Full disclosure before I begin. The year that The Number of the Beast came out, I was a pre-teen milling around a record store with no idea that the record I had been staring at for an uncomfortable amount of time after pulling it out of the bin, and was ultimately compelled to buy that day, would change my life. It would be a gross understatement to say that Iron Maiden has and does mean a lot to me, but I will do my best to be objective here.
On the third US date of their Run For Your Lives 50th Anniversary tour, Iron Maiden hit the TD Garden in Boston, MA with a bang. A no holds barred, kick you in the “kibbles and bits” set of songs spanning their career of over 50 years was assured to be a night to remember. The multigenerational crowd packed into the stadium screamed in excitement as the all-too-familiar intro song “Doctor Doctor” by UFO began what could only be described as proof positive that Iron Maiden are exactly as vital now as ever. They blasted through just about every song you could possibly ask for, even going for “Infinite Dreams” off of the album Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, which has not been played live for about four decades.
It would be a mistake to write off this tour as some simple form of nostalgia where bands run through their song catalogues as if they have to please an aging fanbase and act as if they are tired of playing the “hits.” No, this was a band fully embracing who they are, what they have done, clearly enjoying every second and putting everything they had out on that stage. Singer Bruce Dickinson ran from one side of the stage to the other, up a ramp to a platform above the drum kit and down again, all while belting out songs at the top of his formidable range. Founding member Steve Harris, with his unmistakable galloping bass lines, sang along with each song either on or off the mic while gritting his teeth at the crowd. Both Adrian Smith and Dave Murray supplied what could only really be referred to as sublime, yet blistering solos, but kept mostly stage right. Janick Gers gets first prize in the “how the hell is he able to do that” category. Throwing his guitar in the air, taking on Eddie, hopping, leaping, running, putting one leg on top of a 5-foot cab, spinning like a top, stomping on his guitar… all while playing like a madman. These are things musicians a quarter his age can’t do. This is the first tour without the recently retired (at least from touring) drummer, Nicko McBrain, and in his stead, veteran drummer Simon Dawson kept the pace on what I could only imagine must be a grueling two-hour show.
Maiden is known not only for their musical prowess on and off stage, but, of course, for their show. Although there were no giant blow up Eddie’s, Airplanes coming out over the crowd, or any of the other things you may have seen on previous tours, they had Eddie come out on stilts attempting to maim the band members a couple of times, as well as some fire and pyro mixed into the set at the appropriate moments. Instead of those large props of the past, we were awed by what must be one of the best backdrop screens I have seen anywhere. Each song had a truly amazing visual to go along with it, and I would be hard-pressed to pick which was my favorite, but for the last song before the encore, “Iron Maiden,” a giant CGI Eddie lurched at the crowd in all directions and looked almost like he could bust out of his padded cell into the audience, and that was definitely a highlight.
Don’t miss this one when it comes to your area.
Setlist (via setlist.fm)
Doctor Doctor (UFO song, on tape)
The Ides of March (on tape
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Wrathchild
Killers
Phantom of the Opera
The Number of the Beast
Infinite Dreams
Powerslave
2 Minutes to Midnight
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Run to the Hills
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Trooper
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden
Encore:
Churchill’s Speech (on tape)
Aces High
Fear of the Dark
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
(Monty Python song, on tape)
Buy Iron Maiden music and merch here:
https://link.amazon/B03WM1j1e
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY HILLARIE JASON
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