yakulto
Prowler
Just got back from the Forum show. Show details pretty much as per the Budokan show really, same set etc etc.
The Forum was probably about 80% full, with the whole of the first floor and about half of the smaller second floor (at least when I went up to have a look about 15 mins before Maiden came on) occuppied. The venue's capacity is about 5000 so I'd say there were around 4000 fans in there.
Had a great seat, about 10 rows back and just right of centre. Glorious view of all.
The show was pretty much a tale of two halves. Bruce didn't look happy from the moment he came on stage, and kept dissapearing back stage for long periods during the instrumental sections (whereas he hyped up the crowd during such sections at the Bukokan). About 30 or so minutes in he apologised for his bad mood and said that although they'd asked for the air conditioning to be switched off (as it is bad for his voice), "some fucking idiot" had switched it on and so he'd just smashed a bottle over someones head and now he felt a little better.
Bruce's problems aside, the rest of the band were on top form as usual.
One week, two great shows. Now just got to wait for the next tour to roll around. Nooooooooooooo!!!
The Forum was probably about 80% full, with the whole of the first floor and about half of the smaller second floor (at least when I went up to have a look about 15 mins before Maiden came on) occuppied. The venue's capacity is about 5000 so I'd say there were around 4000 fans in there.
Had a great seat, about 10 rows back and just right of centre. Glorious view of all.
The show was pretty much a tale of two halves. Bruce didn't look happy from the moment he came on stage, and kept dissapearing back stage for long periods during the instrumental sections (whereas he hyped up the crowd during such sections at the Bukokan). About 30 or so minutes in he apologised for his bad mood and said that although they'd asked for the air conditioning to be switched off (as it is bad for his voice), "some fucking idiot" had switched it on and so he'd just smashed a bottle over someones head and now he felt a little better.
For the rest of the AMOLAD songs he still wasn't happy, singing from behind his jacket or with his hands cupped around the mic to try and avoid the cold air. He even sang some sections from backstage. His voice was obviously suffering with him having to switch to lower octaves for some of the high sections as a result. He wasn't moving around much when he was on stage either.
Then, by the time they got to The Legacy, the venue seemed to be noticably hotter, so the aircon must have been switched off, and his mood, and voice, improved.
From then until then end of the show, a sweating Bruce was back to his normal self, leaping around the stage and hyping up the crowd in his usual way. The crowd's mood seemed to shadow Bruce's too, but by the end of the show they were all going pretty mental - good times!
One amusing moment of note occured when the band came out for the encore. Bruce asked "Do you know what time it is?" To which a fan near the front held up a big clock, with the hands pointing to 23:58! So Bruce made him show the rest of the crowd the clock as a link into the song.
They did however keep the house lights down at the end of HBTN even longer then at the Budokan though, teasing bastards! But again, as then, there was no second encore.
Then, by the time they got to The Legacy, the venue seemed to be noticably hotter, so the aircon must have been switched off, and his mood, and voice, improved.
From then until then end of the show, a sweating Bruce was back to his normal self, leaping around the stage and hyping up the crowd in his usual way. The crowd's mood seemed to shadow Bruce's too, but by the end of the show they were all going pretty mental - good times!
One amusing moment of note occured when the band came out for the encore. Bruce asked "Do you know what time it is?" To which a fan near the front held up a big clock, with the hands pointing to 23:58! So Bruce made him show the rest of the crowd the clock as a link into the song.
They did however keep the house lights down at the end of HBTN even longer then at the Budokan though, teasing bastards! But again, as then, there was no second encore.
Bruce's problems aside, the rest of the band were on top form as usual.
One week, two great shows. Now just got to wait for the next tour to roll around. Nooooooooooooo!!!
