RUN FOR YOUR LIVES 2025 Tour Thread *SPOILERS INSIDE*

I find the "why didn't they play more deep cuts?" discussion fascinating.

It was really obvious that this was going to be a hits tour. If anything I'm quite surprised how many epics made the setlist when they could have just rammed the entire set with singles that would have gone down better with the casuals.
Imagine they swapped SSOASS for TETMD, Clairvoyant for CIPWM, Powerslave for Running Free etc, there'd be LOADS of complaints about an uninspired boring predictable setlist then.

Obscure songs barely known by the casuals like Tailgunner, NPFTD etc were NEVER going to make a greatest hits set. Even DYWBO was a olympic level stretch.

I do agree that the encore is a bit of a damp squib compared to the main set, and Aces High should really have been retired after LOTB Part 1.

The video wall looks cool, and I'm pleasantly surprised that my hope of video walls round the bottom of Bruces walkway came to fruition, really makes the whole thing a bit more 3D.

Simon done really well. He comes across as a bit more of a metal drummer than Nicko, and I'm sure there's some double bass pedal being used which influences his style of fills etc.

Overall I'm looking forward to Glasgow, but no doubt will be wincing through Aces High.
 
Chris501 said:
This tour feels slightly rushed and under prepared - apart from screen. Sticking to the big hits and same usual structure, especially encore, shows a lack of interest in creating something a bit “different”.

Strikes me as very much, “let’s just go out play the hits and go” - same eddies same outfits same props. Seems a bit of a random tour tbh and wondering - what is the point of it?
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I'm sorry but this is exactly what the expectations should be with this band. And that goes with albums as well as tours. "For the last record, just put out a rocker of an album with shorter songs!", "Maybe change up the setlist a little bit between shows", "Where are the deep cuts??"... The only real THEY DID WHAT??! -moment I can remember is when they played AMOLAD in its fullest. When they set the bar high before a tour, lower it yourself before you go. I'm totally fine with this set. More than happy actually.
 
Trevoire said:
I find the "why didn't they play more deep cuts?" discussion fascinating.

It was really obvious that this was going to be a hits tour. If anything I'm quite surprised how many epics made the setlist when they could have just rammed the entire set with singles that would have gone down better with the casuals.
Imagine they swapped SSOASS for TETMD, Clairvoyant for CIPWM, Powerslave for Running Free etc, there'd be LOADS of complaints about an uninspired boring predictable setlist then.

Obscure songs barely known by the casuals like Tailgunner, NPFTD etc were NEVER going to make a greatest hits set. Even DYWBO was a olympic level stretch.

I do agree that the encore is a bit of a damp squib compared to the main set, and Aces High should really have been retired after LOTB Part 1.

The video wall looks cool, and I'm pleasantly surprised that my hope of video walls round the bottom of Bruces walkway came to fruition, really makes the whole thing a bit more 3D.

Simon done really well. He comes across as a bit more of a metal drummer than Nicko, and I'm sure there's some double bass pedal being used which influences his style of fills etc.

Overall I'm looking forward to Glasgow, but no doubt will be wincing through Aces High.
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Strong arguments actually and I gotta say you actually got me convinced. I would have hated a setlist that featured no epics and only "hits". Instead we got 3 epics (4 if you count Hallowed as an epic)!

I do however agree on Aces High. Never should've returned. But oh well. If that's the only stinker of this setlist then so be it.

One other thing I wish they did a little different is mix up the order of the songs. Killer has 4 songs in a row (counting Ides of March) and Powerslave has 3 in a row. They could've shuffled it some more.
 
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Starblind said:
- no song from No Prayer and Fear of the dark. (I dont count Fear obviously) meaning also nearly no Janick. This is so disrespectful to both to the fans who love these albums and to Janick. If band didnt promote the tour like that, ok.
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Personally, I always thought that the "from Iron Maiden to Fear of the Dark" was more about the time period in general and not about necessarily including a song from every album; very much like Killers was promoted as part of the period that SBIT will cover, but not a single song from it was played in 2008. Can't say anything outside the title track was expected from Fear either, although I think some of the speculated cuts like Be Quick or be Dead and Afraid to Shoot Strangers were in the realm of possibility.

I totally get the disappointment, but honestly, the set is quite exactly what was promoted: a selection of greatest hits through the 1980-92 release period, other big classics & a couple of massive fan favourite epics. Totally plausible as the "SETLIST FOR THE AGES" in that sense. Remember "social media madness" of 2018 and "WOW THEY NEVER PLAY THAT ONE" (Children of the Damned 2016); from that persective, I don't think Killers, The Clairvoyant, Powerslave, Rime & Seventh Son are that bad of a pay-off for Bruce's words.

Starblind said:
- no deep cut like Infinite Dreams even though it’s the name of the book.
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It's unfortunate indeed, but can't say it's a massive disappointment. Would've loved to see it though!

Starblind said:
- same ending with Wasted Years. I never heard they ended their sets in two tours in a row.
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I get that some fans wanted something else, buuuut... Run to the Hills was a closer for 1999 & both 2003 tours. Hallowed closed the 2006-07 & 2008 sets. Running Free from 2010 to 2013. Not to even mention how many times they've played Sanctuary as a closer through the years.

And suddenly Wasted Years, a beautiful classic & emotional song for a 50 (golden) years celebration tour, being played as a closer for two (very different) tours in a row is the issue?
 
Iron Lurker said:
I'm getting a kick out of negative comments I've seen around about the size of Simon's kit. Need I remind you all it's not the size that matters but how you beat it....

Seriously though wtf do people think he has to use the same size kit as Nicko? It's ridiculous. Simon was great and he will only get better as the tour goes on.
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To be honest, I liked Simon and thought he did a great job for his first show. I really appreciate that he’s bringing his own style to the songs rather than just replicating Clive’s or Nicko’s parts. That said, Nicko’s drum kit always felt like a part of Maiden’s stage show. Take the Revelations church reveal in 2018/2019, for example, where his massive kit added to the spectacle. I wasn’t expecting Simon’s setup to be identical, but seeing such a small kit in that space feels a bit odd and slightly underwhelming. Maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to it. Again, I’m not criticizing him, he delivered a very solid performance for his debut with the band.
 
Iron Lurker said:
I'm getting a kick out of negative comments I've seen around about the size of Simon's kit. Need I remind you all it's not the size that matters but how you beat it....

Seriously though wtf do people think he has to use the same size kit as Nicko? It's ridiculous. Simon was great and he will only get better as the tour goes on.
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I guess they don't like to see the drummer onstage :D But indeed, I don't see the problem with a smaller drumkit and I think he did a good job.
 
I'm not understanding how this setlist or show was "overhyped". Overhyped by who and in what context? By Bruce? It's entirely possible he actually believes this is a killer show with unexpected songs and surprises. I don't think the band really has a huge pulse on what the perpetually online Maiden fan thinks of their work or shows. In this context, playing a few songs that haven't been played in years and a near complete re-working of their stage gimmick for the first time in nearly ever is a pretty big deal.

By the press release or tour announcements? Where did it ever state they would play songs from every album from 1980 - 1992? That 1992 is there only to continue justifying Fear of the Dark, otherwise it wouldn't be there. They clearly have no problem not going back to No Prayer. Honestly, I never thought they'd go back to Somewhere in Time before 2023 either and given the choice, give me what we got for the Future Past tours over anything from No Prayer easily. And this isn't really a slight on No Prayer from me, that the first Maiden album I ever heard in 1991 and made me into an instant fan, but I'm also realistic about it's placement within the catalog. They aren't going back there, it is what it is.

I think most realistic approaches to this set list would have likely garnered similar results to what the band ended up going with. Unearthing a never before played song decades after its album is a one and done unique thing for Alexander the Great only. And that's only because fans had been moaning about that not being included on the 86/87 tours now for decades before they pulled it out on the Future Past tour. Something like that is never going to happen again.

Is this a case of fans creating unplausible and unrealistic expectations of set list delusions in their heads and then being upset they didn't wish them in to reality? I'm going to guess a likely affirmative here. Ya'll, Only the Good Die Young was never going to get played. Nor was Sun and Steel. The only unfortunate casualty here is Infinite Dreams but we just have to live with that.

It's also interesting seeing folks claiming how they are skipping out on this tour simply because of the set list or the screens. Everyone can do what they want, but revisit those comments in 5 years when nobody can see Iron Maiden live any more and see if those same gripes still apply. They aren't getting any younger, and while I believe there are some gripes here and there (as there are with any tour), this is what we are getting for the next 2 years.

It could be better but it could also be nothing. Time to be a little grateful.

I get it - we all love Iron Maiden enough to spend our free time arguing with other folks on the internet about them, but sometimes a little dose of reality is necessary.

Two final things -

Simon - From what I can see, Simon was fine. But I'm basing this off of mediocre clips off of one show. I'm sure he's more than adequate and will continue to get better. He's not Nicko. Nicko couldn't likely do this set. I'm glad we get to hear these songs again even if someone else is behind the kit. I'm going to hold actual judgement until whenever I get a chance to actually see this tour and hear him perform.

Screens - I've seen some suggestion a lot of these have AI done artworks, is this true? If so, that's unfortunate. I'm not sure why they felt the need to go so far in - I think the fans would have largely been OK with digital drapes. But we kind of saw this coming with what they did on The Future Past tours so I'm not shocked by it. I think, for the most part, they look cool. But they do change the show's vibe a bit. But I can't say for sure how much because I wasn't there.

This post was too long and I know nobody cares, but typing it out to the world helps haha. Anyone going to the show tonight?
 
I watched on yt and thought it was great, the screen epic for Rime and Hallowed.
About time they moved on, changing things up a bit. Good timing now Nico's sadly gone.
 
Smither said:
To be honest, I liked Simon and thought he did a great job for his first show. I really appreciate that he’s bringing his own style to the songs rather than just replicating Clive’s or Nicko’s parts. That said, Nicko’s drum kit always felt like a part of Maiden’s stage show. Take the Revelations church reveal in 2018/2019, for example, where his massive kit added to the spectacle. I wasn’t expecting Simon’s setup to be identical, but seeing such a small kit in that space feels a bit odd and slightly underwhelming. Maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to it. Again, I’m not criticizing him, he delivered a very solid performance for his debut with the band.
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I get that Nicko's custom drum paint jobs were really cool and added to the look of the stag. I enjoyed the videos he did showing them off. But Simon needs to be his own man and have a setup that works best for him
 
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