For sure that tour was one of the greatest. The setlist and the band were great. And as you say when they started the show people were going mad . Then bnw made them to go bigger and the nexts albums make them to reach this current statutsIt was kind of a big thing. I was 25 years old back then and was deep inside the Maiden thing from 1986 on already, and it was sort of a sensation. And I remember, witnessing them coming out on stage during Ed Huntour was amazing. What a moment. Sure, it was a little before BNW, but the tour itself gave BNW short after a massive push. Very interesting times back then.
During 90s they were still old for the rest of new bands,and with each album and historic tour they become (again) what they are now 27 years after. I havent seen or i cant remember a band to go that down and the rise up to this level. Becuase gnr metallica acdc and many others always had big crowds. Even gnr without slash did big crowds and big tours. Not like now,but still good attendanceHype was massive - but in the UK only among Maiden fans and those in adjacent bits of the metal community.
There was still a zeitgeist of nu metal and an established habit of mocking Maiden. Lots of dismissiveness abounded in the UK, that metal still sounded and looked like Maiden in the new millennium.
It took years for the the more general rock / metal community worship of Maiden to develop in the UK, let alone any kind of popular culture affection, which is really just a few years old to my reckoning …
Strange now to recall Maiden were not an established legacy band at that point and were still relatively young (42ish) at BNW, fighting to reclaim their standing.