Ten years ago today...

Perun

His name struck fear into hearts of men
Staff member
On the early morning of 28. November 2006, I found myself in the airport of Nuremberg anxiously awaiting my flight to Paris. It was the day I had been anticipating for years, because that evening, I was going to see Iron Maiden live for the first time. The trip had been prepared long in advance. Some formerly active members of this board, gone but not forgotten, had conspired to make this event happen: Owly, a resident of Paris, had presented me with the ticket in a meetup as early as April. Another member, Maidenfreak from Germany, was also on board, and some French members were also going to meet after the gig. It was the first fully arranged meetup from this forum for a Maiden gig. The first of many to come.

It was a cold and grey day in the City of Lights, but I didn't mind. Having spent an entire week in Paris that August, I was not particularly concerned with sightseeing. I spent most of the day listening to A Matter of Life and Death over and over again, as I had done the previous weeks and months. The album was on such heavy rotation that I almost felt guilty for it, like an addict who couldn't quit. I met Maidenfreak at some point, and in the afternoon, we made our way to the venue, the Palais Omnisports de Bercy. We were in a rush, for we had first to the barrier tickets and needed to get there in time for advanced access. However, this being France, the tube drivers went on strike when we were just one stop from the venue, and we had to run from there. Of course we made it in time and spent about an hour waiting at the doors, chatting with other fans from around the world. And indeed, we made it right to the barrier. I stood on the left hand side, facing Dave.

I just vaguely remember Lauren Harris and Trivium opening. Of course Lauren was a hotly discussed topic that year, and her non-threatening variety of UFO-inspired soft hard rock was entertaining enough. Trivium on the other hand had been the butt of many jokes until then, and would continue to be for many years to come. Little did I know that, two years later at the same venue, I would be tortured with Avenged Sevenfold and long back for this band...

When Maiden went onstage, I had a mixed feeling of excitement, joy and confusion. The confusion stemmed from the fact that I realised that I was literally seeing these six people for the first time in my life, and yet they were as familiar to me as close friends. I knew every movement they would make and every gimmick they would use. And yet, here I was seeing them live for the first time. It was the payoff for many years of build-up during which I familiarised myself with every note they recorded and every tour they had performed, with their history, their influence and, last but not least, their fans. This crazy group of people that gave me a feeling of belonging and appreciation.

The fact that I actually got to see Maiden felt special to me. I had been living in a remote village for a long time, and not very many bands hit this part of the country frequently. I had previously attempted to see Maiden twice, but failed both for time and money constraints. Maiden were a distant light to me, an important part of my life but yet far away. This had finally changed. The feeling when I finally held the ticket in my hand, when I entered the venue and when I saw the band hit the stage was indescribable. It was actually happening.

I knew the setlist beforehand, yet I did not feel that my experience was spoiled in any way. In a sense, it was liberating, because I could freely follow the tour documentation and keep up-to-date to what was happening when the band was in America and Japan. This having been my first Maiden gig, any setlist would have been good for me, but yet I was happy to see the album performed in its entirety. I could sing along with every word and every note, and I took it all in to the fullest. But arguably the greatest moment came when Hallowed ended and the band was leaving: Dave looked me straight in the eye and tossed me his wristband. I will never forget the smile on his face when he saw my excitement at having caught it.

I would go on to see Maiden two more times that year, including in London, where I met
@national acrobat and @Albie and spent an unforgettable evening at the Ruskin Arms. There would be fourteen more gigs ahead of me in the ten years to follow, in no less than six countries, including one more at Bercy. Each gig has a story of its own, and I am happy to say that the latest two were more special than any other concert I've been to.

My apologies for the soppy tone of this post. I felt the urge to tell this story because I owe Maiden - and this board - so much in my life, and I wouldn't want to change one bit of it.

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Yes, I actually still have that FTTB wristband.
 
It always feels special when we see one of our favorite bands for the first time. I saw them for the first time during the Brave New World Tour and its still one of my favorite memories of Maiden. I saw them in Boston about ten years ago on October 6, 2006 and it was my first time seeing them in the City of Boston and its also one of my favorite memories. I usually saw Maiden in either Mansfield or Worcestor. One of my most unique experiences was seeing them in Shanghai last April because it was my first concert ever in a foreign country. I'm a teacher but I still went nuts like I was young again. I couldn't jump around much towards the end because I had some pain from my kidney stones but I still sang my heart out! The funniest part was when I saw a line of taxis on a different street I was holding my left side where the pain was and I was holding an umbrella in my other hand shouting "taxi" in Chinese which is chu zu che. I had a couple of bottles of water when I arrived at the hotel and I was fine afterwards.
 
Was it really ten years ago? That Maiden gig was the first one I'd seen them do in some years. And the cable caught fire and power had to be cut to the stage.

Every gig since then I've managed to meet up with some folk from here, and at each of them was @national acrobat . It is always good to put faces behind the folk on here, so long may these meet ups continue.
 
It's really nice to read this, Perun. You pretty much described what I felt in March this year. The part about the feeling of excitement, joy and confusion I understand completely...
 
It's been only about nine-and-a-half years for me, but I first saw Maiden live on that very tour (in Ostrava, 6th June 2007). It was very nice to read your recollections. It only goes to show that the particular album was really something special :D
 
Nice read.

I was at this gig as well, and had first to the barrier too and was right in front of Dave Murray as well, so can't have been too far away from you.

I've no memory of Trivium being on the bill though!
 
Very nice read. These are special moments. Two days ago, it was the 30th anniversary of my first Maiden gig (also in Paris), a fantastic memory. I like it when I hear someone in the audience who lives it for the first time. At the British Lion gig in Lyons, there was a young lady (approx. 15-16) who was emotional to see Steve Harris for the first time, and who told her father she was really looking forward to her first Maiden concert, and it was a pleasure to hear her comment on that.
 
Nice story Perun!!

As for my own first experience. It was 10-09-99 in Rotterdam. Too bad they didn't play there a day earlier because the I survived 09-09-99 shirt (Paris) was really good. I was 23 at the time. Rather old for a first Maiden experience if you know that I started listening when I was about 12 years old. My best friend and I left early to avoid a traffic jam.

Having lived in Rotterdam near Ahoy (where the concert was) for a year I knew a spot to park the car with ease. Spareribs for dinner and since the place was near to Ahoy they playd Maiden all night. Safe bet is that any other night they won't be playing Maiden at all. For some reason we got seating tickets and that was the very first and last time I ever gotten seating tickets.

Megadeth was the opening act and I do like them but that day they were not in my zone. I remember hearing Peace Sells... only recognizing it was Peace Sells when the chorus started. Not their fault but my eagerness for Maiden. By the time Maiden started we tried standing but a huge man behind us yelled "ZITTEN" so we sat. Next to my friend sat a young man playing an air guitar the whole evening and he did a very good job at it. He had long hair was was headbanging so my friend got a fair share of hair in his face during the concert.

The opening was and is in my view the best opening Maiden has ever had. But since this was my first Maiden concert I am happy to say that I might be biased. It was a 2 minutes concert. At least it felt like it only lasted 2 minutes. The way back we sang along the CD (it was 99) and talked about what were the best parts of the show. When we were almost home almost 2 hours later we had to pull over for a alcohol test (they pulled everybody over). So far my first and only alcohol test I had to do. Luckily it was't my only Maiden concert.
 
The first thing I saw when I arrived for my first Maiden gig was a certain leather-clad Kraut. So I appreciate the sappy tone.

To London!
 
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