CrimsonEmotions
Trooper
No, I'm not suggesting they tour together--although it would be one hell of a show.
What I'm suggesting is that both bands have their touring formulas nearly perfect, especially for bands who have been around for a while.
Most bands who are 30+ years old tend to become nostalgia acts, touring on the various hits they have had, most of the time playing very little past the 1980's. Furthermore, these bands rarely dive into their vast library. They might do a small handful of newer songs when they have new albums, but otherwise it's a greatest-hits show--quite often the exact same list of songs with only minor tweaks in the set order. As enjoyable as it is to see bands like Motley Crue, Foreigner, Journey, Styx and Poison (among many many others) is, I am reluctant to see more shows by them because I know it's going to be more of the same.
On the other hand, Maiden and Rush do a very good job of mixing things up and keeping it interesting for the long-time fans, as well as the new fans. When they tour for an album, they focus on the album, but they also have tours for the hell of it, which allows them to dig a bit into their older albums' more forgotten tracks. The only major difference is that Rush brings out hidden gems even for their album tours, but that is largely because they play for an hour longer than Maiden.
Furthermore, the bands have also done some interesting things with their setlists over the years. Although it's not my favorite album, I respect Maiden for doing a tour that played A Matter of Life and Death in its entirety. Similarly, Rush played almost all of Clockwork Angels on their most recent tour. Furthermore, the bands have had tours that had a heavy focus on lesser known eras. The pre-Final Frontiers tour focused largely on Brave New World through AMOLAD. And on first set of the Clockwork Angels tour, Rush focused largely on their mid to late 80s synth era material, with five songs coming from Power Windows (usually four songs per show as they rotated two of their songs between shows).
I love what the setlists of Maiden and Rush say about the band. They say that they're not afraid to stand behind their new material, but they also respect the fans enough to bring back some forgotten songs. If only more bands that have been around as long as these two would do the same.
What I'm suggesting is that both bands have their touring formulas nearly perfect, especially for bands who have been around for a while.
Most bands who are 30+ years old tend to become nostalgia acts, touring on the various hits they have had, most of the time playing very little past the 1980's. Furthermore, these bands rarely dive into their vast library. They might do a small handful of newer songs when they have new albums, but otherwise it's a greatest-hits show--quite often the exact same list of songs with only minor tweaks in the set order. As enjoyable as it is to see bands like Motley Crue, Foreigner, Journey, Styx and Poison (among many many others) is, I am reluctant to see more shows by them because I know it's going to be more of the same.
On the other hand, Maiden and Rush do a very good job of mixing things up and keeping it interesting for the long-time fans, as well as the new fans. When they tour for an album, they focus on the album, but they also have tours for the hell of it, which allows them to dig a bit into their older albums' more forgotten tracks. The only major difference is that Rush brings out hidden gems even for their album tours, but that is largely because they play for an hour longer than Maiden.
Furthermore, the bands have also done some interesting things with their setlists over the years. Although it's not my favorite album, I respect Maiden for doing a tour that played A Matter of Life and Death in its entirety. Similarly, Rush played almost all of Clockwork Angels on their most recent tour. Furthermore, the bands have had tours that had a heavy focus on lesser known eras. The pre-Final Frontiers tour focused largely on Brave New World through AMOLAD. And on first set of the Clockwork Angels tour, Rush focused largely on their mid to late 80s synth era material, with five songs coming from Power Windows (usually four songs per show as they rotated two of their songs between shows).
I love what the setlists of Maiden and Rush say about the band. They say that they're not afraid to stand behind their new material, but they also respect the fans enough to bring back some forgotten songs. If only more bands that have been around as long as these two would do the same.
