Saw Iron Maiden last week, might as well write about it. What I do.
Maiden has been a band I've wanted to see for a while, since they are still together in their Piece Of Mind + Janick line-up and Bruce Dickinson's voice has held out. With old legacy acts like this you know what you're getting, sure enough it was a fun concert and the band sounded good. Luckily they are playing old songs so you got a good amount of the classics with an unfortunate omission of "Wasted Years" and "Powerslave". In my fantasy they would've played "Children Of The Damned" or in my super fantasy "Infinite Dreams" but you get what you get.
Still, when you hear the classic Churchill speech before "Ace's High" it's about as iconic as KISS' "You wanted the best you got the best" concert opening. and the band delivered, I perked the hell up when they played "Revelations" which made me happy, and I was surprised and excited when they played "The Evil That Men Do", to represent Seventh Son. I knew they added "Flight Of Icarus" back so it wasn't a surprise but it was great. "2 Minutes To Midnight" and "The Wicker Man" where both moments of aaaaaaah ya, same with the opening speech of "Number Of The Beast". Man they kicked it with "The Wicker Man", love that song. The best performance of the night was surprising "The Clansmen" and "Sign Of The Cross", even if they aren't songs I care for the band really kicks it when they perform them. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" was also great, I mean it's their best song also so...
Everyone got bored and a lot of people sat down, got beer, went to the washroom when they played "For The Greater Good Of God". No idea why they put that sleeper in the setlist. The band just blows through "The Trooper" like their sick of it, even if that's when Bruce Dickinson gets up to his most antics. "Where Eagles Dare" was a neat addition, but never a song I liked much. "Fear Of The Dark" was a crowd pleaser, I'm indifferent but it was good. "Run To The Hills" was of course the finale and the best fit song because everyone knows it, everyone loves it, and everyone sings the "whoooooa" part after the solo too early, even me.
I don't see concerts very often, although I'm going to see Carly Rae soon which means I will have seen every artist I can possibly see (obvs can't see BAND-MAID & BiSH) that I want to aside from Bruce. Who I can only hope and pray will perform a normal concert nearby soon. That would be going to church for me. But ya, Iron Maiden still bring a fun show. Is it anything unexpected? No, these bands are so refined and chronographed that it's an art, and it's just a cool thing to see.