Iron Maiden to Celebrate 35 Years of Heavy Metal!

[Brian Damage]

Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden have abandoned plans to quit after their next album, insisting they'll keep rocking well into old age. Just last year, bassist Steve Harris suggested the group was close to disbanding, and that band members would walk away after the next release.

He said, "We've always said we're only going to do 15 albums; we're coming up to it. There's going to be an ending point."

But guitarist Adrian Smith reveals the group has experienced a shift in opinion as it celebrates its 35th anniversary - and band members have decided to keep on recording and performing.

Smith tells MetalHammer.co.uk, "We'll carry on. The great thing is that there's clearly a huge audience out there waiting to hear what we're going to do right now; and in the real world that's not a very common situation so you have to appreciate it."

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/03/16/iron_maiden_cancel_plans_to_quit

[ABlairican Pie]

MAIDEN RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:rock: :guitar: Davey :guitar: 'Arry :guitar: Adrian :guitar: Janick :rock:

They're coming out with a new movie about their travels on their latest tour around the world, 'Flight 666'!!!!!

[ABlairican Pie]

1975

Iron Maiden officially forms in London on Christmas Day 1975. Founding member bassist Steve Harris, formerly of
the band Smiler, includes and vocalist Paul Day, who is dismissed from the band as he "lacks energy or charisma
onstage". He is replaced by vocalist Dennis Wilcock, a singer heavily inspired by the theatrics of KISS to where
he breathed fire and spit blood during shows. The band also features guitarists Dave Sullivan and Terry Rance.

The band takes their name from the 1939 movie 'The Man In the Iron Mask', based on the novel by French author
Alexandre Dumas, and from the title, the band takes their inspiration from the medieval torture device.

Steve Harris in 1974:

[ABlairican Pie]

1976

Harris hires guitarist Dave Murray to join the band, which causes irritation with guitarists Sullivan and Rance, who dislike the newcomer. Harris decides to break up the band, then reforms the group with Murray as the sole guitarist for a time.

Pics of Maiden live in 1976:

[ABlairican Pie]

1977

The lineup changed yet again when Harris hired a new guitarist Bob Sawyer, which caused tensions with Murray and vocalist Wilcock. Harris decided to fire both Murray and Wilcock, but then when the band gave a dreadful performance at one club, Harris ultimately fired the entire band. He started over yet again and rehired Murray, whom Harris thought was the most talented guitarist he had ever heard, and hired a new drummer named Doug Sampson.

The fledgling Iron Maiden was constantly beset with problems and poor professional habits from members who would soon be given their walking papers in rapid succession.

[ABlairican Pie]

1978

At one pub, the band ran into a vocalist by the name of Paul Di'Anno and interviewed him about the possibility of becoming the lead singer of Iron Maiden. Steve Harris was impressed by the gritty raspiness of Di'Anno's voice
which had a decent edge, and the former skinhead became the band's new singer.

On New Year's Eve of that year, the band finally recorded their own music, a demo featuring only three songs called 'The Soundhouse Tapes'. The demo sold out, over five thousand copies, in a matter of weeks. One song from the demo, "Prowler", made its way to #1 on Neal Kay's Heavy Metal Soundhouse charts in Sounds magazine.

[ABlairican Pie]

1979

After the punk scene, which kept many straight-on metal rockers on the sidelines in Britain for the past few years, mercifully imploded following the death of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, a new harder strand of metal rose to prominence in the U.K.: the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, an explosive form of rock which infused the energy and anger of punk with traditional metal, making it harder, faster, and more louder--and Iron Maiden were at its forefront. The band were becoming huge on the London club circuit and everywhere else.

In 1979, however, a stable lineup for the band remained elusive, as new guitarist Paul Cairns joined the band, then promptly left before they entered the studio. The band hired another guitarist, Dennis Stratton, who fortunately remained for the recording of the band's debut. One guitarist, Murray's friend Adrian Smith, was considered but was involved in his own band Urchin. Drummer Doug Sampson was dropped in favor of new drummer Clive Burr. In December 1979, Iron Maiden was signed to EMI. Earlier, the band was told by one label they would be signed if they cut their hair and played punk. Harris, who loathed punk, refused to do either. Part of their success was their unwillingness to compromise their principles for the sake of a quick buck (or pound note), and ultimately their stance paid off.

Bootleg copy from November 1979:

[ABlairican Pie]

1980

In 1980, Iron Maiden released their debut album which hit #4 on the UK charts. The album featured such monumental tracks as "Running Free", "Sanctuary", "Prowler", "Charlotte the Harlot", "Transylvania",
"Remember Tomorrow", the epic "Phantom Of the Opera", and their self-titled anthem, "Iron Maiden", which became a mandatory piece played at each concert. The band also created an identity for itself by the
familiar figure of Eddy, the ghoulish creature which would appear on every Iron Maiden album cover afterwards, drawn by illustrator Derek Riggs. Eddy would become the band's malevolent mascot.

Unfortunately, while the band was drawing large crowds touring with KISS and Judas Priest, there was further trouble in the ranks. Though Gene Simmons believed that the band was on its way to the top and even asked for one of the band's own t-shirts, that journey was to continue without guitarist Stratton. Often he preferred to tour with other bands rather than remain with his own band, the Maiden, and he seemed to enjoy playing lighter forms of rock such as the Eagles and "corporate" American bands than metal. Maiden's
management grew concerned with his commitment to the cause and questioned his loyalty to the band. It wasn't right that he spent more time hanging out with other bands while his own required unity at this
important juncture of their careers. It was decided that Dennis Stratton was no longer a member of the band, though he insisted that his commitment had never wavered, but it was all for the best. He was devastated when he was fired, but his replacement was waiting not far in the wings.

In other Maiden developments, the band was racking up considerable controversy with their album single
artwork for the track "Sanctuary": Eddy was depicted as knifing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,
who had dubbed herself "the Iron Maiden", and outrage ensued. It was considered unpatriotic to show the
new PM murdered, therefore, future pressings of the single placed a black bar over her eyes. In a second
single cover, for the non-LP track "Women In Uniform", "Maggie" Thatcher was shown as completely alive and waiting in ambush for the unsuspecting Eddy as he strolled with two gorgeous women. This time the artwork was criticized for a different reason: Eddy was now "sexist", a "womanizer"!

Regardless, at the peak of the NWOBHM scene, which boasted such bands as Saxon, Motorhead, Angel Witch, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Diamond Head, Girlschool, and even a young Def Leppard, Iron Maiden were at the head
of the pack with even greater fame ahead of them--as well as a few changes.

[ABlairican Pie]

1981

Now that guitarist Dennis Stratton was out of the band, the time came for Maiden to find a new guitarist. They did not need to look far, as they called up Dave Murray's friend Adrian Smith to fill the vacant guitar slot. Smith accepted, and once again the band was complete. The next album, the first to feature Smith, was 1981's 'Killers', which depicted Eddy in one of his most memorable poses: He wields a hatchet, grinning malevolently as the hands of a helpless victim clutches his shirt in a death grasp. While the album did not yield as many classic singles as their debut did, the record is considered a genuine metal classic which would inspire many Bay Area thrash bands such as Metallica, Exodus, and others such as New York thrashers Anthrax.

The album kicked off with a brief instrumental piece, "The Ides Of March", which segued into the pummelling lead track "Wrathchild", with Harris' thundering bass. Other songs included "Murders In the Rue Morgue", based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, "Another Life", "Genghis Khan", "Innocent Exile", "Prodigal Son", "Purgatory" and "Twilight Zone", which were both released as singles, "Drifter", and the title track. The sound was raw, fast, and featured excellent dual guitar work with Murray and Smith. The release of the album prompted the band's first tour of America.

However, as the band was tasting its first international success, trouble once again brewed within its ranks. Vocalist Paul Di'Anno spent more time carousing and getting drunk and high more than focusing on his performances. This was becoming a problem within the band which demanded professionalism
at this level of their careers, and his constant inebriation and cocaine use was affecting his singing and performing live. Maiden was not about to self-destruct because of their frontman's reckless and irresponsible behavior, so they decided to fire him.

Later that summer, the band released a mini-LP, 'Maiden Japan", which was recorded live in Nagoya, Japan, and included five tracks.

[ABlairican Pie]

1982

1982 was the biggest year so far for the Maiden. With Paul Di'Anno out of the picture due to his reckless carousing and drug indulgence, it was time to find a new singer. They found one in the frontman for the
popular NWOBHM Samson, whose lead singer Bruce Dickinson, nicknamed "Bruce Bruce", had a fine set of
pipes and strong stage presence. Once when Samson opened up for Maiden, Dickinson told himself, "I'm
going to audition for this band, and I'm going to get in!" His self-confidence ultimately paid off, as the
band told him that he was the new singer. In late 1981, the band toured in support of several upcoming
singles with the new frontman, whose singing style was uniquely different from Di'Anno's gruff, raspy
punkish style: Dickinson's voice was soaring, operatic, and he was nicknamed "the human air raid siren".

In 1982, the band's next album, 'The Number of the Beast', was released to huge acclaim. It was regarded
as one of the most perfect metal albums of all time, with several songs which became instant classics: "Run To the Hills", the riveting "Hallowed Be Thy Name", and the infamous title track. Other
excellent songs included "Invaders", "Children Of the Damned", "The Prisoner", and "22 Acacia Avenue".
The album hit #1 in the UK and became a top seller elsewhere in the world and in America.

However, in the U.S., which was undergoing an ultraconservative makeover in Reagan's America, many
born again Christian activists regarded the album, and other metal albums like it, as literally "Satanic" due
to the cover and title song. A militant campaign to destroy the album and others by metal artists such
as Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and others was enacted, and the albums became fuel for bonfires and public smashings by enraged Christians. One of the complaints about the album was that it contained "backwards masking" messages, which embedded evil and destructive thoughts and phrases in
the minds of the listener when played in reverse. There was no truth to the claims that Maiden, Ozzy,
Priest, or anyone else (in particular, Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" was especially suspect, due to guitarist Jimmy Page's occult leanings) put any such messages in their recordings. In fact, Dickinson said
that, for all of their critics' insistence that they were a "Satanist" band, the group told them to forget
about it, because "we're not interested!" Interestingly, the band not only was inspired by a poem by
Scottish poet Robert Burns to write it, but also by a chilling nightmare by Steve Harris where he dreamed
of the rise of the Devil incarnate, the Antichrist, "the Beast", as foretold in the Book of Revelation in the
Bible. The song was essentially his warning to the world, and for all of the "Christian" critics burning and
banning their albums, Maiden were basically doing the job of the church!

The album also featured the vocal talents of actor Patrick McGoohan (RIP), who not only spoke the
haunting monologue which opens the title track ("Woe to you, O earth and sea..."), but also the opening
of "The Prisoner", a song based on the the actor's popular late 60's cult t.v. classic of a former government worker who is abducted and imprisoned on a remote island village as secret forces conspire to pry his reasons for quitting his post.

Producer Martin Birch also received a little surprise when a bill for an auto accident amounted to £666.66!

"Hallowed Be Thy Name" became one of Maiden's most popular songs and was required playing at every concert. The dual guitar harmonies, building tempos, and Harris' trademark "galloping" bass made the song
one of the most memorable tracks in Maiden's ever-growing catalogue. "Run To the Hills", a track about
the slaughter of Native Americans over a century ago, became one of their biggest anthems. "22 Acacia Avenue" was a sequel to the saga of "Charlotte the Harlot" from their debut.

[ABlairican Pie]

1983

While 'Number Of the Beast' represented Maiden's breakthrough in America, the followup album, 1983's 'Piece Of Mind' was a bigger commercial seller. The track featured Eddy bound in straightjacket, locked in the cell of a sanitarium. The album included such successful tracks as "The Trooper", one of the band's biggest anthems, about the Crimean War between Britain and Russia in the 1850's, and "The Flight Of Icarus", a retelling of the classic Greek myth where the doomed central figure learns to fly with homemade wings to certain death. The latter song was designed to be a radio hit, though Harris did not particularly like the song, feeling it was an attempt to make Iron Maiden sound "commercial" and accessible to the airwaves. It was too "soft" in his opinion and did not represent fully what the band was about. Other excellent tracks included "Where Eagles Dare", "Revelations", where Bruce tried his hand on guitar, and "Die With Your Boots On". One one track, "Still Life", new drummer Nicko McBrain, who replaced Clive Burr, lent his voice to an amusing "backwards masking" track to befuddle the paranoid religious minions looking for "evil" in rock recordings. The snippet of the track, when played frontwards, stated, "Don't meddle with things you don't understand!" Burr had tired of the road and had a few musical differences with the band, so veteran drummer McBrain, who played with French band Trust, stepped in to fill the vacant drumkit.

The closing track, "To Tame a Land", was a reference to the sci-fi/fantasy saga 'Dune', though when the band asked for permission to quote from the novel, author Frank Herbert threatened them with a lawsuit if they quoted it by name, being told by his agents, in no uncertain terms, that he neither liked heavy metal nor Iron Maiden. The band went ahead and recorded the song in the book's honor, though in a more subtle fashion to avoid legal repercussions.

The album was huge, as was the World Slavery Tour that year. Maiden was quickly one of the biggest bands on the planet.

[ABlairican Pie]

1984

The next album up by Iron Maiden was 1984's 'Powerslave', another quality work which featured such popular tracks as "Aces High", "2 Minutes To Midnight", and the title track, as well as their longest song, the epic 'Rime Of the Ancient Mariner", based on the poem by 18th/19th century poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The Maiden were certainly a literary band, and were not afraid to record and perform a song live which lasted about thirteen minutes.
"2 Minutes" also dealt with the topic of war and the trend toward seeking power and glory by militaristic political leaders. Other songs included the instrumental "Big 'Orrah (Losfer Words)", "Flash Of the Blade", "The Duellists", and "Flash Of the Blade".

With this album, the band began its most adventurous undertaking yet, a colossal tour featuring an outsized set with an Ancient Egyptian motif resembling a sarcophagus of the Pharoahs--during which a mummified Eddy would burst through a wall and frighten concertgoers. The lavish set was hailed as the most spectacular rock and metal production ever devised, and nightly, the band would deliver a blistering performance full of explosions and huge lighting rigs, as well as a towering Eddy rising from the dead.

However, the band's gruelling thirteen-month jaunt across the globe brought them to the breaking point. The band was so exhausted by this extended excursion that they nearly were about to break up. The band was in demand, but they toured over a year without a break. Bruce found himself
nearly ready to collapse onstage on many occasions toward the end of the tour. He could barely keep going on. Fortunately, the band bragged that they had fueled themselves on 50,000 cans of beer during the long tour! :cheers: The tour was a huge success, though the band was completely drained by the close of it.

It was also during this time that the band became the first metal group to tour behind the Iron Curtain, playing shows in Poland, in 1984. They explained
that American folk-pop star was about to go, but the communist authorities denied him entry, stating he was an "American capitalist"! Maiden was up for the task of bringing their awesome show to a Soviet-controlled country, and countless Poles were extremely grateful.

[ABlairican Pie]

1985

On the tenth anniversary of the band's career, in 1985, Iron Maiden released
one of the finest live rock and metal albums of all time, 'Live After Death', recorded over four nights at the Long Beach Arena during their World Slavery Tour the year before. The album gave a stunning glimpse of the band in full action, delivering a powerhouse selection of songs including "Aces High", "2 Minutes To Midnight", "Revelation", "The Trooper", "Number Of the Beast",
"Run To the Hills", "Rime Of the Ancient Mariner", "Running Free", "Iron Maiden", "Powerslave","Hallowed Be Thy Name", and others to an enthusiastic crowd on four sold-out nights in Los Angeles--all done, as Bruce claimed, without the benefit of radio airplay or heavy promotion. Iron Maiden's massive successful promotion was largely from word-of-mouth, as would be one of their musical descendents, Metallica and other Bay Area thrash bands that were coming to the fore in metal.

During the live concert video, Bruce Dickinson slammed the ridiculous phenomenon known as MTV, another "musical" outlet which scarcely played the band's videos yet hyped other flash-in-the-pan wannabe "artists" whose fifteen minutes of fame would be up when a trendy clip was taken off heavy rotation. Maiden was hugely successful with little or no airplay from the cable channel. As visual as the band's shows could be, it was the music which came first and foremost. The props and effects were frosting on the full musical cake. Given the epic, dramatic nature of the band's music, a full-scale musical production with huge lavish sets made perfect sense. In lighter notes, Bruce also gave the audience a hilarious history lesson about poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his use of hemp--a hallucinogenic herb which also used copiously by none other than Queen Victoria, to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps! :eek: :lol:

The album opens with Winston Churchill's speech motivating Brits against the scourge of the Nazis in 1940, which segues into "Aces High": "We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender ..."
On the album cover, again illustrated by Derek Riggs, a tombstone contains a quote by science fiction author H. P. Lovecraft, "Not dead which eternal lie, yet with eons even death may die." This quote was included in the song by Metallica, "The Thing Which Should Not Be", which would appear on their 1986classic thrash metal opus, 'Master Of Puppets'.

After the band played over 193 hectic dates in thirteen months, the band took a well-deserved six-month break, deciding not to embark on a proposed tour behind the monumental live album. At that point, Iron Maiden had conquered the world. The planet lie at their feet, as they had become the biggest band of the year. Their success and importance was undeniable. What lie next for the world's biggest, most important band of the 80's?
(Sorry, U2... ;) )

[phoebe7165]

I'm going to see them Thurs. in Ft.Lauderdale!!!

I'm pretty excited since I've never seen them before!!

:singer: :guitar: :guitar: :guitar: :drummer:

:woohoo: props: :rock:

[ABlairican Pie]

I'm going to see them Thurs. in Ft.Lauderdale!!!

I'm pretty excited since I've never seen them before!!

:singer: :guitar: :guitar: :guitar: :drummer:

:woohoo: props: :rock:Prepare to be blown away!!! Since they're closing out their yearlong tour at spring break in Fort Lauderdale, it's guaranteed to a be spectacular show!!!

Oh yeah, the smilies above represent the "five" members of Iron Maiden. There are actually six: Steve Harris on bass, Bruce Dickinson on vocals, Dave Murray on guitar, Adrian Smith on guitar, and Janick Gers on guitar--there are three guitarists in Maiden, and one bassist, plus Nicko McBrain on drums. So there are six members total.

[ABlairican Pie]

1986

The next year, 1986, Iron Maiden were at the top of the metal and rock world. Their albums were big sellers, and
their last tour brought on tons of fans in droves worldwide. But Bruce Dickinson was not happy. Maiden were the
Led Zeppelin of the 80's, a band so big and monumental in scope--so where was their 'Physical Graffitti'? They had
the creative control to whatever they wanted, they had the world eating out of their hand, they should be recording
their magnum opus by now. In fact, Bruce had some ideas for a new, different, kind of albums, why not a Maiden
album with some acoustic tracks? He presented some of his song ideas to leader Steve Harris--who flatly rejected
them. This put off Dickinson, to have his song concepts blown off. In fact, he was rather frustrated in his role as
lead singer in the world's biggest band. He wanted something more than just to sing. Surely there was much more
to life? He felt as if he was not fully part of the creative element in the band. His role was just a singer, it seemed.
He wanted to do something else.

So the band's next album, 1986's 'Somewhere In Time', was a step in a different direction, a more prog effort, complete
with guitar synthesizers, concept album-themed lyrics relating to time travel and tempo changes. This wasn't quite the
grandiose Zeppelinesque change that Dickinson was hoping for. Synthesizers?? Maiden?? For most metal fans,
synths were anathema, a "wimpy" instrument which had taken a bad rap from metal purists, and guitar synths were no
better. The band was moving away from its heavier sound, something a little more polished and streamlined. The songs
were top-knotch, however; "Wasted Years", "Heaven Can Wait", "Stranger In a Strange Land", "Deja Vu","The Loneliness
Of the Long Distance Runner", and the title track "Caught Somewhere In Time", were strong classics, some of Maiden's
most memorable works, epic, of course, but in way that was different from their previous works. The album closed with
one more epic-length track, "Alexander the Great", another sprawling historical piece about the legendary Greek emperor
and conqueror whose empire spanned two continents over two millenia ago.

In spite of the bold changes the band had made in their compositions, the musical shift could not have come at a worse
time in metal, at least, for theirs and the direction they were taking: Maiden, and fellow metal gods and peers Judas Priest,
had both put out albums that were completely not indicative of what was really going on in heavy music at that time. While
'Somewhere In Time' and Priest's 'Turbo' represented a transition to more synth-oriented metal and rock in order to be more
"commercial", the real big scene in metal was no longer focused in Britain, but westward in the Bay Area thrash and speed
metal scene, where Metallica was quickly becoming a big name with its faster-than-fast tempos and no-holds-barred aggression
and attitude, as well as big names such as Megadeth and Slayer, both from Los Angeles, who also went into similar musical and
lyrical extreme, churning out socially conscious, dark-themed lyrics and shredding guitar work. Fortunately for Maiden and Priest,
they still had a significant edge over the new slew of "hair metal" bands glutting the airwaves such as Bon Jovi, Poison, and
Cinderella. Both bands still sold out concert tours everywhere on tours that year.

Dickinson was not the only one feeling frustrated with his role in Maiden. Guitarist Adrian Smith felt confined by the music he
was doing. But while Dickinson chose not to contribute any lyrics on the album, while Smith penned such songs as "Wasted Years",
which reflected a little of his disenchantment as a member of the band. The band had recorded a very good album, but somehow
was not the groundbreaking album as its predecessors. The band had taken a creative risk with the new album, but their timing
was a little off with the changes in metal. As for Bruce's acoustic song ideas, Harris rejected them not because they were "too
different", but because they just did not happen to be good songs, in his opinion.

In addition to the standout track "Wasted Years", the other notable thing about 'Somewhere In Time' was the image of Eddy
as a time-travelling cyborg mercenary like Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Terminator', and the futuristic setting of 'Blade Runner'.
The front and band cover also made cryptic references to band in-jokes and other trivia in the artwork. It remains one of
the band's most familiar album covers.

The album hit #3 in Britain and #11 in America.

[phoebe7165]

Prepare to be blown away!!! Since they're closing out their yearlong tour at spring break in Fort Lauderdale, it's guaranteed to a be spectacular show!!!

Oh yeah, the smilies above represent the "five" members of Iron Maiden. There are actually six: Steve Harris on bass, Bruce Dickinson on vocals, Dave Murray on guitar, Adrian Smith on guitar, and Janick Gers on guitar--there are three guitarists in Maiden, and one bassist, plus Nicko McBrain on drums. So there are six members total.

Gotcha, thanks for the heads up. I knew about all except Janick. I don't know why but I always thought there were only 5 members. You know though, I just recently started getting into them only a few years ago. Yeah, yeah, I know, what the heck is wrong with me?:crazy:

For some reason, I had a really hard time getting into them(although I am a sucker for singers with great voices, and I had always thought that Bruce had a great voice, even before I started getting into them). It wasn't until Dream Theater covered "The Number of the Beast"(the whole CD, not just the song), that I finally thought "Wow, there's some really cool songs on here"! Then it went from there.

Not only am I excited about the show, this sounds silly but I always thought alot of what makes the show is the reaction from the audience and I expect Maiden fans to be loud & crazy. I think it's going to be such a GREAT time!!

[ABlairican Pie]

Gotcha, thanks for the heads up. I knew about all except Janick. I don't know why but I always thought there were only 5 members. You know though, I just recently started getting into them only a few years ago. Yeah, yeah, I know, what the heck is wrong with me?:crazy:

For some reason, I had a really hard time getting into them(although I am a sucker for singers with great voices, and I had always thought that Bruce had a great voice, even before I started getting into them). It wasn't until Dream Theater covered "The Number of the Beast"(the whole CD, not just the song), that I finally thought "Wow, there's some really cool songs on here"! Then it went from there.

Not only am I excited about the show, this sounds silly but I always thought alot of what makes the show is the reaction from the audience and I expect Maiden fans to be loud & crazy. I think it's going to be such a GREAT time!!Yeah, the original classic lineup was 1981 through 1989, then Adrian
Smith left the band to do his own project, and then Janick joined the band and became the band's second guitarist. But when Adrian returned to the band in 1999, the band decided to keep Janick as well. He was good at diplomacy within the band, and a decent guitarist as well (though some people I've seen on an Iron Maiden chat site rag on him sometimes, but I've heard him play and he sounds pretty good. Sometimes in concert, he'll swing his guitar around in the air while Dave and Adrian do dual lead solos).

Of course I'm jumping ahead in my Maiden history here... :doh: :D

[ABlairican Pie]

1987

Maiden were continuing their dates on the Somewhere On Tour jaunt, which finished on May 21st of that year in Osaka, Japan. The opening bands on the tour included such acts Waysted, featuring UFO bassist Pete Way, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, W.A.S.P., and none other than Paul Samson's Empire, whose guitarist Paul Samson was with the self-named band which featured Bruce Dickinson on vocals.

Interestingly, W.A.S.P. was forbidden from opening for Iron Maiden in Drammen, Norway, on November 17, 1986, due to authorities there deeming the Blackie Lawless-led band as having a "corrupting influence" on youth! :eek: ohno: And people think the born-again brigades burning records here in America have their work cut out for them! Just wait another five years in Norway, when Norwegian black metal bands will commit a campaign of arsons and murders in an attempt to rout Christianity in the land of the Vikings! :eek: That'll make the boys of W.A.S.P. seem like Boy Scouts!

After that tour concluded, the band began preparation and recording for their
next studio album and spent the rest of the year in the studio.

A live clip of 'Wasted Years' from 1987:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe_MGnBUNjM

[ABlairican Pie]

1988

In 1988, Iron Maiden released their next album, 'Seventh Son Of a Seventh Son', which continued in their newfound prog direction. The album was a bona fide concept album, which told the story of an ill-fated child with clairvoyant powers. The storyline dealt with mystical themes of prophecy, reincarnation, the afterlife, and the struggle between good and evil. The album was more of a commercial success than 'Somewhere In Time', and hit the UK charts at #1, the second album by Maiden to do so. Critics praised the album as being a more accessible release, with such memorable tracks as the popular "Can I Play With Madness?", "Moonchild", "Infinite Dreams", "The Evil That Men Do", "The Clairvoyant", "Prophecy", and the title track. Also, in a surprising move, this was the first album by Maiden to feature actual synthesizers, rather than just guitar synths. According to legend, the seventh son of a seventh son is said to be endowed with magical abilities. The album hit the American charts at #12, and their subsequent tour that summer was helped by new rock & roll upstarts Guns N' Roses in what was sure to be a stunning double-bill.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck the tour that year at Castle Donington in Britain
when, during a set by Guns N' Roses being performed for one of their largest audiences, several members of the audience were crushed and suffocated to death in the massive stampede to get to the stage. Iron Maiden were shocked and devastated, but wisely chose not to cancel their show. A bigger
riot would occur if they had. It was a sobering moment for the band, but they continued with the tour.

While thrash bands like their musical heirs Metallica were becoming the new reigning kings of metal, Maiden still found they could hold their own in a rapidly changing world of rock in the late 80's. They were still successful, and the album hit a new plateau in their popularity. However, change was about to hit the band yet again in the coming year.

[ABlairican Pie]

1988

In 1988, Iron Maiden released their next album, 'Seventh Son Of a Seventh Son', which continued in their newfound prog direction. The album was a bona fide concept album, which told the story of an ill-fated child with clairvoyant powers. The storyline dealt with mystical themes of prophecy, reincarnation, the afterlife, and the struggle between good and evil. The album was more of a commercial success than 'Somewhere In Time', and hit the UK charts at #1, the second album by Maiden to do so. Critics praised the album as being a more accessible release, with such memorable tracks as the popular "Can I Play With Madness?", "Moonchild", "Infinite Dreams", "The Evil That Men Do", "The Clairvoyant", "Prophecy", and the title track. Also, in a surprising move, this was the first album by Maiden to feature actual synthesizers, rather than just guitar synths. According to legend, the seventh son of a seventh son is said to be endowed with magical abilities. The album hit the American charts at #12, and their subsequent tour that summer was helped by new rock & roll upstarts Guns N' Roses in what was sure to be a stunning double-bill.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck the tour that year at Castle Donington in Britain
when, during a set by Guns N' Roses being performed for one of their largest audiences, several members of the audience were crushed and suffocated to death in the massive stampede to get to the stage. Iron Maiden were shocked and devastated, but wisely chose not to cancel their show. A bigger
riot would occur if they had. It was a sobering moment for the band, but they continued with the tour.

While thrash bands like their musical heirs Metallica were becoming the new reigning kings of metal, Maiden still found they could hold their own in a rapidly changing world of rock in the late 80's. They were still successful, and the album hit a new plateau in their popularity. However, change was about to hit the band yet again in the coming year.


Below--Iron Maiden with fellow band Killer Dwarfs:

[ABlairican Pie]

1989

While 1988 was another triumphant year for Iron Maiden, the band would close out the decade with the first solo albums by two members . Adrian Smith, feeling confined in his role in the band, decided to pursue a solo side project focusing on more commercial music. He formed a prog-pop rock band,
ASAP, featuring members of his old band, Urchin, with whom he played before joining Maiden in the early 80's. The new band released one album, 1989's 'Silver and Gold', which featured Smith actually singing. Unfortunately, the album was a commercial failure. Zak Starkey, son of former Beatle Ringo Starr, was the band's drummer. The album was full of synths and was not at all like anything he had done in Maiden. The album featured such tracks as "The Lion", "Down the Wire", "You Could Be King", "Wishing Your Life Away",
and the title track.

Over the years in the Maiden, Smith was laying the groundwork for a possible spinoff band. In the mid-80's, as he kept in touch with his former bandmates in Urchin, during Maiden's break he formed his solo band under the name The Entire Population of Hackney, which played a one-off show in London.

While the band took a break after the 'Seventh Son' tour, Bruce Dickinson also recorded a solo album in 1989, 'Tattooed Millionaire', whose title track was a more commercial-sounding piece not like any of his work in Maiden, also featured a guitarist who would figure heavily in Bruce's regular band. Janick Gers, who had played in Gillan, fronted by former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan, was frustrated with having no new breaks in music. He was considering selling all of his musical gear and giving up altogether when Bruce asked him to play on his solo album. This move saved the guitarist and would open up further doors for him. Dickinson was asked to record a song for the upcoming
'Nightmare On Elm Street: The Dream Child', the fifth in the series. Bruce came up with "Bring Your Daughter....To the Slaughter", which was featured on the album, and was also re-recorded by Maiden for their next album. The album also featured such tracks as "Born in '58", "Son of a Gun", and a cover of Ian Hunter/Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes". The album was released the next year.

[phoebe7165]

Prepare to be blown away!!! Since they're closing out their yearlong tour at spring break in Fort Lauderdale, it's guaranteed to a be spectacular show!!!

Oh man, IT WAS!! Like I had mentioned, another thing I was looking forward to was the "electricity" from the Maiden fans. One word - INSANITY!! And I loved every minute of it!! We ended up sitting in the 400 section. My brother, who drove down from Raleigh, NC for this show, said that the best seats he could get. They will still not bad, we were on the side of the arena from of the stage. I brought my binoculars so where we were sitting, whenever Bruce went off stage during an instrumental part, I could always see what he was doing behind the stage. Mostly, he was either standing, walking around, and drinking water.

The setlist was pretty much that same as it has been throughout the tour. I was checking out setlists from past shows, and there were a couple changes but that's it.

Doctor Doctor/Transylvania/Churchill's speech
Aces High
Wrathchild
2 Minutes to Midnight
Children of the Damned
Phantom of the Opera
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Powerslave
Run to the Hills
Fear of the Dark
Hallowed Be Thy Name(in the middle of this, the floor crowd which was general admission really went nuts - crowd surfing and a couple mosh pits started up)
Iron Maiden(of course, with the appearance of the "crane" Eddie)

Encore:
Number of the Beast
The Evil That Men Do(with 12-foot Eddie, of course - That was awesome!!)
Sanctuary



Oh yeah, the smilies above represent the "five" members of Iron Maiden. There are actually six: Steve Harris on bass, Bruce Dickinson on vocals, Dave Murray on guitar, Adrian Smith on guitar, and Janick Gers on guitar--there are three guitarists in Maiden, and one bassist, plus Nicko McBrain on drums. So there are six members total.

Bruce was ALL OVER THE STAGE!! Throughout the whole show. A couple of the other guys weren't exactly slouches - mostly Steve & Dave. They were rather active during the show. Usually if I end up sitting in the higher section, the crowd up there sits through alot of the concert, reacting a little, kind of getting into the show. Not Maiden fans!! Up from the 1st note and totally into the show from start to finish. I loved it!!

After the show, all of us walking through the concourse, took a bit to get through it all, but the whole time, we were all chanting, like soccer fans chant. You might know what I'm talking about "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, I-ron Mai-den." Never seen anything like it!!

Bruce mentioned coming back to Fla in 2011. I'll be looking forward to that!!

[ABlairican Pie]

Oh man, IT WAS!! Like I had mentioned, another thing I was looking forward to was the "electricity" from the Maiden fans. One word - INSANITY!! And I loved every minute of it!! We ended up sitting in the 400 section. My brother, who drove down from Raleigh, NC for this show, said that the best seats he could get. They will still not bad, we were on the side of the arena from of the stage. I brought my binoculars so where we were sitting, whenever Bruce went off stage during an instrumental part, I could always see what he was doing behind the stage. Mostly, he was either standing, walking around, and drinking water.

The setlist was pretty much that same as it has been throughout the tour. I was checking out setlists from past shows, and there were a couple changes but that's it.

Doctor Doctor/Transylvania/Churchill's speech
Aces High
Wrathchild
2 Minutes to Midnight
Children of the Damned
Phantom of the Opera
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Powerslave
Run to the Hills
Fear of the Dark
Hallowed Be Thy Name(in the middle of this, the floor crowd which was general admission really went nuts - crowd surfing and a couple mosh pits started up)
Iron Maiden(of course, with the appearance of the "crane" Eddie)

Encore:
Number of the Beast
The Evil That Men Do(with 12-foot Eddie, of course - That was awesome!!)
Sanctuary





Bruce was ALL OVER THE STAGE!! Throughout the whole show. A couple of the other guys weren't exactly slouches - mostly Steve & Dave. They were rather active during the show. Usually if I end up sitting in the higher section, the crowd up there sits through alot of the concert, reacting a little, kind of getting into the show. Not Maiden fans!! Up from the 1st note and totally into the show from start to finish. I loved it!!

After the show, all of us walking through the concourse, took a bit to get through it all, but the whole time, we were all chanting, like soccer fans chant. You might know what I'm talking about "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, I-ron Mai-den." Never seen anything like it!!

Bruce mentioned coming back to Fla in 2011. I'll be looking forward to that!!
2011!!!! I can hardly wait!!!! :rock: Can I wait??? :eek:

The set above looks a little bit different from some of the songs when I saw them last June. I hope and pray to the metal gods they play "Rime Of the Ancient Mariner" when they tour again!!!!

[ABlairican Pie]

When you hear "Doctor Doctor" by UFO being played, it's the cue that the show's about to begin!!!

I first heard the song over thirty years ago when I was about 14 or 15. I saw UFO open for Rush in 1977, and then open for Blue Oyster Cult in 1978, and then headline in 1979--and guess who opened for them in 1979?? JUDAS PRIEST!!!! :rock:

[ABlairican Pie]

1990

Iron Maiden entered the second decade of their career with a new album, 1990's 'No Prayer For the Dying'. Unfortunately, during the recording of the album, Adrian Smith decided to leave the band due to his lack of interest in the new music. He was burned out on being in Maiden, and wanted to pursue
his solo career. The band was disappointed, but respected his wishes. In fact, Bruce's solo album guitarist Janick Gers, who was chosen as Smith's replacement, even pleaded for Adrian to reconsider. Gers was lauded as the diplomatic peacemaker in the band, and the rest of Maiden felt that he was a perfect fit for them. It was difficult to let Adrian go, but Maiden would carry on.

The new album featured their first and only #1 single in the UK, as of yet, in the newly recorded version of Dickinson's "Bring Your Daughter....To the Slaughter", released on Christmas Eve that year. The single went like a bullet to the top of the charts. The album, which featured such popular tracks as "Tailgunner", "Holy Smoke", "Hooks In You", "Fates Warning", "The Assassin", "Public Enema Number One", "Run Silent, Run Deep", "Mother Russia", and the titlle track, was an upgrading of their sound from the lofty operatic vocals of Bruce to a raspier sound, as well as a return to a more straight-ahead rock approach and shifting away from their prog style on their past two albums.

Steve Harris thought the term "Tailgunner" would make an interesting song--that is, until he found out that the term was in fact a slang term for person who participated in anal sex, particularly in gay sex! :eek: :lol: But he preferred the song's original meaning, a tailgunner in the rear section of a fighter plane, which fit in perfectly with the band's war themes. It became one of their most popular songs. Another track, "Holy Smoke", focused on the sordid scandals of t.v. preachers who had been making headlines in the past few years, and even dubbed the Reverend Jimmy Swaggart, who was not only one of the most notorious but a sworn enemy of rock and roll, as "Jimmy Reptile". The song
"Fates Warning" appears to be taken from the name of the rising metal band with Maiden-esque and prog influences. "Hooks In You", Adrian Smith's sole songwriting credit, was loosely tied in to the "Charlotte the Harlot" saga on previous albums. Strangely, "Bring Your Daughter...." received a Golden Raspberry for Best Original Song! :eek:

The album came in two covers, one which featured a resurrected Eddy attacking a gravedigger, and, in the 1998 re-issue, one with Eddy alone. The 1998 re-issue features a cover of "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin.

Earlier that year, Iron Maiden released a multi-CD compilation, 'The First Ten Years', which featured their albums and singles, as well as B-sides and covers, from the past decade. Nicko McBrain also gave a humorous narrative between each song.

[ABlairican Pie]

1991

After the tour behind 'No Prayer For the Dying' ended, Bruce Dickinson began his own solo tour in 1991. The year before, Dickinson had made his foray into
writing by coming out with his own novel titled 'The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace'. The book, which was published in 1990, told the hilarious story of
a cross-dressing British nobleman who appeared to always be strapped for cash. It was followed by the sequel, 'The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace: The Missionary Position', where the main character decided to become a t.v. preacher because he "needed the money". :lol:

Bruce Dickinson's life was anything but conventional. Born in 1958, in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, he was raised mostly by his grandparents and spent many years being shuffled around from one place to another. He was not unhappy with his situation, but found it rather different from most, to say the least. He realized he would have to work hard to get ahead since he felt totally like an outsider wherever he went. His first exposure to music came with songs like "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, to which he danced and amused his family as a young child, and later, he picked up his first record single, "She Loves You" by The Beatles. The British Invasion was all the rage then, and even then, Dickinson began to develop a taste for "good" music and determining what was "bad".

His first exposure to hard rock came from his listening to Deep Purple's 'In Rock' album. He was amazed at one song, and asked his friends what the name of it was. Irritated by his lack of knowledge and sophistication, they replied, "It's 'Child In Time' by Deep Purple. Don't you know anything?" But Bruce was captivated by the song, and began a lifelong interest in music heavier than standard pop. He attended a boarding school where he overcame being bullied by taking part in military exercizes and wargames, in which he was very interested. Unfortunately, he was expelled from school when he urinated in the headmaster's dinner! :eek: :lol: He was able to complete his studies, and in 1976, he joined his first band, where he found that he had a very good singing voice. They named themselves Styx, unaware of the popular American band at the time, but the band broke up after a disgruntled steel worker was awakened and clocked the guitarist with a bottle and tossed the drumkit offstage at one pub show. It was time for Bruce to look elsewhere.

Dickinson joined the army briefly, which he disliked, and told his parents he wanted to go back to college for a degree. During this time he served as a roadie for local acts, when he formed a band called Speed, which had nothing at all to do with drugs, he insists. It was a heavy rock band featuring keyboards, and, according to Bruce, was a good ten years before the actual
speed metal movement. He then auditioned for a band called Shots by sending in a demo tape which featured various excerpts of vocal parts, hollering, shrieking, and the like. Bruce also made a note on the demo: "By the way, if you think the singing's crap, there's some John Cleese stuff recorded on the other side you might find amusing." The band liked what they
heard and asked him to join. Shots made a name for themselves when Bruce incorporated a comical bit where he heckled a pub patron for not paying attention to the set and began interviewing him for a while onstage. This became part of the entertaining routine.

Soon a pair of musicians, drummer Barry Graham, nicknamed Thunderstick, and guitarist Paul Samson, asked if Bruce would like to join their band. This band became Samson, part of the NWOBHM scene in the late 70's. He became Bruce Bruce, after a Monty Python skit, and had difficulty adjusting to his new scene. He began to take drugs and smoke dope in order to "fit in", which he never really liked. They toured behind their debut album
'Survivors' in 1979, with Bruce on vocals, but did not have him as the original vocalist. The album was later re-recorded in 1980 with Bruce on vocals. They recorded another album with Bruce, 1980's 'Head On', followed by
'Shock Tactics' in 1981, his last one with the band. The band was still popular locally, but they had been beset by legal hassles and the like, and never achieved the popularity that was due their peers. It was time for Bruce
to move on, and he found his opportunity when he saw one of the bands that
Samson had played with: Iron Maiden. He told himself that he was going to audition for the band and get in. Maiden were a rising band, the biggest of the NWOBHM scene, and he knew he could sing better than the faltering Paul
Di'Anno, whose performances were hampered by constant drug use. He went to the band to offer his services......

And the rest is history.


Below, a Samson performance with Bruce and Thunderstick:

[ABlairican Pie]

1992

In 1992. Iron Maiden released their next album, 'Fear Of the Dark', their first album to be released only on CD rather than on LP record, which was, as a result, longer than their previous albums. It was also the first album not to feature an Eddy illustrated by long-time artist Derek Riggs. The illustration was painted by Melvyn Grant, who depicted Eddy as a menacing figure springing out of a tree at night.

The songs on the album included a socially conscious thrasher "Be Quick Or Be Dead", the Gulf War-themed "Afraid To Shoot Strangers", their most politically-minded song after "2 Minutes To Midnight", a ballad "Wasting Love", "From Here To Eternity", another installment in the "Charlotte the Harlot" saga--though there is debate among Maiden fans whether this song or "Hooks In You" is part of the song series, and the title track, which has remained one of their most popular live songs and has become a staple at every concerts with the audience singing along. "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" has also been a live staple at shows. Few other songs from the album have been kept in the band's setlist. Other tracks include "Childhood's End", "The Fugitive", "Judas Be My Guide", and "The Apparition".

While the album remained a strong seller, changes in the music scene, such as the ascension of grunge and alternative, remained a minor setback to the
band's popularity. Metal was quickly being jettisoned as the music of choice among listeners, who were jumping ship in search of the latest trend flavor of the month, yet Maiden marched on, playing to the faithful. But their biggest setback lie ahead in the coming year.

[ABlairican Pie]

1993

In 1993, Iron Maiden underwent its most critical lineup change when Bruce Dickinson announced that he was leaving the band and pursuing a solo career.
Like Adrian, he felt confined in his role in the band, and not only wanted to make his own music but also experience what else life had to offer. The rest of the band was very disappointed in his decision, but begrudgingly respected it. But the feeling in the band was, is he crazy?? :eek: :confused: Giving up his role in one of the most successful bands of all time for less-than-lucrative solo career, who really got away with doing that? Well, there was Ozzy, but he was forced out of Sabbath and got lucky. (More on that later.) It was a sign of the times, many major bands of the 80's were going through drastic changes, such as Judas Priest, whose famous lead singer Rob Halford had left the band a few years earlier to form his own band, Fight. Things were certainly not the same, and both the titans of 80's metal, Maiden and Priest were going through a period of decline as metal suffered its worst years--grunge, alternative, and rap/hip-hop were routing metal's popularity in the most depressing decade of music, the notorious 90's.

The Maiden embarked on a farewell tour for Bruce that year, and from this resulted a new live album, 'A Real Live One', which did not match the stellar performances on 'Live After Death'. The songs were quite good, but Bruce's voice seemed a little strained. Fortunately, a successful single came from it,
the live version of 'Fear Of the Dark', which became more popular than the original studio version. The album featured live versions of tracks from their 1986-1992 era, and was followed by 'A Real Dead One', which featured live tracks predating the 'Somewhere In Time' era performed on the farewell tour, as well as a few live rarities. The second live album was released that fall after Bruce's departure.

Bruce's final show with Maiden took place on August 28, 1993 in London, and was recorded for a DVD titled 'Raising Hell'. The show featured tricks by horror musician Simon Drake, who performed such feats as popping a pill and having two women "magically" spring out of his pants! :lol: He also had guitarist Dave Murray's hands "amputated" and mysteriously playing guitar on
"From Here To Eternity". The show also featured tricks where fans and band members were subjected to gruesome trick dismemberments and fiendish methods of torture. Bruce was "killed" at the final song, "Iron Maiden", before Drake himself was killed by Eddy, who impaled the musician.

Yet for all the fun and frolics of that final show, there was an overwhelming downcast mood at the last Maiden shows with Bruce. Fans knew he was leaving, and the normal exhileration found at a Maiden concert was tempered by the realization that, sadly, this was the end of an era. Nothing would ever be the same without Bruce. He was making a big mistake. Disappointed fans wondered what the next phase of the Maiden would be like, but knew it would not be matched by Bruce's tenure with the band. It was the sign of the times. Classic Maiden, and metal, as we had known it, was over. :(

[ABlairican Pie]

1994

In 1994, after a number of auditions, Iron Maiden had their new lead singer in thirteen years, former Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley. Blaze had quite a different singing style than either Bruce or Paul, neither as gruff as Di'Anno's or soaring and operatic as Bruce's. While Blaze was welcomed among the band as the new lead throat, his former band Wolfsbane was disappointed that he jumped ship for Maiden, feeling betrayed at the lack of support for his own band. Unfortunately, before the new lineup could start on a new album, Blaze was injured in a motorcycle accident which put him out of commission for a while. Fans looking on with curiosity and anticipation would have to wait another year to hear the new voice of the Maiden.

Meanwhile, the former voice of the Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, released his second solo album, 1994's 'Balls To Picasso'. The seemingly racy title was a play on words referring to the album cover, which featured a pair of squares. Since one of the most famous artists of the 20th century helped found the modern school of Cubism, it made sense that spheres would be seen as four-sided objects to the legendary groundbreaking painter. The album, which featured such tracks as "Cyclops", "Hell No", "Gods Of War", "1000 Points Of Light", "Shoot All the Clowns", a song dedicated to his son, "Hiding In the Laughing Bush", "Sacred Cowboys", and a ballad, "Tears Of the Dragon", was the first where Dickinson began a working relationship with Tribe Of Gypsies guitarist Roy Z, who would go on to appear on later Bruce Dickinson solo albums. "Tears Of a Dragon" would ride high on the charts in Brazil where Bruce and Maiden continued to remain very popular while their hit took a hit north of the border. Dissatisfied with his results with producer Keith Olsen, he decided to shop for a new producer on his next outing. The album was more in the vein of Maiden than in his first solo effort 'Tattooed Millionaire'.

Below, Blaze and Wolfsbane:

[ABlairican Pie]

1995

In 1995, Maiden fans got their first taste of the new lead singer for the band,
and released their first studio album in three years, 'The X Factor'. The album debuted at #8 in the UK and unfortunately became their poorest seller at that point. Regardless, the band was confident that the music would stand up on its own, they were rejuvenated and focused, in spite of personal problems Steve Harris was undergoing in his marriage and the like which threatened to disrupt the band's creative energy. Unfortunately, the music scene was hardly hospitable to the Maiden and other top metal bands of the 80's at that time, unlike ten years before when the band had conquered the world.

The album featured such tracks as their second longest epic, "The Sign Of the Cross", "Man On the Edge", which was based on the 1993 film 'Falling Down', starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall, about a disgruntled unemployed defense worker who goes through a murderous rampage through the streets of Los Angeles, "Lord Of the Flies", "Fortunes Of War", "The Aftermath", "Judgement Of Heaven", and "The Edge Of Darkness", based on the movie 'Apocalypse Now'. Blaze Bayley's vocals were serviceable, but nothing like Bruce Dickinson's high, lofty pitch. Unfortunately, the band's tour during this time brought them from huge arenas to small clubs, a staggering step down from the pinnacle of their career a decade before (such as when they had gone from performing at the Tacoma Dome and the Seattle Center Coliseum to tiny venues such as Seattle's The Off-Ramp, now called El Corazon). Could they build it back up to where they were before?

One problem with the tour was that Blaze developed an allergic reaction to some of the materials that the band used for special effects onstage, which cut short the tour. In spite of this, Harris had this to say about the band's progress on the album:

"We all felt that the way things were progressing - the songs, Blaze's new involvement, the sound, the commitment - the new album really would have that extra quality, that bit of magic, that X Factor. This became the working title for the album and we liked it, so we kept it. It is also very apt as this is our tenth studio album and "X" can bring up many images."

The album was also the first to feature Eddy on the cover in a medium other than an illustration--this time he was a three-dimensional figure.

http://www.maidenfans.com/imc/pictures/bootlegs/1995-96/1995-11-05_a.jpg

[ABlairican Pie]

1996

In 1996, Iron Maiden released 'The Best Of the Beast', the first of several greatest-hit compilations, which was released in three formats: vinyl record, two-disc CDs, and single disk CD. The album covered the fifteen-year career of Maiden up to the present, as well as featuring a new version of "Afraid To Shoot Strangers", a live video with Bruce, as well two songs from 1979's 'The Soundhouse Tapes', an early version of the track "Iron Maiden", as well as the previously unreleased "Strange World". Derek Riggs again illustrated the cover, which was a composite of Eddy in his various past incarnations. The album also featured a new single, "Virus", which did not appear on any previous albums.

Meanwhile, Bruce Dickinson released a new solo album, 'Skunkworks', which sounded even less like his previous efforts. His album dabbled in grunge and alternative, and sounded much more like Rush's latest album, 'Test For Echo' in 1996. The songs on the album included "Space Race", about the international competition between America and the Soviet Union to land on the moon and enter orbit during the Cold War; "Back From the Edge", "Inertia", "Faith", "Innerspace", "Meltdown", and "Strange Death In Paradise". Originally, Skunkworks was going to be the name of his new solo band, but his label refused to have anything released under any other name than his own. The band he formed for this album project was short-lived. Noted producer Jack Endino, former guitarist of grunge band Skin Yard who manned the controls behind such Seattle artists as Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Gruntruck, 7 Year Bitch, thrash band the Accused, and others in the recording studio, also produced the album by Bruce.

It was also around this time that Bruce decided to take up on being a pilot, one of his lifelong dreams. However, he realized that if he were to be taken seriously in his endeavor, he needed to change his appearance. So he decided to cut his hair short. After undergoing extensive training, he passed with flying colors, and became a fully licensed airline pilot. This was another item to add to his growing resume of fine accomplishments. Not many other rockers could make such claims (perhaps the drugs got in the way? ;) ).

[ABlairican Pie]

1997

In 1997, the band began recording their next followup album to 1995's 'The X Factour', their second with Blaze Bayley (real name Bayley Cook).

During this time, Bruce Dickinson recorded his next solo album, 'Accident Of Birth', where he returned to a more traditional metal sound as opposed to the grunge exploration of his previous release. He brought back Roy Z on guitar for the album which featured such tracks as "Freak", "Starchildren",
"Darkside Of Aquarius", "Man Of Sorrows", about infamous British occultist Alister Crowley, "The Magician", and the popular title track. Former Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith also appeared on the album and became a regular member of his solo band.

Derek Riggs created the artwork for the album, which came out in three versions: the original one, which depicted a fiendish puppet named Edison, the name a spin-off of Iron Maiden's Eddy, bursting out of a stomach in lurid, graphic fashion. The American label felt this cover was too explicit, so it was released with simply Edison seen from the front, wielding a spiked club.
A third, extended version came out showing Edison erupting out of a man's stomach, as if any confusion remained about the gender of the "parent" of the pernicious puppet.

In related news which tied in to the title song, during the recording of the album, Bruce received a disturbing bit of information: His mother told him that he was the result of a "failed abortion"! :eek2: It remained unknown as to whether she meant that Bruce's birth was the result of a botched abortion or whether she simply regretted not having aborted him. Bruce Dickinson never had the greatest relationship with his mother, now we know why. ohno:
:mad: Evil wench.


The 2005 issue features a crucified Edison:

[ABlairican Pie]

1998

Iron Maiden returned with their second album featuring Blaze Bayley on vocals, 'Virtual XI', or Virtual Eleven, in 1998. The album title followed in a numerical sequence of 'The X Factour': X = ten, XI = eleven. The album was the eleventh studio album of their careers. However, the album was also their poorest selling album, not even hitting the one million mark in sales.
This was a new low for the band.

One the cover, Eddy was depicted in a way that hardly looked like the legendary ghoul he was known to be. Here, he looks more like a simian than undead zombie, strange but no less interesting. Derek Riggs was not the artist of this particular piece, apparently. The album cover theme also tied in with the new popularity of virtual reality (the teen viewing a futuristic headset) and one of Maiden's favorite pastimes, football (or soccer?) in Britain, as seen in the lower corner.

The songs on the album included two of the more popular tracks from the Blaze era: the single "Futureal" and "The Clansman", about Scotland's battles for sovereignty against England's attempt to control them hundreds of years, before, as well as another new single, "The Angel And the Gambler", which was sold in two CD versions, one with a poster enclosed and the other with cards displaying members of the band dressed in soccer gear. A Star Wars-y, CGI video of the single, packed with aliens, was released to help sales of the album, but it was not simply happening for the band. Other songs included "Lightning Strikes Twice", "When Two Worlds Collide", "The Educated Fool", and "Don't Look Into the Eyes Of a Stranger", a musical message from Steve Harris dedicated to his young daughter regarding the pitfalls of parenting. Some songs seemed rather long, which soured many fans on sales of the album.

Another point which soured many on Maiden was the issue of Blaze's inclusion in the band itself. He was a fine vocalist, but nowhere near the level of Bruce. Sales were at a tepid low point. It was time for drastic action.

Meanwhile, Bruce Dickinson released another solo album, 1998's 'The Chemical Wedding', which featured themes from the writings of British author, and poetWilliam Blake, who lived in the 1700's/early 1800's and was a major figure in the Romantic era of British literature. Blake was regarded as a Christian mystic whose style and influence was widely felt by writers for years. Blake's painting,
"The Ghost Of a Flea", was even featured on the cover of the new album. The album was also the second to feature another member of Maiden, former guitarist Adrian Smith. The album contained songs such as "King In Crimson", "The Tower", "Book Of Thel", "Jerusalem", "Trumpets Of Jericho", "The Alchemist", and the popular title track. A stronger album than most of his previous solo releases, it was mostly critically praised when it hit the stores. The name of the album and its title track derive from the Rosicrucian manifest the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz.

[ABlairican Pie]

1999

In 1999, Steve Harris and the band had reached a decision: things were not working out with Blaze Bayley as were
hoped and he was let go from his role as frontman. Blaze accepted this decision amicably, he knew it was hard singing
for a band with a huge legacy as Maiden and that he had not met fans' expectations. It was felt that Blaze could not
sing as high as required, which meant that songs such as "Run To the Hills" were omitted from the setlist, since only one
person could hit those lofty high notes. Tours were cut short due to Blaze's frequent illnesses, and Maiden fans were not
exactly thrilled with the progressive, dark sound on the past few albums. The songs were good but not great, as before.
Harris could sense fans' disappointment and found a decent replacement for Blaze before handing him his walking papers:
none other than Bruce Dickinson.

Bruce enjoyed having a solo career, but realized that he no longer wanted to just sing in clubs. When Harris approached
him about the possibility of returning, Bruce accepted--under certain conditions. He explained his various reasons as to
why he left in the first place, such as more song input, his wanting pursue a solo career while still with the band,
and other things, and for the most part, he was happy to return to the band. After a few pints in the local pub,
the deal was sealed: Bruce was back in the band! But--there was one stipulation: before Bruce would finally
consent to returning to Maiden, there was one more request. Adrian. He simply had to have Adrian back in the band
as well, or no deal. He enjoyed having Adrian in his solo band, and it would not be right to not have the classic lineup
back.

So Harris asked Adrian if he would like to come back to Maiden, and he gladly accepted as well. He was frustrated
with his own attempts at a solo career, which had stalled, and was happy to be back with something a little more
steady--like playing in one of metal's biggest bands. He had spent the past decade forming such outfits as The
Untouchables and Psycho Motel, but these were met with commercial oblivion. He spent the past few years playing
in Bruce's solo band, but now it was time to return Maiden to its former greatness. It was the eve of a new decade
and millenium, and it was time to return to form in grand style. But another problem remained: What about Janick,
Adrian's replacement? There was no question, he had to stay. He was valued for his diplomatic abilities as well as
his fine guitar playing, so now Maiden became a six-piece band, with the greatest triple guitar lineup not seen
since Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band was back, and then some!

When it was announced that Maiden was back with its original lineup, shock waves erupted throughout the rock world.
Maiden and metal fans embraced the news with great anticipation. But Bruce was cautious, he wasn't about to tempt
fate, he would give it a few years at least, because who knew what lie down the road. Would the reunion work?
Nothing was set in stone, but for now, they would ride it out. It looked promising. It was time for a new album, and
after that, a tour. Metal had been placed on the back burner for far too long, but Maiden were about to bring it back
in grand style!

It was time to test the waters and re-introduce the band to touring with the classic lineup (plus one). The band
actually released a video game along with a greatest-hits compilation, 'Ed Hunter'. The video game's objective was
to help their mascot Eddy escape from a prison, all with a musical background of Maiden songs. It was the most
radical idea for the band, a greatest hits album combined with a video game package, which came with three discs,
one with the music tracks and the others with game installation and game data. The band began the Ed Hunter Tour
to re-aquaint fans with the band which took place from that summer into early fall.

[ABlairican Pie]

2000

Iron Maiden kicked off the new millenium with a long-awaited album featuring all members of the reunited lineup. The album, 'Brave New
World', contained songs back in tradition Maiden style, such as the major track "The Wicker Man", based on the 1973 cult film of the same
name where a police officer searches for a mysterious missing girl on an isolated island inhabitated by practitioners of pagan rituals. The
song sounded like classic Maiden, and was a welcome return to the sound fans knew and loved. Other songs included "Ghost of the Navigator", "Blood Brothers", "The Mercenary", "Out Of the Silent Planet", based on both a classic science fiction movie as well as the title
of a book by British author C.S. Lewis about a plan to introduce evil to alien races, "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate", and the title track. "The Wicker Man" and "Out Of the Silent Planet" were both released as singles. The album was the last to feature artwork by
long-time illustrator Derek Riggs, who became frustrated with pressure to meet deadlines for artwork and felt he was not being fully credited
for his contributions to the band.

The title of the album was, as several other songs on the disc, a literary reference to the classic futuristic/dystopian novel by British author Aldous Huxley. The artwork also seemed strangely appropriate for the theme of the new decade and millenium: Like Eddy peering down from the darkening skies at a highly advanced society, so the times reflected an unnamed feeling of dread and doom lurking throughout the period
of progress and self-sufficiency.

The band also embarked on a major worldwide tour in support of the album, which, though bringing Maiden fans out in full support of their heroes, was strangely underattended in some American cities. This was not surprising, given the onslaught of the flavor-of-the-weak NU-"metal" by such disposable nonentities as Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Linkin Park. Rock and true metal was not in a healthy place at that time,
but Maiden's reunion was sure to help bring it back. Interestingly, the sound of the new album contained a bit of the progressive style of previous albums, but was unmistakeably Maiden. In concert, Bruce said that the band was not about only rehashing old glories with which everyone was familiar, but wanted to focus on newer material, and even sang some tracks from the Blaze Bayley era, such as "The Clansman". He was sick of the whole Hollywood "hit" machine and such distractions as Jennifer Lopez' revealing dress at the Grammies and other non-musical events. And pseudo-metal bands like Korn was neither on his list of favorite things. When he wasn't ranting about the usual culprits
in the entertainment biz, he liked to swing on pullies strapped over horizontal bars on the stage elaborately constructed to resemble the ruins
of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. At the end of the concert, a wicker Eddy effigy was hauled out filled with beautiful damsels!

In other developments, it was also learned that drummer Nicko McBrain had become a born-again Christian. His wife had urged him to come to church to set an example for the rest of the family, but he always felt too tired to attend. When he did, he says that he felt an overwhelming sense of peace, a strong sense of God's presence, as well as an urge to forego his constant indulgence of alcohol. He was profoundly affected by this event that he began sharing his newfound faith with fans and others. He nearly contemplated leaving the band to join a musical ministry and study the Bible, but he soon felt that his place was with the band. His transformation to becoming born again certainly countered the whole misguided mentality that Iron Maiden was somehow "satanic", as many Christians had thought in the early 80's when they burned and destroyed the band's albums in a campaign of moral panic.

[ABlairican Pie]

2001

Iron Maiden concluded their Brave New World Tour in early 2001 with a major concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Rock In Rio festival, which featured other such artists as Britney Spears, Dave Matthews Band, Deftones, Oasis, Papa Roach, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sheryl Crow, REM, and many more. The band played for a crowd of over 250,000. The concert was recorded for a live album and DVD.

[ABlairican Pie]

2002

Maiden released their concert album, 'Rock In Rio', recorded the year before, in early spring of 2002. This actually was their fifth live album, which featured
many of their classic songs including several new ones and a few from the Blaze era, such as "The Wicker Man" and "Ghost Of the Navigator" from the latest, reunion album, and "Dream Of Mirrors" and "Sign Of the Cross", originally performed by former singer Bayley. The concert was also released on DVD. The Portuguese-speaking audience in Rio could barely muster a word of English, but sang every word of their songs fluently!

Yet another greatest-hits compilation album was released that year, 'Edward the Great', which many fans complained that it featured no exclusive material nor rarities on it, and that no songs from the first two Maiden albums with Di'Anno were included. The band wanted this to be an introductory album of
"best-of" material designed for new fans, as the reunion sparked interest in the band by listeners who did not get to catch them in their glory years.

Tragically, also that year, the band's original drummer, Clive Burr, who had played on the first three Maiden albums, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Treatment and care became costly for the drummer, so in the next few years, the band set up a charity in his name called Clive Aid, and began a series of benefit concerts to raise funds to help their ailing former bandmate and to raise awareness of the disease. In the past few years since his departure from Maiden, he switched places with Nicko McBrain in the band Trust, as well as a few other bands that achieved no major popularity due to record label scrapes. Maiden's willingness to help a friend in great need proved that indeed they were a band that truly cared.

[ABlairican Pie]

2003

Iron Maiden released their second studio album since the reunion, 'Dance Of Death', in 2003. While the album contained such classics as the rollicking "Wildest Dreams", "Rainmaker", the epic
"Paschendale", "No More Lies", "Montsegur", and the folksy title track, fans were rather put off by the CGI Eddy on the album cover, where he dressed as the Grim Reaper on a lavish ballroom floor. For one, he lacked the in-your-face menacing pose as on the other covers, as he appeared rather distant and concealed by the attire of the death angel. The other was the medium in which the illustration was delivered--it simply looked cheesy and gimmicky, not fleshed out, a little too "perfect" with computer tools and the like. Fans also pointed out strange visual curiosities on the album cover as well, such as misshapen bodies and the like.

Regardless, the music was once again superb. "Rainmaker" was a solid track which sounded much like the band's signature sound from years before. "Paschendale" was another proggish track, one of their most popular from the current era, touching on the theme of a legendary World War I battle in 1917. The song "Montségur" was based on the conquest of the town in France, the last stronghold of the Cathar sect, which was besieged by the Albigensian Crusade in 1209–1229. The Catholic Church held that the Cathars held onto non-Christian mystical heresies which were to be routed from the medieval city. Other songs included "Gates Of Tomorrow", Nicko McBrain's first songwriting attempt titled
"Face In the Sand", "Age Of Innocence", and "Journeyman", Maiden's first fully acoustic song, which came as a long-awaited answer to one of Bruce's prayers for a non-electric track. All in all, the album was a full exploration into its prog leanings as well as great
rock and metal, sounding uniquely Maiden.

Iron Maiden began their Gimme Ed...'Til I'm Dead Tour in A Coruña, Spain in late May of that year and concluded in Marysville, California, that August. However, the proper Dance Of Death Tour in North America only played a handful of shows in New York and Los Angeles in early 2004. Reports emerged that one show in Los Angeles was cut short when a concertgoer dropped a glass of beer on the mixing console board! :doh: ::drink: ohno:

[ABlairican Pie]

2004

Iron Maiden began 2004 by finishing a series of concerts in support of the 'Dance Of Death' album, where they played a handful of dates in Montreal, New York and Los Angeles. They later went to Japan that spring to play there as well.

In addition to the 'No More Lies' EP with several reworked versions of songs from the new album, the band's major release that year was their 'Early Days' DVD which featured film and concert clips of the band in the late 70's and early 80's with Paul Di'Anno. The band played in cramped clubs thrashing it out all for sweaty, ecstatic fans, and surprisingly, much of the footage was in black and white. A British news clip gave a glimpse of young fans in the wake of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal as they flocked to record stores and picked up air guitar cardboard props which they jammed on while attending Iron Maiden shows. It was a fascinating look at Maiden's impact and popularity even back then. The video also featured full-color concerts with Di'Anno, and later Bruce Dickinson, as well as interviews with former members of the band before their major label debut.

The band planned to go on a full-scale tour in support of the DVD in the coming year.


Bruce live in Montreal in January 2004:

[ABlairican Pie]

2005

In 2005, shock waves of hysteria rocked the world when it was announced that Iron Maiden would be the co-headliner to Black Sabbath on the Ozzfest tour that summer. The year before, Ozzfest, which had been struggling in recent years, featured one of the biggest names in metal, Judas Priest, as co-headliner, which was a complete success and marked a rejuvenated return of the band which featured a reunion with legendary vocalist Rob Halford, who had left the band in the early 90's to pursue a solo career. Who else could be next? None other than the mighty Maiden, who had likewise suffered a similar career slump in the past ten years. The management of Ozzfest pleaded for Maiden to co-headline, which would not only be great exposure for the band on the popular summer tour, but would bring in much-needed revenue to the ailing metal fest. Maiden finally agreed--and the results of their decision would prove to be fateful, to say the least.

For over a month and a half Maiden brought their spectacular stage show and
classic songs on the Ozzfest Mainstage. They played many of the tracks featured on their Early Days DVD, those only on their first four albums, all from a stunning stage designed with a motif of various incarnations of Maiden and references to past popular songs. Each night audiences were blown away with a powerhouse performance by the band, and on a few occasions, Maiden were chosen as the sole headliners when Black Sabbath's frontman Ozzy Osbourne became too ill to perform. Fans didn't mind missing the Ozzman when they had a full two hours to watch Maiden in action. The end of the set, which featured such hits as "Number Of the Beast", "Run To the Hills", "Revelations", "Phantom Of the Opera", and others, closed when their hulking mascot Eddy lumbered out and dueled with Janick on guitar.

Iron Maiden had to leave the tour early to fulfill British and European festival dates, to the disappointment of many American fans. This response to thier early departure was nothing compared to the events which closed off their final night of the tour, on August 20, 2005, in San Bernadino, California. At Hyundai Pavillion in Glen Helen, the band took the stage one more time to give
a thunderous performance to end their tenure on the Ozzfest stage. As the band played their opening track, the instrumental "The Ides Of March", the unthinkable happened.

Various objects from the audience began flying out. Eggs.

As the band launched into their next song, "Murders In the Rue Morgue", the pelting continued. What was going on? After the song, Bruce Dickinson was livid. Who was doing this? How in the world did fans go to the supermarket and sneak eggs past security? Well, it was going to take more than a few eggs to stop Iron Maiden! Stunned and bewildered fans watched as the lobbing of eggs and other objects continued. The band was becoming caked in the slimy attack--but they still played on. Then other bizarre events occurred--at various times the sound from the PA was cut, and a strange recorded chant of "Oz-zy! Oz-zy!" began to be heard from the stage. Fans were annoyed by this. Why was the show being disrupted? In spite of this, the band plunged into furious playing, and gave the performance of their lives.
Fans and critics were deeply impressed by the band's fortitude in spite of these frustrating setbacks. Bruce even came out in his costume for "The Trooper", flying high the British Union Jack. He announced, "This is a British flag--and these colours don't f:censored:ing run!" At that point, one individual, whom it was later discovered to be Black Label Society lackey Big Dave, shouted "Oz-zy! Oz-zy!" and took offense at the flying of the flag of another nation, charging toward the stage to attack the band. He was promptly clobbered by Iron Maiden's security. Because of the delays and interruptions of the band's set, Bruce announced he would play for another extra five minutes past their allotted time, and insisted that the concert would be now dubbed Maidenfest, to the cheers of the crowd. On top of the irritating distractions, Eddy failed to enter the stage on cue. Backstage it was learned that their mascot was physically barred from entering by various thuggish individuals. He finally was let go to join the band onstage. The show ended, and Bruce thanked the audience and fans who endured such nonsense to see an otherwise amazing set.

A few minutes after the band left the stage, Ozzfest proprietor (and wife of Ozzy) $haron Osbourne stepped up to the mic to call for the audience's attention like a frazzled schoolmarm. She thanked the members and crew of Iron Maiden for being such perfect gentlemen--but that "Bruce Dickinson was a f:censored:ing p:censored:ck!!" This lambasting of the Maiden vocalist brought boos from the crowd, and her further ragging on Dickinson made it clear as to who was behind the egging and other disruptions. Nearly half the audience of 40,000 stormed out and left the venue, while others threw objects and debris at her. They were perfectly disgusted at her attempt to sabotage her own festival. She explained onstage that Bruce was not "in keeping with the spirit of Ozzfest", and later defended her actions as just and proper. Meanwhile, Black Sabbath came out, and strangely, the previous set by the younger, energetic Maiden made them appear a little older, a little grayer, or, "dead men walking", as one reviewer put it--and this was not helped by the fact that Ozzy limped through the set, croaking out the same old songs which ultimately turned into a medley, and a shortened setlist. He was still feeling sick, and his lackluster performance was an embarrassment to the once-mighty metal icon.

The news of the incident spread like wildfire around the rock and metal world.
$haron Osbourne failed to realize that she had stirred up an angry hornet's nest of fans in one of the biggest enclaves of Maiden supporters in the world,
in Southern California. Fans vowed never to attend another Ozzfest, nor purchase anything more from the Ozzy camp, which made the Osbourne matriarch all the richer. But what were $haron's real reasons for besmirching the Maiden?

Part of her complaint was that every night, Bruce would constantly "bad-mouth" Ozzy and her family by saying that "Iron Maiden didn't need a reality show" to validate their popularity. This was, to $haron, an obvious dig at Ozzy, who at the time was a hugely successful reality t.v. star with his own sitcom. It was true, elsewhere around the world, Iron Maiden relied solely on word of mouth and very little on radio or television to ensure their popularity or massive fan base. In America, however, Maiden had yet to break through again in a big way as they had twenty years before. Their tours were sizeable and fans came out in droves, but it was not as big as before. This was frustrating to the band, which was why there were few extensive tours in the past few years. But as for the "success" of Ozzfest, was this not because of Ozzy's resurgence as a t.v. icon? Did not people flock to his shows more out of their desire to see a sitcom star than a musician? $haron also took offense at anyone disparaging her and her family, but, if you are going to parade your dysfunctional hatchlings around their plush Beverly Hills mansion in front of millions on a weekly basis, be prepared for criticism.
$haron was supremely vindictive. It was never her intention to act professionally with the band to discuss problems, concerns, or other grievances one member may have, but it was all to shame them. Unfortunately, this completely backfired on her and made her look petty and
pathetic--and also made Iron Maiden appear the winners.

One of the problems Bruce also had with the festival was that it was not run in such a way as he had seen metal fests conducted in Britain and Europe. He hated seeing the band play to seats where a "fat kid eating a greasy cheeseburger" would be sitting alone in a section for pricier tickets, which the real fans, the poorer fans, would have to stand way in back. This was unfair. And he had seen this on Ozzfest. Was this out of line for Bruce to complain about either Ozzfest ticket prices and policies, as well as Ozzy's newfound fame due to his sitcom dad status? Bruce was never a big fan of reality t.v., finding it "voyeuristic". For Bruce and the band, it was all about the music. MTV, reality television, Hollywood, it was all a big distraction. It was not metal at all. And the band hated playing to audiences that weren't worked up and exhuberant. They found this to be the case in America on the past few tours. Why bother? Was he biting the hand that fed him on the Ozzfest tour? Perhaps, but many other bands and performers had come forward and said that Ozzfest was not the promised picnic that all metal bands had thought. It was one big ripoff where only Ozzy and $haron would stand to profit. Younger, struggling bands had to pay around $75,000 just for
a twenty minute slot on the Second Stage. It was no guarantee that stardom was ahead. "Eggfest" was one incident which shed light on $haron's
nefarious business and personal practices. She was not the savory media queen that she would have us all believe.

For fans of Maiden and metal, this incident clearly spelled out the conflict between true music and metal: One party was a group of struggling titans who were battling commercial indifference in the face of disposable trends, and another party whose sole member's career thrived because of hype, trendiness, and very non-metal things. Maiden simply wanted to create a supreme rock and roll environment full of excited, worshipful fans enjoying quality metal music and an amazing stage show to boot. Ozzy seemed to live
only to carry out his wife's wishes and create income, whether or not he was able to deliver. His name guaranteed hype, simply for the fact that, well, he was Ozzy--but most fans remained completely ignorant of his past as a rock and roll legend and focused more on his celebrity status. It made sense, Ozzy was not the viable rock performer that he used to be, so where to go but in front of the bright lights of Hollywood? In spite of $haron's shameful treatment of Maiden, this only ensured their continued popularity, which received a tremendous spike in support from metal fans everywhere.
"Eggfest" seemed to have a reverse effect--rather than sour the band's fortunes, it brought them to a wide audience of fans who wanted one thing only--the music, no Hollywood hype, but a killer show with six capable musicians whose best days were far from behind them. The incident showed Maiden how much fans deeply cared. Of course, $haron would have her defenders, but it was certainly not about a matter of music at this point for these sycophants. Maiden would prevail, as true music and metal always does.

In happier news, Maiden did in fact release yet another live album, 2005's 'Death On the Road', recorded during the band's 'Dance Of Death' tour from the past two years before. The album also came as a DVD and LP record. The album featured many of the tracks from 'Dance Of Death' performed live, as well as other live versions of their classics. It hit high in the charts in many countries.


The third picture down was taken at White River Ampitheater, in Auburn, not far from me, in August 2005: