Is it worth joining the fanclub?

My sub ran out earlier this month. I can sum my membership the past year by saying that outside of vague promises of great things to come, the first 6 months was almost complete silence related to the band and the IMFC. Followed up by shit show after shit show with Alexander doing his best damage control snake oil salesman approach as every response.

That is a problem the FC has been facing for quite some time. The band does not seem to give a shit and it is very difficult to keep things attractive when that is the case.

I am just giving it one last chance, but fear the promised exciting new things coming would be just more tacky zombie T-shirts.
 
I'm currently losing patience too. My only motivation to remain right now is getting the right to buy tickets before the "general public", but I'm not even sure this is real advantage, considering to shitty seats I'm sometimes proposed. Maiden has approx. 25 former members, fans who are eager to get every possible piece of trivia, and the fan club runners don't know what to provide ???
 
My sub ran out earlier this month. I can sum my membership the past year by saying that outside of vague promises of great things to come, the first 6 months was almost complete silence related to the band and the IMFC. Followed up by shit show after shit show with Alexander doing his best damage control snake oil salesman approach as every response.
I'm sure the there's plenty of new branded products coming down the pipe all the while ignoring or glossing over anniversaries of iconic albums. I'm not gonna miss that weird cult like forum vibe that licks the boots of everything Maiden Management does. All that said it was the loss of the paper mags was the last straw for me. No way im paying $35 for a forum.
Wait, back up, we lost paper mags? Was Xmas 2021 the last one? I was not aware of that. If they’re going online, can I at least download as a PDF every older magazine going back to issue number 1?
 
Wait, back up, we lost paper mags? Was Xmas 2021 the last one? I was not aware of that. If they’re going online, can I at least download as a PDF every older magazine going back to issue number 1?
Do you seriously think they would do that ?
 
It would indeed. But that would mean scanning dozens of magazines and making them avalaible. The week after, all the pdf would be on the Internet, for all to download for free.
 
Correct, but if they’re doing pdf now means they’ll be available as you mentioned for all us mortals from now on.
So why not making us fans a present and give the rest as well?
Details matter and this is a real nice touch.
 
That is a problem the FC has been facing for quite some time. The band does not seem to give a shit and it is very difficult to keep things attractive when that is the case.

I am just giving it one last chance, but fear the promised exciting new things coming would be just more tacky zombie T-shirts.
So what is the word over there ? Lots of memberships expired in february, did many renew or what ? I am guessing a lot of members renewed out of old habit not reading the fine print about no shirt, no mags
 
You are right. I did not. I don't give a shit about the tee-shirts (I got loads of them and I always wear the same one at gigs), but the I find the digital magazines a hard pill to swallow. If they tour smaller venues playing Senjutsu in its entirety, my renewal will prove useful, otherwise...
 
It would indeed. But that would mean scanning dozens of magazines and making them avalaible. The week after, all the pdf would be on the Internet, for all to download for free.

When Laz was running the show they scanned a few old issues and put them online, but it was a short-lived initiative.
So what is the word over there ? Lots of memberships expired in february, did many renew or what ? I am guessing a lot of members renewed out of old habit not reading the fine print about no shirt, no mags

I imagine that a significant number of members would not have renewed their membership. I thought long and hard about it and decided to stay to see if the hype turns into real tangible benefits and because there have been rumours about a UK tour in late 2022/early 2023 and I would want to have early access to tickets.

If they fail to deliver, I would spend my £25 in something else next year.
 
It would indeed. But that would mean scanning dozens of magazines and making them avalaible. The week after, all the pdf would be on the Internet, for all to download for free.
The fact they let all that cool history rot in the hands of collectors is shameful. Those zines could be reproduced in an anthology book format as a FC exclusive. Id resub in a heartbeat to order that. So many great ideas that could be FC exclusive Instead they release crap like a $400+ broken box full of trinkets and shirts that look like you would get at a truck stop flea market. Such wasted potential.
 
The fact they let all that cool history rot in the hands of collectors is shameful. Those zines could be reproduced in an anthology book format as a FC exclusive. Id resub in a heartbeat to order that. So many great ideas that could be FC exclusive Instead they release crap like a $400+ broken box full of trinkets and shirts that look like you would get at a truck stop flea market. Such wasted potential.
I never quite got the point of that FC box set, as most of the items was made for display rather than beeing kept in the box as a collectible.
The FC itself have been underperforming for 20 years, how hard can it be to do something special for the members ?
 
I never quite got the point of that FC box set, as most of the items was made for display rather than beeing kept in the box as a collectible.
The FC itself have been underperforming for 20 years, how hard can it be to do something special for the members ?

Such as?
 
How about FC only gigs, bring back FC trips and conventions. Reprint of old posters. Scrapbooks about different albums (like Back to the front)and so on....

Forget about FC only gigs and conventions. The band (sadly) do not give a shit about those things.
 
Forget about FC only gigs and conventions. The band (sadly) do not give a shit about those things.
I think somehow they have realized that the FC is not important anymore. In the old days the FC members surely was seen as ambassadors for the band, spreading news about new releases and tours to non members.
Today the FC has grown into two groups. One group that has social life and friends in the FC and one group that expects so much more from the band/FC than what they get.

To sum it up. The FC used to be a place where both band and members got something (Maiden related)out of it. But it has grown into something else.
 
I think there should be possibility of them scanning all the FC mags and release them as pdf to the members.
There's one person who owns ( I think) almost every magazine and he's been scanning them, so I think I might ask about those just in case the FC won't be scanning them..
 
I think there should be possibility of them scanning all the FC mags and release them as pdf to the members.
There's one person who owns ( I think) almost every magazine and he's been scanning them, so I think I might ask about those just in case the FC won't be scanning them..
Let me know how that goes, because I was born in ‘80 and love reading those old “from the time” anecdotes about the earlier albums and shows.
 
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