HEAVY rockers Iron Maiden have come a long way on their journey from the Lion pub in Warrington in the late 1970s to sell out arenas around the world.
Last night their Legacy of the Beast tour touched down at Manchester Arena and was full throttle from start to finish with an assault on all your senses, in what can only be described as a spectacular show!
Whether you are an Iron Maiden fan (I am) or not, you couldn’t help but be blown away by a breathtaking show as front man Bruce Dickinson prepared to celebrate his 60th birthday!
He still packs as much power and enthusiasm as he did three decades ago and being an airline pilot for his day job, he has certainly kept himself in good shape.
With the show starting with the classic UFO “Doctor Doctor” to get the crowd warmed up, followed by Churchill’s “We shall fight them on the beaches” speech, the show burst into life as a replica Spitfire dropped from the sky as the band went fill throttle with “Aces High.”
I have seen some amazing gigs over the past four decades – but this show takes some beating.
As well as being classic heavy metal at its very best – the show was pure theatre from start to finish.
It is hard to believe this classic British Heavy metal band started out doing the pub circuit, including my home town of Warrington upstairs at the Lion. How I wish I had seen them there.
The band eventually burst onto the music scene during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWBWM) and even got to perform live on Top of the Pops – at the time the only band to have performed live in front of the cameras, other than The Who.
Since then they have enjoyed a roller coaster journey to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world, who show no signs of letting up, as front man Bruce promised their army of fans that they would be returning to Manchester in the future.
I truly hope they do as I can’t wait to see how they can top this gig!
While the set list missed out some classics, including their only Number One hit single, “Take your daughter to the Slaughter,” (I did!) it did tell a story, starting with war and then religion.
Sixteen songs in total, some like The Clansman and Flight of Icarus, getting an airing for the first time in many years and culminating with the song that helped them make the big time “Running Free!”
I was certainly left wanting more!
Set List
Aces High
Where Eagles Dare
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Clansman
The Trooper
Revelations
For the Greater Good of God
The Wicker Man
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden
Encore:
The Evil That Men Do
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Run to the Hills
