Question about the Dance of Death North American tour

GhostofCain

Ancient Mariner
One thing that has always bugged me is why the Dance of Death North American tour was so short. Sure, the band had played an extensive run of dates on the GMETID tour in the summer of 2003, but that does not explain an album tour with just a couple of dates in Canada (Montreal and Quebec), three dates in New York (there were supposed to be four, but on one date the venue was double booked!), and two in Los Angeles.

Does anyone know the reasons for such a short tour? Was Dance of Death that poorly received in North America that they could not play more dates? Did Nicko’s problems with justice have anything to do with the very short nature of the tour?
 
I seem to remember that they were going to reduce their touring around the DOD tour and the subsequent tours. It says something along these lines in the No More Lies EP. Obviously this was abandoned after the SBIT tour.
 
I'm also curious to know if anyone in Mexico and Australia burned their records at that time...
Rod Smallwood:
'We're shipping the FULL Tour production around the world for the first time in many years to try and bring as many people as possible a great show. The full production weighs in at a hefty 25 tons which means that shipping the stage show around the world is no simple task.'

'Due to logistics and hall availabilities this has sadly meant that we are unable to get to some territories we very much hoped to visit, particularly Mexico and Australia. We are particularly very sad about Australia as we know we haven't been there for so long and it's always been our intentions to get down there if we possibly could but logistically we are simply not going to be able to make it. We realise that this means that you will all probably go out and burn our records but l have tried very hard indeed personally to make this work so please accept my apologies and try to bear with us. We will make it one day, l promise. I am actually writing this at a friend's house in Sydney (Clovelly) having seen England win the Rugby World Cup and l love it here and if it's possible l am as disappointed as you guys'

'Some of our fans in the USA may also be wondering why we are only to play in New York and Los Angeles. The answer to this is simply that we feel that the 'Give Me Ed' Summer tour was very comprehensive and we felt it was too early for the band to return for another full tour. We did however feel that Dance of Death should make a visit to North America and opted for New York and LA which makes sense and also Eastern Canada. Due to hockey and basketball and other shows we could not secure the arenas like the Gardens or Meadowlands in this period hence the multiple dates at Hammerstein. We've had a very long but phenomenally successful year and we look forward to seeing you all soon.'
 
I seem to remember that they were going to reduce their touring around the DOD tour and the subsequent tours. It says something along these lines in the No More Lies EP. Obviously this was abandoned after the SBIT tour.
This. I remember Rod saying, around 2002-2003, that Maiden would stop touring as much and do fewer shows but still in big places, where the fans would come to them. I’m paraphrasing a 20 year old interview I read, so don’t take me at my word.

I think, around the time of the SBIT, they had fully hit their post reunion stride, between EdForce One, Flight 666, and the general vibe of fans, and it seems like since then they’ve capitalized on it. They saw that there’s a market for two “rounds” of touring every album: one tour for the album, and another based on a more “classic/hits” show. And it works!

Though if I had my way, I’d have them tour less and make music more, but that’s because I think Maiden’s best album is still in them.
 
The tour in general was shorter in Europe as well, and I think they also only played three dates in Japan (instead of 8-10 like they usually did), and a few in South America.

And they had not had a profitable tour in America since the 80’s back then. So someone probably thought a couple of dates in NY and LA and a few in Canada was enough. Maiden probably did not make big bucks from North America until the 2008 dates
 
I think something about the North American reception of the BNW and GMETID cycles must have made Maiden believe that the US weren't profitable for a full-scale tour. In 2005 they toured with Ozzfest after all, second on the bill!
The AMOLAD tour wasn't all that much more either, 11 dates 3 of which were in Canada. It took them all the way to SBIT to become big in the States again.
 
My memories of it was they didn't think there was much of a market in the states at the time. Going on the Ozfest on the following tour, as a supporting act for the first time in nearly 20 years, would back up that memory.

EDIT: @Perun makes the exact same point LOL
 
I'm also curious to know if anyone in Mexico and Australia burned their records at that time...


Aussies were very vocal in those days on the official forum. Maiden hadn't been in donkey's years in those days.
 
I agree with some of you about when Rod said they would touring for 3 or 4 months, make shorter tours maybe trough summer festivals and summer and stop touring in indoors. I'm not sure. Another fact could be that the theme with castles and medieval stage set didn't fit with north american people as Steve said about Seventh Son album reception there. The horrible album cover, the no promotion at all there. And they asured the 6 dates in NY. They gained fans again in 2005 working hard into the Ozzfest with the early days tour with hits that it allowed them to play trough the country for the AMOLAD Tour risking playing the whole album. With SBIT Tour they promoted the tour with the Egyptian stage, lights, pyro the piloting their own plane…And playing the hits.

Don't get me wrong, but I think Us people want to listen just the hits. The Final Frontier Tour started in US 2 or 3 months before the album release and playing the hits with TFF stage set but with another lightning I think. Then it became Maiden England Tour (hits) Book of souls with 10 dates or so… and another hits tour Legacy of the Beast.
 
I agree with some of you about when Rod said they would touring for 3 or 4 months, make shorter tours maybe trough summer festivals and summer and stop touring in indoors. I'm not sure. Another fact could be that the theme with castles and medieval stage set didn't fit with north american people as Steve said about Seventh Son album reception there. The horrible album cover, the no promotion at all there. And they asured the 6 dates in NY. They gained fans again in 2005 working hard into the Ozzfest with the early days tour with hits that it allowed them to play trough the country for the AMOLAD Tour risking playing the whole album. With SBIT Tour they promoted the tour with the Egyptian stage, lights, pyro the piloting their own plane…And playing the hits.

Don't get me wrong, but I think Us people want to listen just the hits. The Final Frontier Tour started in US 2 or 3 months before the album release and playing the hits with TFF stage set but with another lightning I think. Then it became Maiden England Tour (hits) Book of souls with 10 dates or so… and another hits tour Legacy of the Beast.

Whilst I agree with most of what you have posted, Maiden did a pretty extensive North American tour for The Book of Souls in 2017.
 
Who remembers this?


AngelicTangibleBirdofparadise-size_restricted.gif
 
Aussies were very vocal in those days on the official forum. Maiden hadn't been in donkey's years in those days.
When the tour was announced and I saw the only US dates were NY and LA I posted on the official forum "Are you fucking kidding me?" - got a warning from their mod. Maiden also ignored the Southeastern US for many years. They played Atlanta in 1996 and wasn't until 2012 when they returned.
 
I feel the exact same thing will happen next year after a pretty extensive fall NA tour this year, expect only a few dates for whatever they decide to do with Senjutsu next year in the bigger markets only.
 
We recently had a thread about this and Ghost of Cain, even you posted in it!
https://forum.maidenfans.com/threads/why-was-the-dance-of-death-tour-so-short.71362/
Is this what awaits me as a middle-aged-Maiden-fan?!

Recently being 3 years ago? You might fare even worse than me... :lol:

To be honest, I had forgotten about that thread (I am getting on a bit). I recently read somewhere that Nicko's problems with justice were one of the reasons behind the short run of dates in North America in 2004 and opened the thread without checking if this had been discussed in the past. I should have known better... :D
 
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Recently being 3 years ago? You might fare even worse than me... :lol:

To be honest, I had forgotten about that thread (I am getting on a bit). I recently read somewhere that Nicko's problems with justice were one of the reasons behind the short run of dates in North America in 2004 and opened the thread without checking if this had been discussed in the past. I should have known better... :D
Aye, you might be onto something.
It's only when I've read 3 years I remembered we're in 2022, not 2021.
 
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