The Official Book of Souls Tour 2017 Thread (Warning: Spoilers Within)

Poor performance is better word.
Edit : it was not poor 95% of the time but 5% were the breakdowns where somebody would miss timing badly.
 
Based on the 2016 setlist and the promo trailer I would like to see em keep Children of the Damned, substitute Rime of the Ancient Mariner for Red and Black (same length), take out Iron Maiden and sub Run to the Hills. And although I know it's not gonna happen sub Paschendale for Powerslave.
STOP THE BLASPHEMY! :p
 
If they would swap all of the songs that aren't in the promo video (apart from Wasted Years and of course IM) I would like to see this set:

If Eternity Should Fail
Speed Of Light
22 Accacia Avenue
Rainmaker
Infinite Dreams
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
The Trooper
Powerslave
Death Or Glory
The Book Of Souls
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Fear Of The Dark
Iron Maiden
-----------------------------------
The Number Of The Beast
Blood Brothers
Wasted Years

Out: COTD, TRATB, TOAC
In: 22AA, Rainmaker, Infinite Dreams, BTATS
 
I see some discussion of setlists in this thread and I thought I'd add my stab at it before the tour starts.

The previous tour listed the following songs in the setlist.
1. If Eternity Should Fail
2. Speed of Light
3. Children of the Damned *
4. Tears of the Clown *
5. The Red and the Black
6. The Trooper *
7. Powerslave
8. Death or Glory
9. Book of Souls
10. Hallowed Be Thy Name
11. Fear of the Dark
12. Iron Maiden
13. The Number of the Beast
14. Blood Brothers*
15. Wasted Years *

I starred the songs that I think have a chance of being replaced. Personally I don't see Tears of the Clown or the Trooper being replaced, but I think there's a higher probably of switching them out before other songs on that setlist.

Children of the Damned: The potential replacements I see for this song are in order: Die with your Boots On, Aces High or Wrathchild. Personally, I'd prefer Rainmaker or Killers here.

Tears of a Clown: I think this is one of the weakest songs on the Book of Souls, but Bruce has said he really likes the lyrics. If this song is replaced I think they would choose something newer (i.e. from Brave New World onwards). Based on the song length, that boils it down really to The Wicker Man or Rainmaker, with the latter being more unlikely. Coming Home or El Dorado stand a chance if they shorten the set somewhere else. I think Iron Maiden really like El Dorado, but to me it doesn't really do much. Personally, I think Flash of the Blade would be great to sneak in here...but there's no chance of that happening.

The Trooper: If the Trooper was replaced (and they are keeping the same basic setlist arrangement, then the only song I see replacing it is The Number of the Beast. The replacement song would then be moved to the encore. I don't see the Trooper being replaced in the encore by anything other than a classic song. 2 Minutes to Midnight, Die with your Boots on or Aces High are probably tops on that list. I suppose Murders in the Rue Morgue or Killers may be considered.

Blood Brothers: They really like to play this song live, but they also seem to like Dance of Death live as well. I'm not really seeing any other options for them switching any other songs here. Personally, I'd like them to put in Greater than 1,000 Suns at this spot, though I'd be happen with any number of songs from a Matter of Life and Death.

Wasted Years: If they remove Wasted Years, it'll probably be for SiT's other live song Heaven Can Wait. Heaven Can Wait won't be the last song, so if it's switched out, I'm guessing Fear of the Dark will be moved to the last song. Personally, I'd like to here something different from SiT such as the title track or Stranger in a Strange Land. They have said they think SiaSL doesn't flow well live so I doubt it will ever be played live again.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I've seen a number of people say they'd rather switch the Red and the Black for Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I don't see this happening and I'd rather have the Red and the Black in there otherwise it's more of another rehash of the Somewhere Back in Time Tour. If the Red and the Black is removed, it'll have to be broken up into two different songs. One song would have to be from BoS or the Final Frontier. Shadows of the Valley is the most likely BoS song to add and Coming Home is probably the most likely FF song. Then the second song would likely be more than one of the classics. At this point I'd say Heaven Can Wait would be inserted to the setlist at this point in the concert...because I believe there's a audience sing-a-long section of the Red and the Black that they'd really like to keep the feel of and Heaven's not a concert closer. Wasted Years and Shadows of the Valley wouldn't go too well in the same setlist due to the similar feel they have to each other. So if Shadows of the Valley and Heaven Can Wait replace the Red and the Black, 2 Minutes to Midnight almost certainly replaces Wasted Years.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm going to see them this year...and since I didn't catch them in 2016 if they play the same exact setlist I won't be all that disappointed. Really, the only songs I'd rather not hear are Tears of a Clown and Blood Brothers. I wish Iron Maiden mixed up their setlists like many other artists do for shows. I can't help myself from viewing the setlists of past shows, so if it's not varied I'll know the setlist when I finally see them. I understand there are probably a lot of visual effects that need coordinated for the show, but I think they could vary the three encore songs every night. I'd like to hear one or two songs in the encore that don't get played live often/ever. For me, hearing either Caught Somewhere in Time or Stranger in a Strange Land would be a dream come true.
 
I thought I'd weigh in here
Children of the Damned: The potential replacements I see for this song are in order: Die with your Boots On, Aces High or Wrathchild. Personally, I'd prefer Rainmaker or Killers here.
I reckon COTD is deceptively long; Length-wise, Revelations is a more likely replacement. Killers would be awesome though

Tears of a Clown: I think this is one of the weakest songs on the Book of Souls, but Bruce has said he really likes the lyrics. If this song is replaced I think they would choose something newer (i.e. from Brave New World onwards). Based on the song length, that boils it down really to The Wicker Man or Rainmaker, with the latter being more unlikely. Coming Home or El Dorado stand a chance if they shorten the set somewhere else. I think Iron Maiden really like El Dorado, but to me it doesn't really do much. Personally, I think Flash of the Blade would be great to sneak in here...but there's no chance of that happening.
Given that TOAC was not originally meant to be in the set, it's the most likely BOS song to be dropped IMO; I'm with you on it being replaced by The Wicker Man.

Regarding the not-unpopular view that TRATB should go, it's Steve's 13 minutes alone (so to speak), and so probably won't be dropped for anything other than a similarly lengthy Harris-penned epic (though that does leave the door open for WTWWB or FTGGOG)

As I think I said in an earlier post, There might a semi-SIT theme for the 2017 tour (like in 2007), which would likely see Powerslave replaced with Heaven Can Wait. SIASL is the only other song which has the faintest chance of being played, but I'm definitely not getting my hopes up. In the same vein, it occurred to me (with absolutely no basis in fact or evidence) that, seeing as 2017 marks 25 years of FOTD, more 90s songs could be played, in place of a full 90s tour.

And as ever, I'd forgo a kidney to see Infinite Dreams
 
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The only songs I think they might drop are COTD and TOAC. 2MTM, Revelations and Brave New World could be replacements. Not all three though.
 
I doubt Rime, too... but... then again... it is a featured graphic on the back of one of the tour shirts.
I thought it kind of strange that they did that... so, I wouldn't really be all that surprised if it shows up this year.
Dunno about Europe, but dropping Trooper from the set would incite riots across North America.
Personally, I could do without Blood Brothers... and for fkk's sake, am I the only Maiden fan who falls asleep when they play Fear Of The Dark?
 
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Well, Nicko just held a going away party, which should mean that the rehearsals start this or next week (probably in Paris, since the first dates are in Europe).
 
Yeah it seems so. But again it's only a month and a half before 22nd of April, so if they do 3 weeks of rehearsals in Paris and a week of production rehearsals in Antwerp, it's noth that much time. Nicko is probably leaving Florida in the next few days. He could also leave a bit early to spend some time with his first-born Nicholas, who lives in the UK I think. Regardless all of that, they will probably start rehearsing in a week or two. The band has probably seen last year that Bruce needs some time to begin singing on his highest level (The shows until Mexico last year were a bit shaky), so they decided to rehearse a bit more. There are also a few questions about the setlist: what will replace COTD and TOAC with, if they decide to do so, can Bruce get through another 3 months of going through TRATB without hurting his voice, etc... Since they are getting old, they must adress all of the possible problems that can occur, especially, because they can't swap songs mid-tour (they only rehearse the setlist).
 
Yeah it seems so. But again it's only a month and a half before 22nd of April, so if they do 3 weeks of rehearsals in Paris and a week of production rehearsals in Antwerp, it's noth that much time. Nicko is probably leaving Florida in the next few days. He could also leave a bit early to spend some time with his first-born Nicholas, who lives in the UK I think. Regardless all of that, they will probably start rehearsing in a week or two. The band has probably seen last year that Bruce needs some time to begin singing on his highest level (The shows until Mexico last year were a bit shaky), so they decided to rehearse a bit more. There are also a few questions about the setlist: what will replace COTD and TOAC with, if they decide to do so, can Bruce get through another 3 months of going through TRATB without hurting his voice, etc... Since they are getting old, they must adress all of the possible problems that can occur, especially, because they can't swap songs mid-tour (they only rehearse the setlist).

The extra time for rehearsals was mostly introduced so Bruce could build some stamina after going through hell with all the cancer treatment and not having sung for such a long time.

That being said, it seems that they would be doing a good amount of rehearsing this time too. Let's hope that this would not mean dropping COTD and replacing it with Wrathchild though. :lol:
 
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