RUN FOR YOUR LIVES 2026

[CA Bryers]

So... "KISSification" of future Maiden?

It's weird, since apart from the ongoing Kiss Avatar show they're developing, I haven't seen any more than the normal amount of exploitation of the Kiss brand than Gene and co. have been doing since Day 1. They've got a new (old) live album coming out soon from '76, but have also seemingly ended the "Live from the Soundboard" releases Kiss had been putting out pre-Pophouse.

Maybe since Maiden hasn't quite gotten to the level of Kiss merchandising, Pophouse will push it up further? Hard to say. I do like the idea of an entity who has a vested interest in keeping the Maiden brand alive in the post-retirement years. I always hated to imagine a future where, once the band itself is done, they became one of those bands whose legacy fades away as the decades pass. I liked that Pophouse said something to the effect of keeping that legacy alive for decades to come.

I hope they do dust off some of the unreleased live concerts we know of, and release others as well in some shape or form. I've also enjoyed collecting the various statues and figures and Funko Pops, so I hope they keep those licensing deals going (even though it's murder on the wallet!).

 

[CA Bryers]

I think the joke echoing the pessimism, or maybe Defaitism, in the Pophouse thread was lame. It's like some here forget how Iron Maiden have worked for 50 years. No corporate schmucks are going to throw Steve and Rod around - if that was the case, then they would not have pursued this venture.

I agree. I would imagine there's a clause in the agreement that the band gets final say in a lot of matters while the band itself is active. After that, I would expect Pophouse's authority and control over the brand to broaden.

 

[Azas]

I think the joke echoing the pessimism, or maybe Defaitism, in the Pophouse thread was lame. It's like some here forget how Iron Maiden have worked for 50 years. No corporate schmucks are going to throw Steve and Rod around - if that was the case, then they would not have pursued this venture.

Regarding the jokes - you win some, you lose some. Mine was just a joke made on the spot. I don't think Steve is going to be pushed. They'll do whatever they want with their band and their brand, because it's theirs. As a result, some fans will moan, while others will try to make a few jokes, even if they're lame. It is what it is.

 

[Cat Milk Supreme]

I do like the idea of an entity who has a vested interest in keeping the Maiden brand alive in the post-retirement years.

The vaults chat recently had me thinking about this and I wondered how much interest the band would have in releasing stuff, what interest would Steve or Rod have in finding and fine tuning the best things from the archives.

So I'm with you on this. That vested interest could be key in giving us quality releases post retirement.

 

[Eduardo Cabeza]

Dawson cannot cut it. He’s had a year.

Compare any original track with Dawson’s rendition. He simply has NONE of the power, the agency, the urgency or the TEMPO. He’s too slow. They could’ve picked anyone in the world, and Maiden fans deserve better.

I’m not alone in this mindset.

I'm with you, man. He has zero swing, simplifies everything, and deflates the band live.

 

[Black Abyss Babe]

I’m not alone in this mindset.

You may well not be: but that wasn't what you said.

What you said was "It’s time we all admitted" ... that you're right about this.

Well, sorry to piss on your bonfire but some of us don't agree with you.

 

[Vaenyr]

Well, sorry to piss on your bonfire but some of us don't agree with you.

And we're not alone with our mindset either.

Saying "others agree!" is not an argument, because we can just say the same. It's a completely meaningless phrase.

(In case it's not clear, I'm pro-Simon and find many of the criticisms against him to be quite silly, just as this line of argument )

 

[Cat Milk Supreme]

I've seen Simon 4 times with Maiden and while I'm generally accepting of the new Maiden cos they're still great, there are moments. Each gig, two or 3 times, usually in transition, things fall flat in a way I've never noticed before (except 2006). And it sounds and feels like Simon to me.

Obviously Nickos fills aren't there but for the most part I'm over it, all is well, vibes are good but then there's those 2 or 3 moments when a great piece of music doesn't feel so great. Fleeting moments but they're there.

I will say though that he felt more lively and in flow this year than last year.

 

[cyanopsis]

Men,editing has been in all the live albums. Check donington 1992 and the bootleg during the evil that men do, rock in rio BNW fear of the dark.... but durinh knebworth has to be 3 songs.

That's also my point. I remember when RIR was released and the backlash it got for editing some of the Bruce/audience reactions. I also remember Steve felt the need to publicly give a statement on why. That's the kind of rage they will face if the try to pull anything like that. But this time, it's gonna be directed more towards Pophouse than the band, and I don't think they would want that this early in their relationship to the band and especially the fans.

Fandom is something that has to be earned and re-negotiated over and over again.

 

[Eduardo Cabeza]

That's also my point. I remember when RIR was released and the backlash it got for editing some of the Bruce/audience reactions. I also remember Steve felt the need to publicly give a statement on why.

Yeah, I hope they don't do it. Heavily dubbing a live show these days, when YouTube makes proof so readily available, damages the band's credibility on so many levels.

 

[Kurt Barlow]

You may well not be: but that wasn't what you said.

What you said was "It’s time we all admitted" ... that you're right about this.

Well, sorry to piss on your bonfire but some of us don't agree with you.

Dawson does not have the chops, the groove, the pocket, the agency, the power nor the consistency to adequately perform the songs. This is not a matter of opinion, this is musicological FACT.

 

[Vaenyr]

Dawson does not have the chops, the groove, the pocket, the agency, the power nor the consistency to adequately perform the songs. This is not a matter of opinion, this is musicological FACT.

Not a single thing you mentioned there has anything to do with "facts". That's quite literally just your subjective opinion. Time to touch some grass.

 

[Kurt Barlow]

Not a single thing you mentioned there has anything to do with "facts". That's quite literally just your subjective opinion. Time to touch some grass.

As someone who has studied musicology to degree level, I can prove this on a fucking etch-a-sketch.

Compare the studio or Maiden England version of Infinite Dreams with the latest rendition.

No contest. Dawson is not an adequate replacement.

 

[Vaenyr]

As someone who has studied musicology to degree level, I can prove this on a fucking etch-a-sketch.

Compare the studio or Maiden England version of Infinite Dreams with the latest rendition.

No contest. Dawson is not an adequate replacement.

From the way you have phrased your comments I very much doubt you've studied musicology. Hell, I doubt you even have received any higher education in academia at all, at this point lol

Go on then. Make an actual argument. Prove your claims with detailed sources and methodology, since you like to flaunt your alleged degree. Put it to use, this will be entertaining.

 

[Kurt Barlow]

From the way you have phrased your comments I very much doubt you've studied musicology. Hell, I doubt you even have received any higher education in academia at all, at this point lol

Go on then. Make an actual argument. Prove your claims with detailed sources and methodology, since you like to flaunt your alleged degree. Put it to use, this will be entertaining.

See, you’re making it personal by being so insulting. I haven’t insulted you, but you’re so quick to belittle.

 

[Kurt Barlow]

See, you’re making it personal by being so insulting. I haven’t insulted you, but you’re so quick to belittle.

From the way you have phrased your comments I very much doubt you've studied musicology. Hell, I doubt you even have received any higher education in academia at all, at this point lol

Go on then. Make an actual argument. Prove your claims with detailed sources and methodology, since you like to flaunt your alleged degree. Put it to use, this will be entertaining.

Watch the two clips I mentioned, then tell me they’re both exactly as good as each other.

 

[Vaenyr]

See, you’re making it personal by being so insulting. I haven’t insulted you, but you’re so quick to belittle.

I didn't insult you. I'm simply taking an anonymous comment on the internet with a massive grain of salt. Saying you studied musicology without actually substantiating your comments or your claim in any way is a fallacy, it's an appeal to authority.

So, again, since you mentioned your degree and want us to take it seriously: Make an actual argument and prove your claims with proper sources and methodology. You learned to do this when you got your degree, so this is a chance to put those skills to use. "Go and listen to two clips" is not an argument. So please, go ahead.

 

[Cat Milk Supreme]

I dunno, if you watched the 2 clips you'd easily notice a difference, degree or no. It's the importance of the difference that's the subjective issue.

 

[Kurt Barlow]

I didn't insult you. I'm simply taking an anonymous comment on the internet with a massive grain of salt. Saying you studied musicology without actually substantiating your comments or your claim in any way is a fallacy, it's an appeal to authority.

So, again, since you mentioned your degree and want us to take it seriously: Make an actual argument and prove your claims with proper sources and methodology. You learned to do this when you got your degree, so this is a chance to put those skills to use. "Go and listen to two clips" is not an argument. So please, go ahead.

Sigh.

In the two clips, you will notice that Nicko is playing the song at a certain tempo. Dawson does not match this. You’ll also notice that Nicko, in every single bar, is utilising his skill to accent certain elements of the pattern. He’s inserting flourishes and finesse in every bar, to create interest, to avoid boring repetition, using dexterity and grace.

God what am I doing. If you can’t hear it then I can’t help you. It is beyond question.

Sorry. You haven’t a fucking clue what you’re talking about. One day, I hope and pray, Iron Maiden will make good on their legacy and get a drummer worthy of their sound.

 

[Yax]

While as I said in the other thread, partly share your view, I don't think there's any ground to criticize Dawson for the tempos. While he's the drummer, he probably isn't the one deciding the tempo. They have probably decided the tempos for the songs during the rehearsals, and they could be keeping tempos down to help Bruce out, or Steve, or the guitarists for that matter. I don't think Steve would hire a drummer whose technical ability and stamina would limit them in that capacity that they would be forced to play slower than the other guys would want.

He's the hired gun. He'll play the tempo he's told.