Iron Maiden recently paid a visit to Northern California for a sold-out concert in the East Bay at the Concord Pavilion. To celebrate its triumphant return post-pandemic—plus four decades of uncompromisingly adventurous heavy music—the band pulled out all the stops with a massive production showcasing a variety of album milestones. Having weathered several ups and downs over the past four decades, Iron Maiden is at the peak of its powers and is long overdue for a feature in this fine rag.
The Band
Iron Maiden made quite a racket at the dawn of the 1980s when a new more potent strain of Briitish metal (the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, or NWOBHM) was beginning to fester on the street and in the pubs. Formed by bassist and chief songwriter Steve Harris, the band’s core lineup also included guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, drummer Clive Burr, and singer Paul Di’Anno. Playing an amalgamation of hard rock and prog fueled by punk aggression, the band quickly rose to the ranks of the scene and got noticed by major labels sniffing around for the next big thing. Iron Maiden’s first two albums, the eponymous debut (1980), and follow-up Killers (1981) were rife with energy and a new kind of heaviness. Each would make a major impression on the blossoming new metal scene and would help forge an upward trajectory that would soon see them conquering these shores soon enough. But all was not rosy on the inside and Di’Anno would exit and be replaced by Bruce Dickinson of fellow NWOBHM stalwarts Samson.
Dickinson’s vocal range was of super-nova proportions and his personality and unique style were a game-changer for the band. The next album, 1982’s The Number of the Beast was a landmark—not only in the new scene but among the greatest metal and rock albums of all time. Iron Maiden’s standing in this evolving genre was ironclad, and the band would soon rise to take the world stage throughout the ’80s—without much airplay, MTV attention, or the affections of mainstream rock critics. During this fruitful period, the band’s classic core lineup would also be solidified with the entrance of drummer Nicko McBrain, replacing the struggling Clive Burr.
After a passel of consistently strong albums leading into the early ‘90s, the band’s fortunes began to wane a bit. As with many other artists and bands that found success in the 1980s, the scenes had changed and a new wave of so-called alternative music was now in vogue. Dickinson and Smith would leave for various reasons, both embarking on other projects. Maiden would enlist a new singer in the form of UK belter Blaze Bayley from pop-metal grinders Wolfsbane. While releasing some beloved albums during this period, broader interest had faltered and the band’s fortunes sank as traditional metal and other related scenes bared the burden of shifting tastes and trends. This fall from grace would even see the band playing small halls in some parts of the country. But come the late ‘90s, both Dickinson and Smith would return and the band would also end up keeping Smith’s replacement Janick Gers for the past few years, to add an unprecedented third guitar to the lineup. But there was more to this next chapter that would also bode well for the band.
Something extraordinary would take place in the first few years of the new millennium. Metal bands that had once flourished prior to the ’90s would begin to resurface and sell large quantities of albums and tickets. Black Sabbath had reformed its early ’80s lineup as “Heaven and Hell” with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, while former Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford would rejoin his seminal band and release new music. Bands on the other side of the ’80s hard rock spectrum such as Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Poison would also resurface and regain their mainstream relevance. Whether or not it was the cyclical nature of trends, or audiences wanted to just get back to the attitude and bombast of the ’80s metal scene, it worked in Iron Maiden’s favor, whose 2006 album A Matter of Life and Death, entered the US charts in the Top 10. From there on, Iron Maiden has continued to thrive, releasing impactful new material and selling out venues and festivals the world over.
The Concert
Iron Maiden took the stage at the sold-out Concord Pavilion on September 27, 2022, to a fanatical reception that recalled its glory years of almost four decades earlier. Openers Trivium provided an admirable set, but the multi-generational audience had but one thing on their minds—the return of Iron Maiden. With prior tours canceled due to the pandemic, it was high time to reconnect with the East Bay, the area that served as the epicenter for early thrash metal during the ’80s.
After the opening tape featuring “Doctor Doctor” by Maiden heroes UFO, the band took the stage around 9 pm against a stage set depicting an ancient Japanese village referencing the latest album Senjutsu (2021). In a ballsy move, the band opened the show with the title track before launching into two more from the record: “Stratego” and “The Writing On The Wall.” Rather than relying on a rousing and familiar opener such as “Aces High,” “Senjutsu,” is a long, moderately paced progressive track, and hardly what you might expect for a driving show starter. Nevertheless, the audience was ecstatic. In this day and age when legacy bands hit the road, it’s the legacy hits that audiences overwhelmingly want, with new music generally taking the backseat. But Iron Maiden is one of a few rare exceptions that can pull off releasing and performing new music; with an audience that welcomes and expects it.
The next track was deep cut “Revelations” from 1983’s Piece of Mind, yet again, another moderately paced number. But just after, Bruce Dickinson—who was energized, theatrical, and vocally superb—alluded to the band’s forced absence due to the pandemic and challenged the audience to put down their camera phones and look at their fellow “Brothers in Maiden” in the eye instead, before diving into the rousing, anthemic “Blood Brothers” from 2000’s Brave New World.
From there, things only continued to go up—literally—with the ’80s hit “Flight of Icarus,” which saw Dickinson take up a flamethrower in front of an imposing giant winged figure lowered down to the stage. Speaking of which, the production and special effects were also a standout. Besides the aforementioned Japanese village, there was a church setting with stained glass panels in tribute to each of the band’s albums—including various incarnations of “Eddie” the band’s mascot. We also got transported to a hellish purgatory, a cemetery, the Revolutionary war, and much more. A giant live-action Eddie even made an appearance a few times as well, donning Samurai gear as well as “The Trooper” in traditional Red Coat digs.
Once the band hit on more well-known classics such as “The Number of the Beast,” “Run to the Hills,” “Iron Maiden” and “Aces High,” the energy had hit a fever pitch, and the capacity crowd was whipped into a frenzy, making for a triumphant ending to the almost two-hour set.
The Legacy
Iron Maiden has not only overcome past difficulties to prove itself as a viable touring act but has achieved something few other artists have. The band is in the elite company of just a handful of artists such as U2, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John that can successfully release new material and sell out venues everywhere. For Iron Maiden, this elite status is befitting for a band that has never enjoyed ultra mainstream attention and pulls out all the stops in everything it does. One question, however, still remains: “What the hell will they come up with next?”
For questions, comments, or something you’d like to see, hit me up! @JimKaz1
Live photos by Kasey Kaz
