BLAZE BAYLEY To Release 'Live In Czech' Live Album And DVD
In spring 2019, former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley launched the "Tour Of The Eagle Spirit", taking in venues in Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Belgium, France, U.K., USA and Canada. In September 2019, Blaze took that tour on the road a second time, with a sequence of shows across...www.blabbermouth.net
Blaze is releasing a live album and DVD of his show in Brno in the Czech Republic. I'm pretty sure he only had a live release from a show in France last year. Who is actually buying all this stuff?
I buy most of his stuff. I try to support him because he needs it and because I think he puts on great performances and solid releases. Will probably buy this as well.Blaze fans. They are probably limited editions.
I've mentioned this before I'm sure, but I wish Blaze was asked to sing for Black Sabbath. I think he could do a lot of older material (especially Ozzy) justice and just imagine his voice with Iommi's riffs!
A random thought I had: So far the trend has been that after every 3 albums, Blaze has started fresh for the following one with an entirely new band. I'm kind of thinking that pattern might continue again, especially now that the sci-fi trilogy is done. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes in a different direction for his next album with a completely new backing band.
I like the current lineup more than the Promise and Terror one though. The guitarist is killer.This trend is what caused me to lose interest after Promise and Terror, especially as the bands backing him have got progressively worse. The first line up was his best chance at having a good solo career.
I like the current lineup more than the Promise and Terror one though. The guitarist is killer.
The production leaves a lot to be desired though, although that's understandable, given what money Blaze has to spend. You don't get the Andy Sneap BLAZE albums production for that kind of money.
Who is actually buying all this stuff?
I basically agree, and yet I can't help feeling that the middle paragraph is a bit unfair on Maiden. Their profile is much higher than Blaze's, and yes they have earned the standing they now have, but the flipside of this is that they now need to actively protect their personal space because there's more potential for it to be encroached upon. When they are in a situation (eg on tour) when the level of public interest in them is high they will need to control the level of access the fans have to them, for the sake of their own sanity. Consider how many people would turn up for a free meet and greet with Maiden - time was when they used to do them but now ... it's probably just not practical any more. (Sorry, slightly off topic ...)I buy just about everything he puts out, and have rarely been disappointed. As mentioned above, he's a nice guy, generous with his time if you want to talk to him/have him sign stuff after the show, and is genuinely grateful for the small following he has. I still remember seeing a copy of Promise and Terror that someone posted online and he wrote across it "Thank you for believing in me." So, it's a nice feeling to be helping the guy keep doing what he loves and get great albums in return.
Whereas with Maiden, all you can say is they're set. They don't offer meet and greets because hey, they don't need to take time for their fans (and given their respective ages and sizes of their bank accounts, I don't begrudge them that a bit--they've earned the ability to spend their time how they choose). If they retired tomorrow, they'd be just fine. Just like he was in Maiden, Blaze is the underdog, and I like rooting for and supporting the underdog.
And on to what Lampwick 43 said about him changing the lineup again, I imagine he's going to keep on with the current lineup. He's managed by the guitarist's brother, who I imagine hooked him up with his backing band (Absolva) in the first place. That, and it seems that they've got a good working relationship all around.
I basically agree, and yet I can't help feeling that the middle paragraph is a bit unfair on Maiden. Their profile is much higher than Blaze's, and yes they have earned the standing they now have, but the flipside of this is that they now need to actively protect their personal space because there's more potential for it to be encroached upon. When they are in a situation (eg on tour) when the level of public interest in them is high they will need to control the level of access the fans have to them, for the sake of their own sanity. Consider how many people would turn up for a free meet and greet with Maiden - time was when they used to do them but now ... it's probably just not practical any more. (Sorry, slightly off topic ...)
It's okay, I don't take you for argumentative. I just thought your previous post seemed to be comparing Maiden unfavourably to Blaze because he is able to do something they can't anymore. And I agreed with the observation, just not with your apparent interpretation of the reasons (but then I always prefer to find a solution where everyone wins - that's just the way I am ).I wasn't trying to take a dig at Maiden for them not doing meet and greets. We're in an age where if you're a musician and the ability to live off album and ticket sales isn't altogether feasible anymore. SOOOO many bands do VIP meet and greet upgrades to survive. Maiden could offer that, but they offer First to the Barrier instead. Again, it's their prerogative and they deserve to have 100% say as to how they spend their time before shows. A very likely possibility is that the reason they don't do VIP upgrades is to manage the size of crowds who would pay for that experience. Likely, they'd have to price it ridiculously high like KISS (which were what...$1200 on the tour BEFORE End of the Road, and now they're probably up in the $5K-$7K range?), and they don't want to price gouge their fans like KISS does.
None of what I've said is meant to imply they don't care about their fans. Even on the recent tours, I don't think I've heard a single instance where they're spotted on the street, in a hotel lobby or bar and they're not happy to take pictures with fans. It apparently happened when they hit a local bar near the venue they played at my stop on the LotB tour. And just like Blaze, that's for free, with Maiden it's just unscheduled and based on purely on luck.
And just in case it doesn't come across in text, I don't mean to sound argumentative, just clarifying my comment and along the way you've made me think of a more likely reason for them not doing VIP in the process.