Iron Maiden Tour 2025 - Discussion

To be fair this vocal performance is much but much better than Blaze's back in the day. And although this is more than a consensus among fans, it all has to do with vocal ranges. This guy sings the whole thing in falsetto and is on key for the vast majority of the song. Whether one likes his voice or not is not the issue here. Blaze, on the other hand, sure wasn't able to sing falsetto and could hardly scratch the soprano voice Bruce used on the track's original. And the result was evident: almost every note was a miss. No knock against Blaze: I think his voice really works on other Maiden songs but when the deal is high pitch just forget it.
I'm not comparing the Titanium Tart singer to Blaze, lol. The comparison was between the weakest link in each performance: Blaze versus Nicko!
 
Nah, half of the usual Powerslave-suspects should. In other words 2MTM and the title track. Though chances are we might see Rime again. Aces High though? That needs to be retired permanently. It's gotten more than enough chances. Hell, it made multiple live albums as well.
 
Honestly it would be very weird if they used the 50th anniversary to focus on a specific album or combination of albums, especially following hot on the heels of a tour completely focused on new material and deep cuts. It's the most obvious opportunity to do a straightforward Greatest Hits package and possibly to push for stadium dates in territories where they would usually play arenas. For all we know, and I hope it isn't, it could even wind up being their final huge scale tour and the last opportunity to do so.
Indeed. It's usual in that kind of milestone celebration tour (Like Priest did).
Honestly, if they play a greatest hits tour half of Powersalve will be (or at least should be) in the setlist anyway
Mmmmmm... Other than 2 Minutes to Midnight and Powerslave I'm not seeing any other song entering the bill. On the one hand Aces High and Rime are really hard to pull nowadays and then, if it's a greatest hits tour, the remaining four songs almost certainly wouldn't be included.
 
Indeed. It's usual in that kind of milestone celebration tour (Like Priest did).

Mmmmmm... Other than 2 Minutes to Midnight and Powerslave I'm not seeing any other song entering the bill. On the one hand Aces High and Rime are really hard to pull nowadays and then, if it's a greatest hits tour, the remaining four songs almost certainly wouldn't be included.

Rime will be featured, 100%.
2 Minutes is more than likely.
Powerslave could return being a mid tempo.

Aces High is the big question mark.
 
Rime will be featured, 100%.
2 Minutes is more than likely.
Powerslave could return being a mid tempo.

Aces High is the big question mark.
I agree with @Vaenyr : Rime IMO is pretty doubtful to be featured and Aces High near impossible. Which is a shame because Rime and Aces are no more no less my two favorite Maiden songs.
 
In that case it's a comparison that IMO doesn't even make sense. Oranges to apples.
Of course, different lineups can be compared. Which lineup and year saw Iron Maiden at their musical peak? It was probably not the Virtual XI lineup, and likely not the 2024 version either. Blaze Bayley had a great voice, but his technical delivery fell far below what is expected from an Iron Maiden lead singer. Nicko is no longer the drummer he once was. Compared to other tours and lineups, I think we are not seeing Iron Maiden at their best in 2024, just as we didn't in 1998.

I believe it was the right decision to give Blaze another chance for the Virtual XI album cycle, and I really love the material that came out of it. However, Blaze did not show any technical improvement between the tours. He later mentioned that Janick or someone else had stepped on his in-ear monitors in Greece, but I think the real issue was his consistent inability to hit the correct scales and arpeggios. There were far too many missed pitches on the Virtual XI tour to blame solely on the in-ear monitors. Similarly, I think it's great that Nicko is given a chance on this tour, but personally, I don't like it when they start rearranging songs to accommodate for lost abilities, which is done on too many songs at this point. Iron Maiden made a tough but correct choice in replacing Blaze back in 1999.

Keep in mind that this is my opinion, and I'm not trying to impose it on anyone else, but I'd rather see another drummer for the next album and tour cycle. They should drop the history tour concept and spend the next 10 years producing new music instead—three albums could be possible
 
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I still say a fiftieth anniversary setlist should be just as fresh and exciting as what they've been doing recently (pulling out Icarus a few years ago, pulling out somewhere in time and Alexander this tour) as these songs will never be played again very soon as Maiden are very near the end.

An entire set which is just the exact same classics (we normally get like trooper, notb etc) and no new additions apart from replaying the powerslave album again would be disappointing. Especially as they already did and especially as they're so near the end of the road.

Obviously include some powerslave in the set but they should encompass their whole career and dig out interesting stuff (that Nicko can play). Yes infinite dreams, yes something from the reunion era, yes a Blaze era song, yes a rarely played Dianno song etc
 
Of course, different lineups can be compared. Which lineup and year saw Iron Maiden at their musical peak? It was probably not the Virtual XI lineup, and likely not the 2024 version either. Blaze Bayley had a great voice, but his technical delivery fell far below what is expected from an Iron Maiden lead singer. Nicko is no longer the drummer he once was. Compared to other tours and lineups, I think we are not seeing Iron Maiden at their best in 2024, just as we didn't in 1998.

I believe it was the right decision to give Blaze another chance for the Virtual XI album cycle, and I really love the material that came out of it. However, Blaze did not show any technical improvement between the tours. He later mentioned that Janick or someone else had stepped on his in-ear monitors in Greece, but I think the real issue was his consistent inability to hit the correct scales and arpeggios. There were far too many missed pitches on the Virtual XI tour to blame solely on the in-ear monitors. Similarly, I think it's great that Nicko is given a chance on this tour, but personally, I don't like it when they start rearranging songs to accommodate for lost abilities, which is done on too many songs at this point. Iron Maiden made a tough but correct choice in replacing Blaze back in 1999.

Keep in mind that this is my opinion, and I'm not trying to impose it on anyone else, but I'd rather see another drummer for the next album and tour cycle. They should drop the history tour concept and spend the next 10 years producing new music instead—three albums could be possible
I wasn't getting your point but hey... I simply won't compare both things. Not that I think it's wrong to make such comparison (and you're truly entitled to do so) but personally, I think Nicko and some dudes helping him recover rhythm and Iron Maiden (even at their lowest) are two different animals.
When it comes to their musical peak IMO that boat sailed decades ago (composition wise it was somewhere between 1983 and 1988 and when it comes to live performance, I'll say 1982 to 1985). They still released some great albums ever since (I know it's not a popular take but The X Factor is a great example IMO... and it features Blaze!) and the band enjoyed a great live form on stage up till the Maiden England tour. That being said, setlist conditioning is unavoidable when you reach a certain age (be it by rearranging tracks, down tunning, whatever). It's either that or calling it quits, and IMO Maiden hasn't reached such a severe point yet.
When it comes to composition, and despite containing some traits I consider quite unnerving, their last two full lengths are overall ok, so I think there's no problem in this department. But I'd bet that the moment Maiden won't be able to tour or at least make mini tours, they'll retire.
 
I always think their live peak was reunion era in the 2000s

I do understand that guys concern about Nicko only in that it means Maiden won't be able to go on much longer.

An ageing 72 year old with a health problem limiting him, being the oldest guy in the band- with the most physical job- means we probably get two more years max of the band in this lineup in my opinion.

That being said I'd rather they go all out this year and then do something special in 2025 and bow out, if Nicko has to retire, then carry on without him.
 
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