Blaze Bayley

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It’s sad but living in the US, seeing Blaze seems like a pipe dream :confused:
It's a bummer. He hasn't been here since 2011, and I can't believe I was being wishy-washy about going after work the night he was here. Tiny club, maybe 20-25 people there. He was doing the hired band thing, but damn he put on a great show. Unfazed by the fact barely anyone was there. Met him afterward, and like everyone says, very humble and down to earth. Great setlist too, songs from solo, Wolfsbane, and Maiden. I think he closed with "I Like it Hot," which was unbelievably fun.

But yeah, I doubt we'll see him over here again. His new management seems pretty conservative as far as where they tour, and jumping the pond to do the US would likely be way too costly.
 
It's a bummer. He hasn't been here since 2011, and I can't believe I was being wishy-washy about going after work the night he was here. Tiny club, maybe 20-25 people there. He was doing the hired band thing, but damn he put on a great show. Unfazed by the fact barely anyone was there. Met him afterward, and like everyone says, very humble and down to earth. Great setlist too, songs from solo, Wolfsbane, and Maiden. I think he closed with "I Like it Hot," which was unbelievably fun.

But yeah, I doubt we'll see him over here again. His new management seems pretty conservative as far as where they tour, and jumping the pond to do the US would likely be way too costly.
That sounds like a great time. Maybe just maybe something will happen where he gets to tour the US again, maybe opening for a bigger band (hello Maiden!)
 
Can't wait for the show tomorrow in Helsinki. Hoping for some deep cuts, seen the Maiden setlist a couple times already.

Saw that he'd been playing Lightning Strikes Twice, that would be cool.
In the train on me way to the Helsinki gig as well (obviously). Missing some Wimbledon action in the process, not even bothering to try with this usual late 90s internet connection but ah, at least I get to see the final on Sunday (two finals actuallý; cmon England)!

My only wish for tonight is Futureal as Maiden didn't play it last year and it was a bit of a let down on otherwise fresh set after all the rumour mill swirling wildly. And that I don't get overrun by a car looking for hotel. As a couple of bonuses wouldn't mind my very own nickname either or the now left behind to the lower level status of Educated Fool (we-hey I'm a Trooper now)!

Nevertheless good to see the old Brummie again, as this is my 2nd time.
 
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Maybe just maybe something will happen where he gets to tour the US again, maybe opening for a bigger band (hello Maiden!)
I've been in the camp that's been hoping for a Blaze opening slot...hell, since the BNW tour. Whether you're a fan or not, it's a hell of a lot better than Raven Age or some of the other blah bands that've opened for Maiden since. If there is a farewell tour soon, I really hope they throw the dude a bone and let him open, even if it's in the first slot.
 
In the train on me way to the Helsinki gig as well (obviously). Missing some Wimbledon action in the process, not even bothering to try with this usual late 90s internet connection but ah, at least I get to see the final on Sunday (two finals actuallý; cmon England)!

My only wish for tonight is Futureal as Maiden didn't play it last year and it was a bit of a let down on otherwise fresh set after all the rumour mill swirling wildly. And that I don't get overrun by a car looking for hotel. As a couple of bonuses wouldn't mind my very own nickname either or the now left behind to the lower level status of Educated Fool (we-hey I'm a Trooper now)!

Nevertheless good to see the old Brummie again, as this is my 2nd time.

Was he in better physical shape again? (because of the discussion here before that he didn't look so healthy lately)
 
I saw Blaze live the other night, him and his band were excellent as ever.

Blaze haters who think he's always sucked may laugh here but I do think he's lost a step vocally. It might be the heart attack or age, but I noticed that whilst he was still good, he didn't have that raw baritone power he had a few years ago.

His absolute vocals peak was (sadly for him) the decade POST Maiden. The Night that Will Not Die DVD he has that low baritone voice but with real crushing power to it.

I noticed for the first time yesterday he may have lost some of that power, he couldn't hold the notes as long.

I still love him though.
 

The Iron Maiden founder was asked if the band ever considered downtuning to accommodate Bayley's voice.
Harris stated that the members never really thought about it and that they didn't notice any issues with his singing until they were on stage (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):

"Not really, no. Maybe on some things in retrospect, we could have done, but no we didn't really think about it. It wasn't really till we got out and played live that we realized it was a couple of things."

"The weird thing is that he was really confident when we were rehearsing, and then a couple of times on a couple of songs, we got out live, and there was maybe an issue or two here and there. But in general, he just handled it really well."

I don't think Steve has listened to any soundboard tapes for many years...
I can imagine that Blaze was able to push him himself to sound very good through the auditions though. I think he rehearsed 5 songs with the band and then recorded vocals over backing tracks in the studio. Maybe Steve got the impression that no downtuning was needed from those.
 
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re: "Maybe Steve got the impression that no downtuning was needed from those."

I don't think downtuning would have been on Maiden's agenda in 1995, it was starting to becoming flavour of the month at the time alright but it was nowhere near as ubiquitous as it is now.

It's a key thing that Steve mentions confidence there, Maiden were attributing any poor performance to a lack of confidence in stepping out on to stages in front of the crowds Maiden played to (which were still way better than Wolfsbane) and in having to fill Bruce's shoes, not to any issues with the key of songs.

I think it's fair enough comments from Steve, as usual were Blaze is concerned.
 
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