Iron Maiden concluded the “Legacy of the Beast” tour on October 27 last year after running it for three years, with a total of 140 concerts, minus the two pandemic years, of course. The third part of the tour featured three songs from their latest album, “Senjutsu,” so it became evident early on that they wouldn’t do a full “Senjutsu” tour as they normally would. Hence, the excitement was great when it was announced that they would partially focus on the 1986 classic “Somewhere in Time” and partly on “Senjutsu.” Five songs from each album were promised – and delivered as promised. The big question was which five songs would be played. In addition to these ten songs, there would be additional classics – but with 17 albums released, there was much anticipation about which ones would be chosen, as there wasn’t much room left for many more songs in a show that lasted just under two hours.
Iron Maiden always begins at 20:50 by playing the UFO classic “Doctor Doctor” over the speakers. The fact that it didn’t start until 21:03 is not a good sign, as it suggests technical issues. But on the other hand, it’s not too far off schedule to indicate major problems.
“End Titles” by Vangelis from the movie “Blade Runner” served as the intro, just like on the “Somewhere on Tour” in 1986-87. This was naturally expected given the focus on the “Somewhere in Time” album. It’s delightful to see the triangle-shaped lights on the ceiling, reminiscent of the triangles on Eddie’s chest on the album cover. This is in bright neon, clearly inspired by “Blade Runner.” It’s beautiful and quite striking, if I may say so. Goosebumps already start here.
The goosebumps factor doesn’t diminish as Iron Maiden launches into “Caught Somewhere in Time” as the first song. It explodes in the audience as a powerful start. Though entirely expected, as this was the opening song of the 1986 tour. But for the majority of the audience, it’s a significant moment to hear the song live since it hasn’t been played since that tour in 1986-87. So, many haven’t heard the song live before – people like me, who were a bit too young to see them back then. However, technical issues are present, and already the second time “Time is always on my side” is sung, Dickinson falters. Fortunately, they recover quickly.
Bruce Dickinson is wearing those “Google glasses” and a type of trench coat associated with cyberpunk, which goes hand in hand with the “Blade Runner” theme. It’s the first time Iron Maiden is using screens on the stage, but only two on the sides since there’s still a typical backdrop covering the entire middle section. It looks quite stylish, and all of this aligns with the “Somewhere in Time” theme.
The goosebumps factor doesn’t decrease when the second song comes, which is none other than “Stranger in a Strange Land.” A song that hasn’t been played since the “Ed Hunter” tour in 1999 when Bruce and Adrian returned to the band. Quite enjoyable. The song also features one of the most beautiful solos ever created. Now, Clint Eastwood-Eddie also makes an appearance with his cowboy hat and long coat – just as we know him from the cover of the single for the song.
“The Writing on the Wall” is the only one of the three songs from “Senjutsu” that was played last year and is being played now. Not surprising since this was the one that worked best among the three. It still works just as well and gets the audience singing along.
The next song is “Days of Future Past” from “Senjutsu” and has never been played live before. Now, the backdrop changes to an image of a time machine, similar to what we know from the “Wasted Years” single. The years have been changed to 25.12.1975, which is the date Iron Maiden started, 3.9.2021, the date “Senjutsu” was released, and 29.9.1986, the date “Somewhere in Time” was released.
Appropriately, it continues with “The Time Machine,” also played for the first time this evening. It wasn’t a big surprise that these two songs were chosen, as both are great tracks from “Senjutsu.”
More surprisingly, the 1982 classic “The Prisoner” makes an appearance. There has been speculation about them bringing something from “The Number of the Beast” since the album turned 40 last year – but at the same time, I didn’t see this coming. So, this was a very pleasant surprise. A fantastic live song that hasn’t been played since the “Maiden England” tour in 2014.
After Bruce Dickinson shares that it’s freezing cold on the stage and his “nuts” are about to freeze off, he introduces “Death of the Celts.” This is one of the three longer epic songs from “Senjutsu,” and it’s a bit surprising that they included two epics from that album, as I had been quite certain all along that “Hell on Earth” would be played.
An entirely unexpected song is the 1988 classic “Can I Play With Madness,” which, like “The Prisoner,” hasn’t been played since the “Maiden England” tour. A small assumption was made when this was printed on a t-shirt before the concert. This is a very audience-friendly song that prompts sing-alongs and always works well.
On the other hand, “Heaven Can Wait” was a given in the setlist, as it used to be a regular part of the setlists until 2008. So, it wasn’t a surprise that this was brought back. Previously, this was the song where a small group of the audience would come on stage to sing during the middle part. This time, the audience didn’t come out, but Eddie himself did. He comes out with a laser pistol, which prompts Dickinson to reveal a laser cannon, and the two start “shooting” at each other. Childish, of course, but a lot of fun, and it looks cool with all the pyrotechnics on stage as they “fire” at each other.
For years, there has been debate about whether Iron Maiden would ever play the epic classic “Alexander the Great.” The thing is, they didn’t play it in 1986 when it was released, and if a song isn’t played on the album tour, they never play it later. So, it has looked unlikely all along. Steve Harris has explained that they already had the 14-minute-long “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in the setlist and wanted to carry it over into 1986-87, so it wouldn’t fit to have two long epic songs. As a result, “Alexander the Great” was never played, despite being a fan favorite and one of Steve Harris’s own favorites. But now, as they were doing a tour focused on “Somewhere in Time,” it became a “now or never” situation, and the fans have been nagging and pushing like never before. In addition, Maiden themselves have hinted a lot in recent years that “maybe, maybe” it will happen. Nicko McBrain has, for example, expressed a desire to play this live. Sure enough, this became a reality, and the song that had never been performed live before causes the audience to explode while tears stream down everyone’s faces. I can feel my tear ducts struggling as I write this, actually. A historic moment in metal history, and the song is finally in the setlist. The fact that Iron Maiden performs this perfectly and Dickinson sings it perfectly makes the moment absolutely ideal.
Now, it’s time for the hits, and the two biggest inevitabilities in the setlist come one after the other. “Fear of the Dark” has been played at every concert since its release in 1992, except for the “Early Days” tour in 2005 when they only played songs from the first four albums. It’s one of Iron Maiden’s biggest hits. Many fans might be tired of the song because it’s played so often, but I appreciate how it always gets the audience boiling and produces overwhelming sing-alongs every time.
“Iron Maiden” has been played at every concert since the band’s inception in the 70s, and it wouldn’t be an Iron Maiden concert without it. Naturally, the Eddie head comes out in a large inflatable samurai version behind the drums. Additionally, a walk-on Eddie dressed in his samurai costume appears. So, a double dose of Eddie this time, which isn’t exactly common.
After a quick pause, it’s time for one of my personal highlights. I love “Hell on Earth” from “Senjutsu” because it embodies everything a perfect Iron Maiden song should have. I assumed this was a given in the setlist since it’s absolutely fantastic. Additionally, Steve Harris has stated that it’s his favorite from the album. It’s heartening that it’s not just me and Steve who feel exactly that way, and there’s singing throughout the whole song. I love that Iron Maiden manages to elicit such a response for new songs, as there are no other bands of their age that can do that. The fact that “Hell on Earth” garners as much response as many of the classics underscores how good and relevant Iron Maiden still is today and has been all along. The backdrop now is Eddie as the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand, reminiscent of the sci-fi classic “Planet of the Apes.” Fantastic. Additionally, impressive pyrotechnic effects run through the entire song. So, the risk of Dickinson freezing his “nuts” off is definitely gone now. What a fantastic song and what a beautiful moment.
“The Trooper” continues the concert and is entirely expected given that it’s one of the most played songs by Iron Maiden. It’s actually in fourth place. However, “The Number of the Beast” is in second place, and “Hallowed Be Thy Name” is in third place, and they had to take a back seat this evening. Many might miss these songs, as well as “Run to the Hills,” which wasn’t played either, but with 197 songs in their catalog, it’s not surprising that some have to give way. So, before you say, “I don’t understand why they didn’t play that song,” remember that they’ve created 197 songs!
“Remember … we’ve been doing this for nearly fifty fucking years … every day we do this is our best fucking day of our lives … all right!” Dickinson shouts before the last song, and tears fill my eyes again. “Wasted Years” was a given, being played frequently and being from “Somewhere in Time.” Additionally, it’s a perfect way to conclude the concert. More surprisingly, Adrian Smith makes a mistake in the middle part and drops out. This isn’t particularly audible since Janick Gers is playing the same part. But it’s very visible as he stops playing and laughs a bit as he looks around. The reason for the mistake was that he couldn’t hear anything due to monitor problems – something they had throughout the concert. Such small mistakes make them seem very human, and it’s good to see a band of this age that doesn’t use backing tapes, clicks, or other aids. Iron Maiden is genuine, and they play 100% live. Always! The screens display various motifs that have been used on event shirts over the years, evoking a sense of nostalgia for Iron Maiden and everything they’ve done in their career.
And with that, the concert is over, and Monty Python’s classic “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” plays over the speakers for an audience that’s in ecstasy over the incredible concert we’ve just been treated to.
Hell on Earth Metal Zine 