RUN FOR YOUR LIVES 2025 Tour Thread *SPOILERS INSIDE*

They kind of did just slap the set together without much thought tbh.

Clairvoyant, Midnight, Aces and Wasted Years could have made way for something more interesting, we didn't need half of the Powerslave album in the set, while other albums are less represented

Show flow wise Rime and SSOASS are too close together, and Hills in it's current spot is pretty weird.
 
Maybe I got a little carried away with my expectations due to all the hype.
I'm fine with the final setlist—it's solid all the way through—but I have to admit I was expecting a bit more. The setlist works, but I was kind of hoping they'd bring back a rarer song or two, since I've heard all of these live before. Song-choice-wise, it doesn’t quite reach the level of Legacy of the Beast or The Future Past tours—close, but not quite there.
That said, it's great to get Murders in the Rue Morgue, Killers, Phantom of the Opera, The Clairvoyant, Powerslave, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and Hallowed Be Thy Name all in one setlist!

I feel like they just don’t like—or maybe even hate—parts of Infinite Dreams. It’s a shame they skipped it again. I’d be totally satisfied if they just swapped one song out for Infinite Dreams.
Anyway, really looking forward to seeing them live!
 
Meliegree said:
Encore will be a great moment to rush back to the parking before the crowd.
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No kiddin. When they come to the States Ill stick around for it since my +1 will be a first timer, but Im definitely going to grab my last beer during Aces. Love Bruce, love the band, and I do genuinely hope his pipes warm up, but Aces as an encore feels like torture to the poor fucker. To any man in his 60s, let alone a damn throat cancer survivor. But I know Aces-Low-Mid will still be awesome for my +1 to see live
 
I forgot to mention—Simon did a great job based on the clips I've seen so far. It's definitely interesting to see someone else behind the drums again, especially since he doesn’t have a massive drum kit blocking the view like Nicko usually does.
 
For my wife, 'Aces High' was an incredible experience - the first Iron Maiden concert she'd ever been to, and it was still as an opener during LotB. But in the encore? Damn... that will be rough.

I've calmly looked through the setlist and the song selection is great in my opinion, but their order etc. seems random. I'm not a fan of how many Powerslave songs were featured - especially at the expense of other songs. The main set could have easily included the first 9 albums and left the songs they really like for the encore - 2m2m, fear and indeed wasted years because it fits at the end.

I understand the argument 'hehe they said they'd play songs from the first 9 albums but not from every one of them'. Either way - in marketing we call something like that misleading when such a message is combined with the information 'from ... to ...'. It would be more appropriate to say 'we'll play the greatest hits from the early years'. Oh well... talk about overhype and underdeliver.

As for the rest? Phenomenal. The look of the stage is amazing. It really looks good and atmospheric.

Simon? I was a bit afraid, but after the first show he proved himself really great. It was a good choice, Steve made a good decision to choose someone he had already played a lot of shows with.

The band - great, someone noticed that they move a bit less, maybe it's a matter of age, maybe a new stage production. What's most important - the sound - is still there.

Bruce? Good until Aces High.

I was afraid for the future of the band, but actually, I think Simon could have given them a few more years on stage.
 
I am pumped for everything up the encore. Rime, Phantom and Seventh Son in one set. They are spoiling us!

My only disappointment is the lack of at least one No Prayer song. I know it is not their most popular album, but it does contain their only UK number 1. BYDTTS would have been perfect as the first song in the encore. Instead, they roll out Aces High again.

I’m going with 3 of my mates. If I was by myself, I would leave before the encore. I left before Aces High in 2022 and I would have no problem doing it again.
 
Ill stick around, even the encore.
First, I've paid for the whole show.
Second , might be the last time I'll see them, you never know.

My wife saw maiden for the first time on TFP tour and never heard any of these classics live, so that's another reason.

The hardcore fan in me ist just a tad disappointed in the lack of missed opportunities
 
So here's my review. I don't have much desire to do it(!), but let's share my thoughts:

I'm very disappointed with the setlist. Despite all the great classics (especially for an anniv Hits tour; I like all songs but 2, ofc) - this is probably one of my least favorite setlists of theirs. Also, one of their laziest. The fake setlist was much better! Hype or not, I was expecting some surprises for a 50th anniv, unlike in 2012. And because of the recent tours. I know all bands play the same stuff more or less, but with 17 songs the hits could have been just 10-11 and it would have been perfect for everyone. This tour feels like a farewell. The stage show can't be better in this new approach.

Bruce's hype with the ''setlist for the ages'' is true for the casuals, so I can't blame him. I really didn't expect such a setlist. Bold, but at the same time not.

The tour teaser was misleading, not playing a song from NPFTD is not cool. The only album to miss! When if not now, and for more deep cuts? With new album tours it's harder to add deep cuts.

I feel they delivered with the stage show. And it's quite different for them. It's the best use of screens I've ever seen. The stage looks bigger and the screens in the decors make it to look 3D because it's not a full-on boxed for some songs. But for their ''most elaborate show ever'' - I expected more props and inflatables, maybe even more pyro. But as I suspected, the screens will be the main thing and maybe it's hard for them to fit.
- apart for the first few songs, the no themes to the set.

I understand they wanted something different, but no big inflatable Eddie is a huge letdown. POM Eddie was shown, when they only played 1 song from the album...

Like:
- the stage show is amazing.
- Simon did a great job, the whole band too. They sound rejuvenated. The energy is there, despite them not moving that much, but it's understandable now.
- playing more than 15 songs again.
- Adrian's use of guitars

Complains:
- the setlist, especially the inclusion of Aces High and Wasted Years. Both should be retired imo, or at least the former. I don't know what Bruce is thinking, he can't sing it there. So boring. What a bad encore after all the tours, Number, Trooper, Hallowed sounds more interesting.
- such a small drum kit will always be weird for me.
- Janick plays about 4 solos in total (Phantom, Trooper, Hallowed, Fear), it's not cool. He needed the extra 2 90's songs.
- the set feels random, the flow is good and fast (expected), but having 2 songs with slow middle parts is kind of odd.
- no inflatable big Eddie.
- using a walk-on Trooper Eddie again.

The only rare songs are: Murders, Killers, Rime and Seventh Son. The Reunion lineup has always played some bigger surprises.

- 4 songs from Powerslave is too much (at the expense of one more SSOASS or IM song), since they skipped NPFTD, they could have skipped SIT. Only 1 POM is a surprise, even after LOTB tour. It seems Clairvoyant replaced Evil That Men Do. Fear as an encore is odd.
They returned most of the songs that haven't been played in 10 or more years, some staples, and that's it.

This tour was the perfect chance to hear songs like Infinite Dreams, Still Life, To Tame A Land, Be Qucik, a NPFTD song, Prowler, Boots, 22, Running Free, Sanctuary again.... oh well, maybe for the next tour... how many chances will they miss? It's sad, especially about Infinite Dreams.

I suspect some songs are added - just because they can do cool stuff with the screens. Damn.

I get it, the hits are the whole point and it's a celebration (without a couple of Reunion songs is not right!), but if they don't have ideas, just do new album tours (since rare or 90's songs are unlikely for them, it seems), it's better. And I don't think they will do a Part 2 of this tour. Lazy mode again. I just hope there is no 3rd leg. This tour is like a combo of all the History tours (1999, 2005, 2008, 2012). Exactly what I was afraid of...

I'm sorry, but I want to be honest. ''Negative'' talk was unthinkable. The is a hastily put set, unlike the stage show. So many missed opportunities.
 
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Going to the 2nd show in Budapest today!

To me, this is a 9/10 setlist and based on what I have seen so far, they look and sound great. Really looking forward to the show!
I like that Murders, Killers, Rime and Seventh Son are included, I love all of them.

If I were in charge of changing anything in the setlist, I would really add one more cut from NPFTD or FOTD, maybe instead of Aces High or even Wrathchild.
I know they don't like NPFTD and Bruce himself does not favor BYDTTS either, but still :) I myself listen to these albums often, so either BQOBD or NPFTD (the title song) would fit instead of Aces High which along with the Spitfire theme was quite overused and I don't find it too interesting anymore.

As there are already many long songs included, if Infinite Dreams would not fit (which I was looking forward to as well), even a shorter cut from POM would make it, like the anticipated Sun and Steel. I think, because Nicko mentioned this earlier, would have also been a great surprise in the encore with a samurai theme maybe. And Simon seems to be very good and seemingly added some new driving power to the band.

Anyway, I am happy that they are still playing at this level and gonna enjoy tonight's show very much!
 
Comments about the stage show:
Murders - not my preferred or favorite opener (at all; no solos), but I guess they chose it because of Simon and they wanted an ''early days'' start. Great visuals, one of the best!

Wrathchild - the visuals with Killers Eddie, the alley and the castle-like decor is so cool again, the decor screens add a lot to the songs. I knew they would use such effects.

Killers - using the same visuals plus some video stuff. Not a fan. They always do that.

Phantom - great visuals, looks like 3D.

Number - a horror clip, come one Bruce... my least favorite idea. They could have done some amazing visuals for this song. Missed opportunity.

Clairvoyant - Scribe Eddie in art, it looks very nice. Green stage.

Powerslave - ancient temple, wow. I expected some moving stuff with sands and pyramids, but the album cover is too good not to be shown. They didn't use it for TBOS tour. The screens helped a lot here.

2 Minutes - the single cover, expected, looks good. They could have used something different, like a clock.

Rime - stunning visuals!

Hills - the single cover again, I guess a clip would be distracting.

Seventh Son - the icy setting really adds to the song, expected more pyro and flames during it.

Trooper - the traditional backdrop, but on a screen. Well, like for Number, they could have done a lot more interesting stuff with the song's theme. Another missed opportunity.

Hallowed - mystical and 3D, what's not to like.

Iron Maiden - some odd choices (thunder, IM logo, POM cell), and the Eddie, while cool and something new (for them), I'll always prefer an inflatable.

Aces High - Bruce probably likes the clips and visuals (they work), I find them distracting tbh.

Fear - the setting works for the song, although I expected to see FOTD Eddie again. The visuals have NPFTD nod, I know...

Wasted Years - the visuals for it really show the difference between screens and backdrops. Quite cool.

The craziest thing is that the stage show could have been even more impressive and interesting. With more work and ideas, not just the songs. But it's a huge change for Maiden, so I can't complain too much; it's normal (and especially after the last tours), Maiden's always doing interesting and cool stuff.
The stage show will save (in a way) this tour. We've seen so many amazing productions and setlists, and 50 years later, they still have room for surprises with the 80's songs, but they chose not to.
 
@Kalata
I simply haven’t been able to write much about this yet, but I do agree with what you said.

Maybe part of the problem is that the previous two tours offered somewhat surprising takes on the songs, while this RFYL setlist seems to lean more toward casual-friendly hits. It feels like a strange move, especially considering the band's history and the choices they've made since 2005. They just don’t seem able to reach the bar they themselves set in the past. In the end, this tour feels like a bit of an afterthought—it doesn't seem to have been executed with the same focus or intention as some of the previous ones. I’m not sure where this direction came from. Was it just thrown together for the 50th anniversary year? You’d expect a milestone like that to bring at least one or two more surprises in the song selection.

The encores especially felt lazy. I can’t believe they didn’t seem to remember how Aces High went—especially considering how well it has worked as an opener in the past. As an encore during the ME and LOTB '22 tours, though, it didn’t quite hit the same mark. At Bruce’s age, performing and singing one of their most demanding songs (as he himself acknowledged in an interview) might just be too much for that point in the set.

They also didn’t really deliver on the promises suggested by the tour poster. With a theme that hinted at a broader retrospective or celebration of eras, the actual setlist felt surprisingly safe. Playing only Fear of the Dark from the '90s albums feels like an odd and underwhelming choice, especially given how much material they could’ve pulled from that era to make the set more unique or memorable.

The LED visuals and show elements were nice, though. They gave the band more time to perform without needing to run around as much, which probably helps them stay more relaxed on stage—definitely a positive.

Even though Simon clearly brought new energy and helped rejuvenate the band, I still can’t help but wonder: how much sand is left in the hourglass?
 
BludBrutha said:

The ice on the screens is cool.

Slightly tedious sitting through two epics with three minute bass breakdown sections in the middle, both this and Mariner grind to an absolute halt in the middle. Suggest just doing one of them would be better for the flow of the show.

Man, Steve took a double dose of the black hair dye. Should have shared half with Simon.
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What is the reason for making SSOASS even longer? It did not make sense in 2012-2014 and it does still not make sense more than a decade later.
 
I’d change a few songs. Instead of The Claireboyance, I’d go with Infinite Dreams or Only the Good Die Young. Then start the encore with Fear of the Dark, and instead of Aces, I’d play Running Free followed by Wasted Years. That’s it.
 
GhostofCain said:
What is the reason for making SSOASS even longer? It did not make sense in 2012-2014 and it does still not make sense more than a decade later.
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For an extra break for Bruce? It's a tough set. Btw, is it just me or the reaction to Seventh Son wasn't quite wow?

Also, watching the stream, the fans reaction was like lukewarm during the encore. How to blame them.
 
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