stage presence! Besides for the fact that he did not stand still at any point throughout the show (he was constantly running up and down the stairs of the fort), he also kept shining a prison light at the fans which got everyone into the show a little more.
The band sounded very clear. I heard every single drum beat from Nicko, every single riff and solo from Dave, Adrian and Janick. But most of all, I
heard every single bass line from Steve! The ride home was excellent. It was a cold night, so waiting for the train was a little difficult. But when the train came, sitting in a warm car, filled with
metalheads (even the person checking the train tickets was a huge Maiden fan and was very upset that he couldn't get to the show), it was simply one
of the greatest nights of my life.
My only complaint, arenas. There, I said it. I hate arenas. Metal is about the fans connecting with the music. When the fans are sitting down getting
stoned, it kind of takes it away from the live experience. Sure, my arm was up the whole time and I dare not sit down at a metal show, but it is very
different when everyone else around you is doing the same thing. It kind of cuts back from that reserve you have. But I just focused on the music and
kept looking the lower level where everyone was lively, so I was able to bang my head, shout along and raise my horns without feeling reserved.
Part of that complaint is that the section where I was put was pretty much the only one where most of the people were lifeless. Everywhere else, people were standing, moshing (even in the upper levels), and shouting. But after a couple of songs, I was able to loosen up. Anyway, if I was going to rate this night, it would be a 10 out of 10.
- What you used to love now, you're gonna adore. With Charmin Ultra, less is more. Cha Cha Cha, Charmin.
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- Wipe ya ass, wash ya self.
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Supreme Being
Group: LFM Reviewer
Last Login: Today @ 9:57:49 AM
Posts: 631,
Visits: 2,587
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excellent review....Iron Maiden still rule..gotta hand it to em after all these years... \m/ in the dictionary next to the word "Heavy metal" should be a picture of 'Eddie" the Maiden mascot...and everyone will know that Maiden are Metal..nuff said!
"When I had journeyed half our life's way, I found myself within a shadowed forest, For I had lost the path that does stray"
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Supreme Being
Group: LFM Metal DB
Last Login: Today @ 11:07:06 AM
Posts: 3,741,
Visits: 8,855
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I don't even think any Maiden merchandise could go through a metal detector without the detector exploding.
- What you used to love now, you're gonna adore. With Charmin Ultra, less is more. Cha Cha Cha, Charmin.
-
- Wipe ya ass, wash ya self.
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Supreme Being
Group: LFM Metal DB
Last Login: Yesterday @ 10:27:34 AM
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Awesome Review . I have always enjoyed seeing Maiden Llive. They are absolutely killer with their stage show and their sound. Too bad they arent coming south though . Oh well maybe next time.
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Supreme Being
Group: LFM Reviewer
Last Login: Today @ 4:50:16 PM
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Seeing Maiden live is truly a religious experience, in a metal kinda way. 
As long as I got Rock n Roll I'm forever young
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Metal Demon
Group: LFM Metal DB
Last Login: 8/19/2008 10:48:07 AM
Posts: 219,
Visits: 1,300
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Bad ass review im glad you got to experiance a maiden show live....there aint none better. And to the fans that are bitching about the set list should just be lucky enough that maiden even decided to tour in the US period
We're in the darkest region of the human brain, a radiant abyss where men go to find themselves........We're in HELL!!!!!
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LivingForMetal.com
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 8/26/2008 9:26:02 PM
Posts: 3,297,
Visits: 15,091
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Great review... I still haven't seen Maiden  I guess I haven't gone through my right of passage
"Belief solely based upon faith is inherently rooted in the fear of negative consequence" - Bare
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