RUN FOR YOUR LIVES 2025 Tour Thread *SPOILERS INSIDE*

Lego said:
It's perfectly valid to be both -

A: Grateful that Iron Maiden is still an active, touring band delivering relatively energetic live shows (especially when compared to some of their peers)

and

B: Disappointed that some of the decisions made for this recent tour have resulted in some traditional Maiden "hallmarks" being left behind, whether it's Nicko's feel behind the kit, physical big Eddie, drapes, more intricate lighting rig, etc.

Remember, this is a band that is not known for change. Yes, they've had lineup shifts in the past, but the last one was TWENTY-SIX years ago. Yes, their stage setup has evolved over the years, but they have ALWAYS had a very "stick-to-your-guns" old-school theatrical attitude when it comes to how they present their shows visually.

They're also in some ways always going to be victims of their past successes, especially now that they're older and very much towards the end of their career. The 1999 - 2011-ish era, arguably their absolute peak in terms of performance quality, is still very fresh in the minds of many fans.
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I agree in here with fact A, I'm definitely happy that Maiden are still touring, that they're still in quite good shape (of course, per example I'll always miss Steve running all over the stage or jumping from the drum riser but hey for a 68 year guy, he's doing pretty well and same goes for everyone in the band) and the show itself is great

B: the disappointment for me really came when they've announced " a very special set list, spanning the nine studio albums from ‘Iron Maiden’ to ‘Fear Of The Dark’". I truly was expecting at least one song, even the shortest one, from NPFTD and maybe just another that they've never played since the reunion. Which means in a 1h45 set, maybe just have 10 minutes of "unusual/not played for a very long time" songs wasn't that much asking and I'm sure even the casual fan or the one that went to his first Iron Maiden wouldn't be complaining about it.
They did it with the FPT, with the Legacy (playing Flight which wasn't played since the very first shows of 1986, playing FTGOG and Sign of the Cross...here we are talking about 20-25 minutes worth of music that were not the "classics" that we've heard over and over again). So that's what I kinda was expecting for this tour, with that announcement, and this is what disappointed me the most, reason why I said this was probably my least favorite show since I first saw them back in 1995. Not a bad show at all, it's just that in terms of songs there was little to no surprise and a difference with what they've announced
 
Iron Lurker said:
I remember reading some time ago that Steve hates screens and they would never do that.
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LooseCannon said:
I have to admit I'm not thrilled by the screen-first strategy but I'll give it a shake live
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I had concerns about it (or, more to the point, about the fact that they've done it now after years of saying that they wouldn't) but I think they've used it really well. I think it may be partly to compensate for Bruce not being able to run around as much anymore - Hallowed and FOTD being examples of this. Apart from this it's mainly used like the painted canvases but with added animations (flickering flames, fluttering flags, a billowing mushroom cloud ...) as were the side screens last time. So on the whole, I think they've managed to do it without breaking their own rules - so fair play to them.

ROTAM, probably the most sophisticated, did put me in mind of Alestorm though ... ::)
 
Lego said:
It's perfectly valid to be both -
A: Grateful that Iron Maiden is still an active, touring band delivering relatively energetic live shows (especially when compared to some of their peers)
and
B: Disappointed that some of the decisions made for this recent tour have resulted in some traditional Maiden "hallmarks" being left behind, whether it's Nicko's feel behind the kit, physical big Eddie, drapes, more intricate lighting rig, etc.
Remember, this is a band that is not known for change. Yes, they've had lineup shifts in the past, but the last one was TWENTY-SIX years ago. Yes, their stage setup has evolved over the years, but they have ALWAYS had a very "stick-to-your-guns" old-school theatrical attitude when it comes to how they present their shows visually.
They're also in some ways always going to be victims of their past successes, especially now that they're older and very much towards the end of their career. The 1999 - 2011-ish era, arguably their absolute peak in terms of performance quality, is still very fresh in the minds of many fans.
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Iron Lurker said:
I think I've previously posted here about this before but....
As a band that's not known for change I commend them for trying something new and bold, for them. Yes, I loved the old school theatrics of LOTB but I'm also really digging the big screen. I've always thought they could do so much with animation and Eddie. The Aces High animation illustrates my point. I wonder how many who are missing the old school set up are ones who were critical in the past for them always having the same stage set up? It would be hard to top LOTB with practical props/etc. Plus remember how long it took to take down that Pogoda?
I remember reading some time ago that Steve hates screens and they would never do that. Kudos to Steve for willing to do something different. If they stay with the screen I think it can only get better.
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Thisx2. Also, we wouldn't have been that ''disappointed'' with the ''standard setlist'' (a true and epic Maiden celebration) if it weren't for the previous 3 adventurous tours. Play 3-5 even deeper cuts in the next album tour or do a Reunion era tour and everything will be cool. :) They want to do this tour and stuff and move on.

It's always curious to see Maiden change things up. The previous stage sets with the backdrops are unique to the them, but how to develop them? With the screens they can create interesting stuff (one decor was always memorable, but with the ground screens every song can have its own setting, it's brilliant). Imagine the setting for the Senjutsu song with them!

As for the performances, for their age they still sound great. The energy comes mainly from the drummer and we like or not, those are their preferred tempos now.
permanenteddie said:
So that's what I kinda was expecting for this tour, with that announcement, and this is what disappointed me the most...
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Yes. Another 90's song/NPFTD one and Infinite Dreams (or even Boots) for example (related to the documentary book) would have been more than enough and perfect. But I guess it's understandable after the previous tour.
Black Abyss Babe said:
I had concerns about it (or, more to the point, about the fact that they've done it now after years of saying that they wouldn't) but I think they've used it really well. I think it may be partly to compensate for Bruce not being able to run around as much anymore - Hallowed and FOTD being examples of this. Apart from this it's mainly used like the painted canvases but with added animations (flickering flames, fluttering flags, a billowing mushroom cloud ...) as were the side screens last time. So on the whole, I think they've managed to do it without breaking their own rules - so fair play to them.
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Agreed with everything, well if we don't count the videos displayed for some songs (btw, Rime and I guess Aces is how it's done, not Number!). I didn't have concerns though. Btw, I really wanted a new epic artwork for Rime like for Alexander, in full length...
 
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Lego said:
It's perfectly valid to be both -

A: Grateful that Iron Maiden is still an active, touring band delivering relatively energetic live shows (especially when compared to some of their peers)

and

B: Disappointed that some of the decisions made for this recent tour have resulted in some traditional Maiden "hallmarks" being left behind, whether it's Nicko's feel behind the kit, physical big Eddie, drapes, more intricate lighting rig, etc.

Remember, this is a band that is not known for change. Yes, they've had lineup shifts in the past, but the last one was TWENTY-SIX years ago. Yes, their stage setup has evolved over the years, but they have ALWAYS had a very "stick-to-your-guns" old-school theatrical attitude when it comes to how they present their shows visually.

They're also in some ways always going to be victims of their past successes, especially now that they're older and very much towards the end of their career. The 1999 - 2011-ish era, arguably their absolute peak in terms of performance quality, is still very fresh in the minds of many fans.
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This is fair.
 
Kalata said:
Thisx2. Also, we wouldn't have been that ''disappointed'' with the ''standard setlist'' (a true and epic Maiden celebration) if it weren't for the previous 3 adventurous tours. Play 3-5 deep cuts in the next album tour or do a Reunion era tour and everything will be cool. :)
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So, Rime, SSOASS, Murders and Killers aren't deep cuts? Because they have each been played on one (!) tour the past 26 years? They are live deepcuts.
 
BludBrutha said:
Awight, awight. I told ya. I fuckin’ told ya. Do you SEE? (furious pointing at own face)
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Iron Lurker said:
Actually it was 1996 for me. I remember leaving a small club after hearing Blaze painfully croaking through the 3 song encore thinking my favorite band was finished. And then VXI didn't change that sentiment.
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Same here 1996 whatching my favorite band in a small village in the middle of spain,with the backdrop of the stage removed and leaving the venue this is not what i watched in the videos and blaze butchering the trooper clairvoyant ( screaming )
 
Patrick92 said:
Comments like this make me cringe.
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Each to their own. I still stand behind my words that Aces should've been retired after the horrors of 2022.

For example watching the performances of Aces High in 2025 through rose-tinted glasses makes me cringe. And Bruce himself not admitting that he is not able to sing it on the level of 2018/2019 because that would hurt his ego makes me cringe.
 
gazda said:
The point is not to praise Bruce because he is 67 or make fun of it, fact is that they are butchering the classic song already for second tour, AH sould be retired long time ago, there are a lot of other songs to play.
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Yes, but like 1/4th of the comments in this thread already covers that. Move on. Aces is getting played, Maiden would benefit from tuning down, yep, but it is what it is, and this is a fine enough performance. This isn't 2009 anymore, and as much as Bruce needs to accept that, so do members of this board and not beat the dead horse that is already beaten, offed and buried. Like seriously, I can appreciate where the criticism is coming from, but for the love of H, talk about something else rather than always about how much Bruce sucks at singing it, as there are loads of other songs in the set and this is a tour thread, not the "Aces High live performances analysis thread". That is, I imagine, why Patrick92 thinks its cringe to keep beating it.

I apologize for the rant. In other news, I think Murders works really well this tour, and I kinda dig how he sings the chorus compared to 2005.
 
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Yax said:
Yes, but like 1/4th of the comments in this thread already covers that. Move on. Aces is getting played, Maiden would benefit from tuning down, yep, but it is what it is, and this is a fine enough performance. This isn't 2009 anymore, and as much as Bruce needs to accept that, so do members of this board and not beat the dead horse that is already beaten, offed and buried. Like seriously, I can appreciate where the criticism is coming from, but for the love of H, talk about something else rather than always about how much Bruce sucks at singing it, as there are loads of other songs in the set and this is a tour thread, not the "Aces High live performances analysis thread". That is, I imagine, why Patrick92 thinks its cringe to keep beating it.

I apologize for the rant. In other news, I think Murders works really well this tour, and I kinda dig how he sings the chorus compared to 2005.
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This exactly
 
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