Iron Maiden video interviews / shows

Forostar said:
More than some. I saw them in the same big venue (thousands) as in 1999. Don't know anymore if both were sold out or not but it was thousands in 1998 and again thousands in 1999. Also thousands in 1995 but that was a different venue with My Dying Bride as opening act (talk about great opening acts).

Shitty interest in Anglo-Saxon countries (where metal was not faring well at all) and perhaps some others should not be projected on Maiden's popularity elsewhere. Not visiting the UK in 1999, I always saw that as a "fuck you for letting us down, you can wait another year before we'll back". The USA was more lucky.
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They certainly did much better than what Blaze seems to remember nowadays, when he constantly blames EMI for him getting fired rather than his inability to do the old songs justice. ;) On the Virtual XI tour they were playing to bigger audiences than on The X Factor tour; not as big as before, but certainly big enough for Steve not to see it as something worrying.

On the other hand, not playing in the UK in 1999 had more to do with Steve's tax bill than anything else.
 
Forostar said:
that was a different venue with My Dying Bride as opening act (talk about great opening acts).
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Well, I envy those who got My Dying Bride, all I got was lousy "plastic metal" bands (namely Murderdolls and Trivium). The third and last time was a festival and I got Sepultura before Maiden.
 
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GhostofCain said:
Spain was a notable exception of a market where they did well when Blaze was in the band,
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I remember Real Madrid fans had a huge virtual XI flag at the Champions League Semi Final in 1998. I remember being amazed that Maiden were still a big pop culture reference in Spain at that time.
 
Long audio interview with Bruce and Adrian. The uploader says: "I think it was recorded in 1988/89", but it sounds more like 1984 or 1985 to me. Around 4.14 they get asked if they think of doing a live album, and I think Bruce says "Yes, all four nights Hammersmith".
And a bit later it seems the interview was done on the very day the documentary was broadcasted for the first time, on MTV.
@Perun @Zare

@GhostofCain (band footage starts around 16th minute)
1993.04.05, Ostrava, Czech Republic - TV Special
Do we have Czech member who wants to translate? I am very curious about that press conference. @JudasMyGuide ?

Not sure if this one was shared yet: H & Dave in Athens, 1999.
 
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Whooten said:
In the US it is absolutely true that they played to hundreds rather than thousands. That is, when they didn't just cancel the dates outright due to "allergies."
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I remember that they were scheduled to play a 975 person nightclub (the boardwalk) for TXF in Sacramento in the 90s. That gig fill victim to the 'allergy cancellation', but I had a friend who worked there at the time and he mentioned that initial presales were at only a few hundred so they were hoping that they would get to half-full with door sales (this was before the cancellation). This is one reason why I tend to remember these times as overly dour and depressing from a fan POV.

Of course now, the last time they played Sacramento, it was before 17,000 during the ME tour. I'm still amazed at the rebound.
 
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I guess, from the U.S. audience standpoint, they were looked upon as an arena rock band. Maiden never did pubs and clubs there, the way they did in England and some other parts of Europe. With the new singer onboard, the club bookings might have been seen as a hardcore fanbase thing, which they were. And like that small club, Maiden could've sold half of a 10.000 seater, because then you'd have people that go to 'big concerts'. 1/10 of Maiden attendance are hardcore fans, and 3/10 don't even listen to them.
 
Zare said:
I guess, from the U.S. audience standpoint, they were looked upon as an arena rock band. Maiden never did pubs and clubs there, the way they did in England and some other parts of Europe. With the new singer onboard, the club bookings might have been seen as a hardcore fanbase thing, which they were. And like that small club, Maiden could've sold half of a 10.000 seater, because then you'd have people that go to 'big concerts'. 1/10 of Maiden attendance are hardcore fans, and 3/10 don't even listen to them.
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If Maiden could have sold arenas half full in the States with Blaze they would have booked those venues. Fact is the did not. Perhaps it was just allergies. Who knows? ;)
 
I'm telling you that with a big arena show comes big promotion. You're telling me that Maiden with their proper PR wouldn't pick up 5000 people in a city of a million? Bollocks. Why did they play arenas on VXI tour then?
 
Zare said:
I'm telling you that with a big arena show comes big promotion. You're telling me that Maiden with their proper PR wouldn't pick up 5000 people in a city of a million? Bollocks. Why did they play arenas on VXI tour then?
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:confused: Maiden played, for the most part, theatres and ballrooms in the US in 1998, didn't they?
 
Large theaters and arenas, I've checked about half of the venues.
P.S. Just to clarify my argument, I have an opinion that's based around Maiden's own decisions being responsible for the lack of U.S. audience in the mid-late 90s. Decisions inside the context of keeping band integrity, I'm not advocating their switch to grunge for general appeal. Besides, grunge bands never said a bad word about Maiden, Kurt liked them, Cornell liked them, they cite them as an influence, and Metallica for that matter too. Grunge seems to have "killed Metal" in the same year Pantera reached #1 in the U.S. A grungy band indeed.
 
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Zare said:
Large theaters and arenas, I've checked about half of the venues.
P.S. Just to clarify my argument, I have an opinion that's based around Maiden's own decisions being responsible for the lack of U.S. audience in the mid-late 90s. Decisions inside the context of keeping band integrity, I'm not advocating their switch to grunge for general appeal. Besides, grunge bands never said a bad word about Maiden, Kurt liked them, Cornell liked them, they cite them as an influence, and Metallica for that matter too. Grunge seems to have "killed Metal" in the same year Pantera reached #1 in the U.S. A grungy band indeed.
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How many arenas did they play on the whole US tour? I am now curious. Thanks in advance!

On a related note, it would be interesting to see the boxscores for that tour.
 
That's an interesting venue selection as some are arenas and others (Martime Hall and Bogart's are clubs). I wonder what their attendance figures were like in those larger places.
 
Attendance at Maritime Hall was 0 because it was cancelled. I attended a few shows there and it held about 2,500.
 
I have posted this one before, but I would not mind giving it attention again: I believe this is the very interview that Sharon must have been enraged about. The day after, the last Ozzfest gig happened at San Bernardino and Eggfest happened. Just watch what Bruce says, around the 4th minute, it is a literal sneer towards Ozzy's reality TV activities. Also: love (again) how he reacts when Janick is called Adrian by the interviewer. Janick stays a friendly gentleman.
Here the other interviews:
 
Very recent interview with Doug Sampson! Very nice to hear the early days from his perspective.

And here an audio interview with Bruce, May 19th, 1992, eight days after the release of the FOTD album. Very good insightful interview. About the album (explains well why he likes it), about Janick (how much he has grown, in White Spirit, Gillan and what led to Janick leaving Gillan, his input on the album), songs, the writing with Janick. Writing with Dave, e.g. Judas Be My Guide @CriedWhenBrucieLeft check that out!

Also, Bruce talks about No Prayer. You'll find out why and how different the album productions were, between No Prayer and FOTD. And again he focuses on the important role of Janick in the band (also comparing an aspect with Adrian).
 
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