NumberoftheGaz
Prowler
Was at the Sheffield Arena gig last night and boy what a gig!
Edit by SMX: Spoilers tags are still required around concert reviews, until the tour is over.
Ever since I found out about the set list for this tour I was a bit anxious about how much I would enjoy the gig. I had thought about it many different ways, on the one hand I respected Maiden for making a brave and bold statement of playing their new album in its entirity and I was also keen to see how the material would translate live. Hovwever I also knew I'd paid nearly £40 for my ticket and felt like maybe I deserved to hear my favourite Maiden tracks in exchange for this not-cheap concernt.
Anyway, I can safely say my money was well-spent and I enjoyed every minute of last night's gig. The sound was a little ropey to begin with but it often is at Sheffield Arena. The boys blasted into Different World which is a good set opener, lots of energy and good sing-a-long chorus. Then came These Colour's Don't Run, which is magnificant live and surely should be played at future gigs. It has a great anthemic quality to the chorus and Maiden played it with vigor and passion. I almost expected Bruce to start waving a Union Jack flag a la The Trooper while singing the chorus. He bounded round the stage like a heavy metal Peter Pan, while Steve planted his foot on the monitor and played his bass like a machine gun. Janick was on fine form, darting all over the place and throwing his guitar around with reckless abandon.
The stage was set up like a cross between a first world war trench and the landing ground at Normandy in 1945. Nicko's drum kit was in a dug out, at each side of the stage was a barbed-wire blockade, one complete with corpse and a powerful search light which Bruce pointed at the crowd on numerous occassions. On the left of the state was a soilder's corpse hanging from his parachute which had been caught in the PA system! The band rattled through the set with little pause, Brighter than a Thousand Suns, which is not my favourite new song, sounded great with spectacular and epic guitar work from the three amigos! The Pilgrim was terrific and heavy in all the right places, Longest day was anthemic and deserved more of a sing-a-long to the chorus than it recieved, but I guess its a new song and poeple are still learning the words!
Out of the shadow was introduced by Bruce as the power-ballad of their new album and was another epic display of musicianship from all concerned as was the Re-incarntaion of Benjamin Bregg. Greater Good of God and Lord of light sounded much better live than on the album, more powerful and Bruce's voice more prominant and dynamic. I enjoyed these four songs but the crowd seemed to simmer down for them a little as epic after epic can get tiring I guess. Things really got goingby the end of the Lord of Light and the crowed seemed to be really into the the Legancy, whcih I again thought translated live brilliantly. Bruce's vocals sounded much better live than on the album and Nicko's drumming was out of this world. On that note I must say Nicko was especially on good form, the new material shows his talents to their full.
After the last chord had been struck Bruce announced 'Ladies and Gentlemen, a Matter of Life and Death...thank you' to a rousuing cheer. The gambit had worked, Maiden put on a magnificant show, their new material sounded great and I would say was well-recieved by the vast majority of the crowd in attendance. I personally enjoyed the show thoroughly and any scepticism I had about hearing the new album in its enitiry live was blown out of the window.
Oviously as the opening bars of Fear of the Dark struck the crowd went bananas, the light show was fantastic and the boys blasted out a great song with passion and powers as it deserves. Then came the Iron Maiden with the awesome finally of the stage transforming into a tank and Eddie popping out of the hatch to look at the crowd through his field binoculars. The crowd went crazy during the encore break and the the boys came strolling back on. Bruce announced that next year Maiden would taking the year off for a rest and the crowed booed. then he said of course taking the year off would never do, so if next year we wanted to go down the road to stand in a muddy field surrounded by a race track (i.e. Castle Donington!!!) we would be rewarded with Maiden playing a set of classics from the 80s and 90s! Which got the biggest cheer of the night. I have to admit I am amazingly excitied by the thought of Maiden playing Donington again! I can't wait for tickets to go on sale!
They then blasted through 2 Minutes to Midnight wihich is awesome as always and Hallowed be Thy Name, which was also exceptional. I had an amazing evening and can't wait to see Maiden tour again very soon.
Anyway, I can safely say my money was well-spent and I enjoyed every minute of last night's gig. The sound was a little ropey to begin with but it often is at Sheffield Arena. The boys blasted into Different World which is a good set opener, lots of energy and good sing-a-long chorus. Then came These Colour's Don't Run, which is magnificant live and surely should be played at future gigs. It has a great anthemic quality to the chorus and Maiden played it with vigor and passion. I almost expected Bruce to start waving a Union Jack flag a la The Trooper while singing the chorus. He bounded round the stage like a heavy metal Peter Pan, while Steve planted his foot on the monitor and played his bass like a machine gun. Janick was on fine form, darting all over the place and throwing his guitar around with reckless abandon.
The stage was set up like a cross between a first world war trench and the landing ground at Normandy in 1945. Nicko's drum kit was in a dug out, at each side of the stage was a barbed-wire blockade, one complete with corpse and a powerful search light which Bruce pointed at the crowd on numerous occassions. On the left of the state was a soilder's corpse hanging from his parachute which had been caught in the PA system! The band rattled through the set with little pause, Brighter than a Thousand Suns, which is not my favourite new song, sounded great with spectacular and epic guitar work from the three amigos! The Pilgrim was terrific and heavy in all the right places, Longest day was anthemic and deserved more of a sing-a-long to the chorus than it recieved, but I guess its a new song and poeple are still learning the words!
Out of the shadow was introduced by Bruce as the power-ballad of their new album and was another epic display of musicianship from all concerned as was the Re-incarntaion of Benjamin Bregg. Greater Good of God and Lord of light sounded much better live than on the album, more powerful and Bruce's voice more prominant and dynamic. I enjoyed these four songs but the crowd seemed to simmer down for them a little as epic after epic can get tiring I guess. Things really got goingby the end of the Lord of Light and the crowed seemed to be really into the the Legancy, whcih I again thought translated live brilliantly. Bruce's vocals sounded much better live than on the album and Nicko's drumming was out of this world. On that note I must say Nicko was especially on good form, the new material shows his talents to their full.
After the last chord had been struck Bruce announced 'Ladies and Gentlemen, a Matter of Life and Death...thank you' to a rousuing cheer. The gambit had worked, Maiden put on a magnificant show, their new material sounded great and I would say was well-recieved by the vast majority of the crowd in attendance. I personally enjoyed the show thoroughly and any scepticism I had about hearing the new album in its enitiry live was blown out of the window.
Oviously as the opening bars of Fear of the Dark struck the crowd went bananas, the light show was fantastic and the boys blasted out a great song with passion and powers as it deserves. Then came the Iron Maiden with the awesome finally of the stage transforming into a tank and Eddie popping out of the hatch to look at the crowd through his field binoculars. The crowd went crazy during the encore break and the the boys came strolling back on. Bruce announced that next year Maiden would taking the year off for a rest and the crowed booed. then he said of course taking the year off would never do, so if next year we wanted to go down the road to stand in a muddy field surrounded by a race track (i.e. Castle Donington!!!) we would be rewarded with Maiden playing a set of classics from the 80s and 90s! Which got the biggest cheer of the night. I have to admit I am amazingly excitied by the thought of Maiden playing Donington again! I can't wait for tickets to go on sale!
They then blasted through 2 Minutes to Midnight wihich is awesome as always and Hallowed be Thy Name, which was also exceptional. I had an amazing evening and can't wait to see Maiden tour again very soon.
Edit by SMX: Spoilers tags are still required around concert reviews, until the tour is over.
To top a fantastic evening off i also caught Janicks sweatband which i havent taken off since
