Anyone Seen Back In The Village Performed Live?

Hermod

Hermod

Nomad
Playing some old Maiden stuff today (as you do) on the IPOD and "Back In The Village" popped up which got me thinking have the boys ever done this live?  I have seen Maiden numerous times over the years but don't ever recall this being played.

Had a look through the excellent "commentary" site and couldn't find any mention of it so the question(s) is - have they ever played it live and if so where you there to see it?

It's just idle curiosity on my part so no big deal but was wondering if any of you out there can enlighten me please?

Cheers folks! 
 
Back during the P owerslave tour I read an interview (I think with Adrian) who said that they played it early in the tour but then dropped it from the set because it did not go over live very well (hard to believe...that song rules!). It was either Hit Parader or Circus magazine 84 or 85. The first leg was in Russia but I don't see any set list from that time with Village on it so...who knows?
 
Maiden have been known to drop songs after a few shows into a tour if it's not working. I don't know if this happened on World Slavery, but if so it wasn't Village. So such an interview with H may exist, but a different song?
 
In 1985 -one calender year after it supposed to have happened- the main songwriter of this particular track, Adrian Smith, told the following in the official fanzine (International Edition, number 15):

Q: Have you a particular favourite song you've written and performed?

Adrian: I enjoyed writing 'Back In The Village" with Bruce and played it a few times but dropped it from the set. I like playing most of the recent songs like '2 Minutes To Midnight'. When you've been playing the same songs night after night for about a year, any new material is a relief.
 
Forostar said:
. When you've been playing the same songs night after night for about a year, any new material is a relief.
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Ha ha! The last three years must have been hard on H... He does a good show of looking like he's enjoying himself at least...
 
SinisterMinisterX said:
Maiden have been known to drop songs after a few shows into a tour if it's not working. I don't know if this happened on World Slavery, but if so it wasn't Village. So such an interview with H may exist, but a different song?
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They changed the set a fair bit on that (long) tour. Take side 4 of Live after Death audio. 5 tracks not on the vid from the US. Also released Losfer Words and Murders in the Rue Morgue, live from that tour. So thats 7 different tracks from the live vid. Don't get that anymore.
 
They changed the set at the start of new legs, but kept that set the same for an entire leg of the tour. I was referring to things like the Early Days tour, where Charlotte The Harlot was played at the first few (2?) shows before being dropped.
 
Gerald Wiley said:
They changed the set a fair bit on that (long) tour. Take side 4 of Live after Death audio. 5 tracks not on the vid from the US. Also released Losfer Words and Murders in the Rue Morgue, live from that tour. So thats 7 different tracks from the live vid. Don't get that anymore.
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That was actually something cool they did. On each of the four nights they played at the Hammersmith they played 1 different song... Which are the ones featured on side 4 of LAD
 
On the final US leg of World Slavery, playing the set that made up sides 1-3 of LAD, Twisted Sister was opening some shows. In Denver on Dec 15 1984, someone in TS got sick and Maiden had no opener. So they went on early and played extra songs:

Churchill's Speech / Aces High
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Trooper
Wrathchild
Revelations
Flight Of Icarus
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Losfer Words
Phantom of the Opera
22 Acacia Avenue
Powerslave
Guitar solo
Number of the Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name

That's as far as my boot goes. I presume they also continued with Iron Maiden and the rest. If so, then attendees of that show saw almost all of the LAD songs live, with Losfer Words replacing CotD.
 
As far as I know, "Back In The Village" has never been played live, not in concert anyway. I do know that "The Lonelieness Of The Long Distance Runner" was played live only once, which was on the very first date of "Somewhere On Tour". After which it was dropped, and never played live ever again.

I heard a rumour that "Invaders" was played once live during the "Fear Of The Dark" tour, in Auckland, New Zealand, but I've seen no evidence to prove this.
 
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