Earls Court 22nd December.

Albie

Albie

Keeping an open eye on the Weeping Angels.
This is the first time I had seen Maiden since 1990 (No Prayer tour at Wembley Arena) and it was worth the wait. In my opinion, a great show - the band sounded good, Bruce's vocals were top notch and they put no foot wrong (aside from Bruce missing out a few lines on one of the encore songs).

The only fault that I could pick up on this show was a "just one of those things" type scenarios - around 40 minutes into the set, Bruce decided to say "good evening" as he had not done so. So he did and then proceeded to talk about Christmas before he was called backstage. A second or two later, he came back with an ironic grin on his face. "You are not going to believe this..", he said, and he then informed us that a piece of their equipment had caught fire and the power to all the stage equipment had to be shut off while this was repaired. 5 minutes, he was promised the power would be off. This went on for 25 minutes and the fact that (even with a megaphone) Bruce could not be heard at all (unless the megaphone was pointed in your direction and the crowd had hushed), it is testament to the man (and the band in general) that he kept the crowd occupied during the power outage. So, some 25 minutes later, the power was restored and the "truth" about what had happened was then told. The main cable that feeds the power was what had burnt and not their own equipment. Therefore, the curfew that was set in place (was there one? I had no idea :huh:), had to be lifted - to great applause when we were told.

As for the set-list itself:
The whole album sounded so good live, especially The Legacy and Benjamin Breeg. I knew the entire set-list before hand (I have a couple of MP3 boots of previous shows) so I got what I expected. The crowd seemed to be happy on the whole with the choice to play the whole album, but I guessed most would have known this before hand (it is almost the end of the tour), but it did not stop some demanding "The Trooper"/"Run to the Hills/etc" - I guess if it your first Maiden show, then maybe you would want to hear these.

Fear of the Dark got the crowd going mad (as expected) and then Iron Maiden with Eddie atop the tank was almost what the flock had all come to see.

As for Bruce's aforementioned cock up, it was the opening of Hallowed be thy Name - I'm pretty sure he missed out on a few words here (I need to check back on the recording).

Lauren Harris, musically, was not my cup of tea but she put on a reasonable show and got some of the crowd warmed up.

Trivium - well, I went with an open mind and thought initially they really weren't that bad, but I got very bored with it very quickly. I've not heard too much from these guys and may not be in too much of a hurry to do go further, but I have seen and heard bands much worse than them. A few folk decided to show their lack of appreciation for them to which the lead singer just told them "If you don't like it, don't listen to us - we don't dick you about at your place of work......" (and and so on). Fair point, I thought. Musically, as we all know, they do sound a bit to Metallica and the lead singer kept throwing these Tom Araya shapes every so often. The funniest part of the show, was seeing some guy hold up a string of printed words "Boat - Rudder - etc" (you know the one). ;)

The good news is that I managed to tape the show and should share it when I have manged to transfer it to my PC (it is on a MiniDisc at the mo).

And it was good to meet up with Perun, Nushnool and MaidenFreak. Good to see you guys. :ok:
 
I'll be singing the parody chorus to Trivium's "Pull Harder" tonight for sure, then! Heh!

Sounds like a great show, cock ups like what you mentioned don't bother me cause hey, they're only human!

Can't wait till later!
 
this was my first Maiden show, and it was amazing  :D

Trivium....hmmmm. I'm not a fan but they seemed to play ok, their sound wasnt that great for me...all i could hear was drums and a few guitar solo's..but my brother seemed to like it...

I really liked the set list and the crowd responce seemed really good...infact the whole atmosphere was great. Bruce sounded really good, didnt miss a single note all show, the rest of the band were perfect as you'd expect. The sound was much better than Trivium's...

After reading some thread about the show in germany (with all the pushing) it was good to see Bruce stepping in this time. After the 3rd song he told those idiots to stop or the band would stop (massive cheer).

The 25 min break felt a lot shorter than that...was good how the band stayed out there and kept the crowd going, the huge cheer when Steve miskicked the ball they had brought out (though my brother reckoned he kicked it up Bruce's arse!...not sure which) was funny. The band did seem to lose a tiny bit of momentum when they re-started
, but that could have been because of the song they come back with...Out of the Shadows. Being a slower ballad style song it wasnt so suited to kick starting things again...but Benjamin Breeg next got things going again...it sounded amazing live


Towards the end Bruce told us about the plans for next year...
Basically Maiden are gona play Donnington with a set full of classics (think thats what he said...)


Great show and i'd definitely go again
 
ok i get too see maiden for the second time tonight, one problem, i have heard that there is another support band apart from trivium, was there a second support band last night, i have also heard rumours that its my chemical romance, oh dear god, last time i saw them it was funeral for a friend,

anyway if there is or isnt please reply to keep my head at ease


peace out

booth
 
I highly doubt it. Anyway, I'm going to see them tonight, also Earls Court, last date of the tour, and I can't wait. Reading Albie's good review is getting me even more excited. I'll post a review on here tomorrow, probably.
 
Albie and Strato, thanks for your reviews ! I enjoyed reading it. Must have been quite some show (power problems and the Bruce warning for the idiots).

On Trivium, I liked them. Indeed the voice reminded me a bit of Hetfield, but I don't have any problems with that. They're young and motivated people who know damn well how to handle their instruments. Good band !

@Perun: what do you think of this gig, comparing it to Dortmund and Paris (atmosphere, performance, as much as you'd like to say about any aspect of it). Must have been a weird moment to hear this Bruce warning, where you'd expected it in Dortmund(?)

edit:

TRIVIUM Frontman Battles Urine-Filled Balloons At London Gig - Dec. 23, 2006 

A BLABBERMOUTH.NET visitor by the name of George Byron-Roberts has submitted the following report:

"TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy interrupted the band's set [as the support act for IRON MAIDEN] at Earl's Court, London last night [Friday, Dec. 22] to chide members of the audience after being subjected to a barrage of urine-filled balloons and bottles. Heafy and bassist Paolo Gregoletto were showered with urine during their performance of 'Like Light to the Flies'. Heafy angrily declared that the act was 'really wrong' and that if he saw anyone throwing things at the band he would see that they were 'thrown the fuck out" and 'beaten the fuck up.'

"The left hand side of the stage had been rowdy with fervent disapproval for TRIVIUM and their frontman from the beginning of their set, the band being lambasted with cries of 'death to false metal' between each of their songs; and throughout the set there was a constant exchange of rude gestures between Heafy and the antagonists. An attempt to block the missiles with a U.S. flag was shouted down by British fans, who angrily turned on the American fans, a group of young men and women who had travelled all the way from the USA to see TRIVIUM perform.

"Heafy's polemic (after battling through the rest of the song) lasted almost five minutes. However IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson was unusually quiet about the event, preferring to focus his rant on the safety of fans at the front of the crowd and the horrors of war."

A two-minute video clip of TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy getting an audience member kicked out of their December 12, 2006 show at the Birmingham NEC for allegedly throwing bottles at the band can be found at YouTube.com. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENIVGOpMcE
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...seemed some British idiots are as bad as Sharon Osbourne. Some people haven't learned from the Ozzfest incidents it seems. Shame on them, those f**king haters ! And shame on the idiots who shouted or booed against those guys, who apperently had a difficult time. I am curious what the Maiden guys (or Rod) would think of this.

Out of anger, I think I will buy Trivium's album as soon as I can, to show that there ARE Europeans who appreciate good music. British twats !
 
Forostar said:
A BLABBERMOUTH.NET visitor by the name of George Byron-Roberts has submitted the following report:

"TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy interrupted the band's set [as the support act for IRON MAIDEN] at Earl's Court, London last night [Friday, Dec. 22] to chide members of the audience after being subjected to a barrage of urine-filled balloons and bottles. Heafy and bassist Paolo Gregoletto were showered with urine during their performance of 'Like Light to the Flies'. Heafy angrily declared that the act was 'really wrong' and that if he saw anyone throwing things at the band he would see that they were 'thrown the fuck out" and 'beaten the fuck up.'.......

An attempt to block the missiles with a U.S. flag was shouted down by British fans, who angrily turned on the American fans, a group of young men and women who had travelled all the way from the USA to see TRIVIUM perform.
--------
Click to expand...
Pretty much what did happen, but I don't remember the American flag been used to block the missiles. I was not overly keen on Trivium, but as the guy (Heafy) said - "I don't dick about at your place of work" - so let them be - and I really did not think they were that bad - I just got bored of it. There was a decent amount of fans that warmed to these guys though.

Forostar said:
...seemed some British idiots are as bad as Sharon Osbourne. Some people haven't learned from the Ozzfest incidents it seems. Shame on them, those f**king haters ! And shame on the idiots who shouted or booed against those guys, who apperently had a difficult time. I am curious what the Maiden guys (or Rod) would think of this.
Click to expand...
Unfortunelty, people never learn. The same people that did this would have almost very likely to have berated Sharon Osbourne for her shameless act. Sad, really.
 
I'm not going to lose too many words right now because I'm very tired, but I have to say that this was the best concert I've ever been to, Maiden and non-Maiden. The crowd was great (despite the fact that there was no second barrier), the band was fantastic and the sound quality was great.
I was very impressed by the way both the band and the fans dealt with the powerout, and it was quite an enjoyable experience. I really appreciated the boys' efforts to keep the crowd entertained by conducting choirs, playing football onstage and whatnot... and, as Bruce stated, the fans were really good sports.
I was happy to hear Bruce ranting about the moshers, and he got my full applause for that... and thankfully, it even worked. I was a bit afraid after things went too far during the Trivium gig (the singer even demanded those bloody moshpits!), but most of the hardcore moshers left after Trivium anyway.

The entire trip was great as well. On Thursday evening, Freaky, National Acrobat and I met at Ruskin's... only to be joined by twenty-something fanclub members who, quite thankfully, occupied the whole place and took control of the jukebox.
On Friday, before and after the gig, we met the same fellows again (plus some more) at a hotel close to Earl's Court. It was a great afternoon and evening (Dave Sullivan even showed up), and it was brilliantly organised.

So, cheers to Freaky, Nush, Albie, and all the others I've met. You are the best!
 
Perun said:
I'm not going to lose too many words right now because I'm very tired, but I have to say that this was the best concert I've ever been to, Maiden and non-Maiden. The crowd was great (despite the fact that there was no second barrier), the band was fantastic and the sound quality was great.
I was very impressed by the way both the band and the fans dealt with the powerout, and it was quite an enjoyable experience. I really appreciated the boys' efforts to keep the crowd entertained by conducting choirs, playing football onstage and whatnot... and, as Bruce stated, the fans were really good sports.
Click to expand...

Nice :)
Football on stage? What happened exactly? The band shot footballs in the crowd or something ?
Glad you liked this one so much after the bad experioence of Dortmund! :)
 
Forostar said:
Football on stage? What happened exactly? The band shot footballs in the crowd or something ?
Click to expand...
That was prety much it.

I am in the process of uploading the recording of this show and will post when done. I have to say, there is a few tips to recording that need to be followed:

1. Don't stand to close to other singing fans etc. They will only provide the backing vocals.
2. Stand far back as you will get a good recording, close to the stage has a good view but the worst sound.
Plus many more.

Needless to say, I did not adhere to these and for the first few songs I was right in the thick of it but after a bit of jostling, I decided to step to the side so as to stand still. But every thump of Nicko's bass drum and every twang of 'Arrys bass (etc) that vibrates your t-shirt to its very core, is recorded. The sound quality ain't all that, but I dare say some could play around with it with some audio editor and clean it up a tad (I have had a bit of a go and it comes out OK after I have added some effects and adjusted the volume).

It was recorded on a MiniDisc using the Auto Record Vol setting and using the LP2 mode (if interested).

EDIT: If this breaches the rules of this forum, please let me know (I have seen others post links, but need to be 100% sure before doing so).
 
In response to the Trivium debacle, I've been reading replies on other websites from people who were there, and the event was very overexagerrated, to be honest.  Allegedly, it wasn't 'a hail of bottles', but one bottle, which appeared to be filled with beer, not piss (It was frothing).  Hardly something to blow your top over.  As usual, Blabbermouth is hardly the most reliable source of all....
 
A very good gig in my opinion, better than Reading 05 when i saw them there.
Blabbermouth really did overdo it on that article, i was at the front right and it was hardly as bad. I saw the "Bottle of piss" land on stage... funny thing was some warm liquid flew over my head before that, i was very glad it smelt like beer!
 
Very enjoyable gig, as was the second Earl's Court one. Really great to meet up with Perun, Freaky and Albie - great guys all of you! :ok:

As for Trivium, they seemed to get a rather worse reception on the second night, with quite a few bottles being thrown. And as for their music, well I found that extremely boring, and the moshpits I found extremely annoying, especially on the second night when I was about 6 rows back, in the middle of all that nonsense.
 
OK, I have 5 zipped up files of the show. There is 3 to 4 songs in each file and the locations are as below.

Part I (35 MB)
Part II (46 MB)
Part III (43 MB)
Part IV (40 MB)
Part V (42 MB)

As stated earlier, I may have been too close to the stage to get a better sound, but its all there (even a few minutes of the power outage).
 
Stratocaster said:
The 25 min break felt a lot shorter than that...was good how the band stayed out there and kept the crowd going, the huge cheer when Steve miskicked the ball they had brought out (though my brother reckoned he kicked it up Bruce's arse!...not sure which) was funny. The band did seem to lose a tiny bit of momentum when they re-started
Click to expand...

I thought Steve kicked the football up Bruce's arse for fun. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Albie said:
OK, I have 5 zipped up files of the show. There is 3 to 4 songs in each file and the locations are as below.

Part I (35 MB)
Part II (46 MB)
Part III (43 MB)
Part IV (40 MB)
Part V (42 MB)

As stated earlier, I may have been too close to the stage to get a better sound, but its all there (even a few minutes of the power outage).
Click to expand...

Thank you VERY much. I was there and I really appreciate to have a more than decent recording of the show!
 
Those are in pretty good quality, Albie. I actually enjoy listening to them (well, the gig was special as well, wasn't it?). Thanks, mate! :)
 
I must admit, I've played about with them using a audio editor and it does improve it a slight - but I'm tempted to keep it as is. It's not too bad quality, as you say, but I should tested the sound during Trivium - but I did not want to waste valuable battery power. Anyway, glad you like them. :)
 
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