Journey to Maiden in Vegas...one night...17 hours long.

"So what we want is the Ozzfest vibe, which I think is much closer to the audiences we play to in Europe."

I remember reading several statements in that vein when the tour kicked off (dig a little in this forum, there is quite a bit of material on that). Back then I wondered, and I still do, how this related to Bruce's corporate America rants he did at the following shows. My interpretation is that he was shocked at how commercial Ozzfest was when he first performed there, and that the 'Ozzfest vibe' didn't exist in the way he had hoped for.
 
Ah, alright. This is what Bruce said on the official site:
Comments singer Bruce Dickinson, “We’ve always had great support there before but this is stepping up another level entirely*. This whole tour will be one of the biggest we have ever done in terms in the number of fans we are playing to and if the reaction continues like this every show will be a truly momentous occasion.


*it sure was!
 
Perun said:
"So what we want is the Ozzfest vibe, which I think is much closer to the audiences we play to in Europe."

I remember reading several statements in that vein when the tour kicked off (dig a little in this forum, there is quite a bit of material on that). Back then I wondered, and I still do, how this related to Bruce's corporate America rants he did at the following shows. My interpretation is that he was shocked at how commercial Ozzfest was when he first performed there, and that the 'Ozzfest vibe' didn't exist in the way he had hoped for.
Click to expand...

The whole idea behind doing Ozzfest I think from the management side of things was to win over a younger demographic of metal fans in the states. Basically tap into a younger market of new fans.If that happened I don't know...but I'm sure them playing all those Ozzfest shows had an impact and gained them a lot of new fans.

Really I think Bruce just can't keep his mouth shut at times :D Most of his "rants" at Ozzfest shows was I believe..more about fake pop starts, reality TV and radio in the states and all that..not about the festival itself. Until later when Bruce called Ozzy out on using a teleprompter and the fact that The Osbourne reality show was out at the time, so the Osborne family took the reality TV corporate America" rants personally..
 
I vividly remember comments on the festival. Corporate crap and such. The real fans can't stand in front, etc.
 
Alright. I don't remember in such detail what he actually said during those shows from the stage. I guess you'd have to go and listen to all the Ozzfest bootlegs available to get a good picture of it...but everything just escalated as the Ozzfest tour went on.

To be honest, Bruce was definitely walking a fine line here. Dishing reality TV on stage when you know Ozzy, the guy you're warming up for every night, has a very popular reality TV show running at the time...Calling out rock stars for using teleprompter when you know Ozzy, the guy you're warming up for every night uses one etc...Just, well I don't know what to think of it. Maiden was booked by Ozzy and their management to do the shows and Bruce is up there making fun of the whole festival. Not that I don't agree with Bruce but still..:D Fact was though that Maiden did headline quite a few times because Ozzy was sick...
 
Bruce's rants in the early 00's were wholly unnecessary and a distraction at best. We get it, Iron Maiden is real metal, Ozzy is a tool, and Britney Spears is a wanker or whatever. I like when his rants are more relevant to the songs they're playing. Like the classic Rime speeches.
 
Overall I'd agree with Mosh but I have to admit a bit of "fuck you, we're Iron Maiden" suited the band at times :)


Also, this was my first Iron Maiden concert :cool:
 
Was it Roskilde where Bruce called members of the audience a bunch of motherfuckers (in a bad way) and wankers for standing in a tent during heavy rain? During the calm part of The Clansman? Way to ruin an otherwise brilliant performance. Seriously, Bruce's incessant cussing completely spoiled the recording for me.
 
That was probably Dynamo Open Air in 2000. I can't speak for all people who did stand in the rain but I enjoyed that comment a lot. Made me more proud to be there in the pouring rain, supporting and enjoying the band. Can't find it online now to check how he exactly said it.

edit: here is the gig, but where's the fragment...:
Maybe he did it at a different song or gig.
 
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Nope, that wasn't Roskilde. At Roskilde 2000 Bruce was totally fired up. He even went climbing on the lighting rig after that speech I just posted in the following song Brave New World:


But I do remember listening to the show you mention. I believe it happened at a smaller festival :)
 
Ah that's it. That isn't that bad. He called everyone fuckers and bastards. "Every fucker, come on."

Perhaps Per (and I) meant a different moment.
 
I think that must be the show Per meant..its the only one I can remember where it rained like hell during Clansman and Bruce calling people out like that for standing int he beer tents etc because of the weather....

I mean no it's not that bad...but even so you can still tell that Bruce is trying to get more out of the crowd, a slight annoyance in his voice that he isn't getting the feedback (because of the weather most likely) he normally gets...and craves from a crowd.
 
Yeah, it was Dynamo. I listened to that bootleg once many years ago, so I likely have an inaccurate memory of what Bruce said, and when.
 
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