Blaze Bayley

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I can easily imagine a new album and a new tour as an opening act for Iron Maiden (or a co-headlining with British Lion or Bruce Dickinson). :D
I've been wishing for an opening spot for Maiden for a long time. Ideally, it would've been a great launch to Silicon Messiah to have him open on the BNW Tour, but...probably too soon. Still a little awkward, probably. But nowadays, seeing as the Maiden camp footed part of the bill for Di'Anno's surgery and now Blaze is post-heart attack, maybe they're willing to do him a good turn for once (post-firing).

I've always maintained that getting Blaze in front of Maiden fans who weren't fans of his back during his tenure would've done wonders for his solo career. His solo albums are pretty strong (minus King of Metal), the music is right in a Maiden fan's wheelhouse, and he's singing music more suited for his range. That, and he's probably better onstage overall than he was in Maiden. And, we've got decades now of separation from the whole "he's not Bruce" drama swirling around at the time.

Who knows. Might work, might not, but it would be cool to see. Maybe a good final tour idea. Di'Anno opens, Blaze has the middle slot, and Maiden headlines (obviously).
 
I've been wishing for an opening spot for Maiden for a long time. Ideally, it would've been a great launch to Silicon Messiah to have him open on the BNW Tour, but...probably too soon. Still a little awkward, probably. But nowadays, seeing as the Maiden camp footed part of the bill for Di'Anno's surgery and now Blaze is post-heart attack, maybe they're willing to do him a good turn for once (post-firing).

I've always maintained that getting Blaze in front of Maiden fans who weren't fans of his back during his tenure would've done wonders for his solo career. His solo albums are pretty strong (minus King of Metal), the music is right in a Maiden fan's wheelhouse, and he's singing music more suited for his range. That, and he's probably better onstage overall than he was in Maiden. And, we've got decades now of separation from the whole "he's not Bruce" drama swirling around at the time.

Who knows. Might work, might not, but it would be cool to see. Maybe a good final tour idea. Di'Anno opens, Blaze has the middle slot, and Maiden headlines (obviously).
I strongly think it would work a lot. And the important detail : Steve has mentionned Blaze in Thanks credits in Senjutsu's booklet... Why ? Maybe because Steve had this idea of Maiden touring with Blaze next year... ;)
 
For some reason I've never thought about it as something realistic, but Blaze opening for Maiden in this day and age would literally be a perfect support band. I would love it if it happened. I don't think he would (or would be allowed to) play any Maiden songs when performing as an opening act, but that's not a problem with how solid his solo material is.
 
For some reason I've never thought about it as something realistic, but Blaze opening for Maiden in this day and age would literally be a perfect support band. I would love it if it happened. I don't think he would (or would be allowed to) play any Maiden songs when performing as an opening act, but that's not a problem with how solid his solo material is.
On the other hand the three Maiden songs he has in his regular set are not songs Maiden seems currently interested in, so why not?

Who knows, maybe Dave and/or Janick might even guest with him on one of those songs?
 
For some reason I've never thought about it as something realistic, but Blaze opening for Maiden in this day and age would literally be a perfect support band. I would love it if it happened. I don't think he would (or would be allowed to) play any Maiden songs when performing as an opening act, but that's not a problem with how solid his solo material is.
Agree. He has more than enough strong solo material to fill a 45 minute second-slot set to possibly convert some doubters in the crowd--plenty to fill a headline set, too.
 
Something like this would be a good set list for Blaze Bayley if he opened for Maiden:
  1. Ghost in the Machine
  2. Escape Velocity
  3. Prayers of Light
  4. Silicon Messiah
  5. Kill and Destroy
  6. 18 Flights
  7. Calling You Home
  8. A Thousand Years
  9. Stare at the Sun
Nine songs, clocking in at 41 minutes. Mostly greatest hits. I think most of these would go over well with Maiden fans. "Soundtrack of My Life" would be a good addition, if he could get an extra 5 minutes. (If he was allowed to do a Maiden song, maybe "Virus" - since the band will never play that live, and he performs it at most of his shows).
 
I uploaded a bootleg of BLAZE performing in London 2003 (FM broadcast):

This is like a raw mix of As Live As It Gets, but without drummer Jeff Singer, who had just left at that point. Phil Greenhouse did the tour promoting the release of the live album instead.

And thanks to @ironmaidenlewes for sharing this originally.
 
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Kinda cool that he just goes to a Maiden concert and hangs in the middle of the crowd...kinda sad to see the guy who fronted the band for years as just another attendee.

More than likely Maiden didn't even know he was coming, and he just went. Can't imagine anyone in the Maiden camp would be such a dick as to tell their former singer he can't get a free ticket, especially after he'd just survived a heart attack.
 
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Kinda cool that he just goes to a Maiden concert and hangs in the middle of the crowd...kinda sad to see the guy who fronted the band for years as just another attendee.

More than likely Maiden didn't even know he was coming, and he just went. Can't imagine anyone in the Maiden camp would be such a dick as to tell their former singer he can't get a free ticket, especially after he'd just survived a heart attack.

Back in 2017 I ordered a pint at The Pilot Inn before one of the London gigs and Dennis Stratton was standing next to me. He went to the gig like a regular punter but was also invited backstage by the band (i.e., Steve).
 
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