Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
Black Wizard, I canny mind --have you got a Saturday floor ticket?
No, I'm in the Gods.
Black Wizard, I canny mind --have you got a Saturday floor ticket?
Everyone who's going --have fun!
Indeed and, as it's going to be a nice day we'll be going to the Tesco Express (about 200 yards away from the o2 entrance) for beers; why pay through the nose at the bar when you can sit out on the grass, in the sun, drinking with thousands of fellow Maidenites?!
£5 a pint in the arena! Glad I pre-loaded on cheap canned lager instead...
The sound was better than at Donington, but very 'boomy', the guitars came in and out of focus during solos and the more powerchordy songs were very muddy, especially during the first half of the gig. Nicko was very clear, but Bruce was very indistinct,to the point where his camped-up bit with the flame columns in Phantom were indecipherable. (Never mind the fact he should keep his gob shut during the instrumental sections,!) There were certainly too many repetitions of "Scream for me - OH THAT'S BULLSHIT LONDON, SCREAM FOR ME!", and later on there were a couple of times when he got no reaction for them (mainly because it was so difficult to make out what he was saying). Even he must have been aware of it as, towards the end he very carefully enunciated "I! Can't! Hear! You!" like he was talking to a bunch of deaf grannies...
SSOASS was played very well, and Davey's certainly having a little one-man Renaissance isn't he?! Some of his solos were tremendous (when I could hear them). I enjoyed Afraid To Shoot Strangers a lot more this time, but nothing will match seeing it played at Donington '92, but I saw a lot of the rest of the set played at Twickenham. Prisoner was great
I know there's been a lot of moaning about the setlist, but it's justified when you see that no less than twelve of the seventeen songs played last night also featured in the Twickenham gig. By the encores I was a little underwhelmed by hearing the same old songs again.
It was a better-than-average performance for me, certainly not as good as their last shows at the 02, but they were pretty special gigs for me so it would be difficult to reach those heights. I always think the nostalgia shows are more difficult to psyche up for, as there's no surprise factor of hearing a new song live for the first time, but it was still fun.
However I will be waiting to hear that sound issues have been resolved before I buy another Maiden ticket; there's no excuse at the o2, where they sounded so great two years ago, and where Rush had sound so good I actually worried they might be miming, and no excuse this late on into a tour. Either their PA is duff or their soundman is deaf.
I couldnt hear bruce or the guitars that well but the drums and bass sound were good.
For those of you who are complaining about Bruce saying "Scream For Me!" too often then I call that a first world problem.
but in all honesty I think we should be happy with what we got.
Will you be getting in touch with Rod Smallwood asking for a refund then?