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Meme Lord
BUDAPEST AND BRATISLAVA REVIEW
A week has passed since I got back from my little adventure. The initial excitement has simmered down a bit, I’ve had time to reflect, and I’ve decided to write a short story about it. While scrolling through my phone, I figured the fairest way to go about this is to simply share my impressions and feelings from each day as they happened (with the occasional geeky comment).
I saw them three times during the opening week: two nights in Budapest and one night in Bratislava.
I arrived in Budapest a day early and could already feel that the circus was in town: Maiden shirts were more than just occasional, and there were even a couple of “Budapest welcome Iron Maiden” signs around the city.
My first accomodation was near the venue, so I went to check it out. There wasn’t much to see since the whole area was locked off, but it looked pretty high-end - especially the Ferenc Puskás Stadium, which looked amazing at night.
The next day, I had to change my accommodation, and since the arena was nearby, I went there around 11 AM to check out the merchandise, which wasn’t supposed to be available until noon. To my surprise, the area around the arena was still locked, but there were already several groups of fans waiting outside.
There was also the inevitable “numbering” routine to organize the crowd, but I declined to participate since I wasn’t planning to go up front that first night. (Honestly, I find that a bit… unnecessary.)
I’ve got to admit, just opening the outer gates was exciting, even though most people immediately ran toward the arena doors, I headed straight to the merch booth.
My excitement skyrocketed – just by looking at the shirts on display got my anticipation going through the roof. Some of the designs gave me little hints about what songs might be played,
Just before the arena doors opened, I struck up a conversation with a Polish fan nearby, who showed me a semi-official email from management announcing there would be a special event shirt available. I didn’t hesitate - I grabbed one right away, along with a hat I needed for a little project I had in mind. I snapped a couple of photos to share with friends and this forum. It took me a while to realize I had just spent 92 euros on those two items! Honestly, merch is seriously expensive this time around: t-shirts don’t go for less than 50 euros anymore.
After the purchase, I had to sit down for a drink to calm myself down a bit. As I took it all in, I started noticing all the little details on the shirts and the designs. Most of them raised my expectations even higher — there were nods to Powerslave, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Clairvoyant, and the best part: two hidden shirts that felt like secret treasures (which didn't really turned out to be duds, but hiding Powerslave and Rime maybe had more sense).
It was actually James from the capnHarris channel who pointed me to one detail on the Spitfire on the moon on event shirt, which put a small dent in my mood. I was one of the first to buy the event shirt, and he recorded it as we chatted about the details (but he didn’t include it in his video). Once I calmed down, I took a selfie and sent it to my wife and friends. They said I looked like a teenager again. I guess that’s what Maiden shows do to me - they make me feel (and look!) young all over again.
I’d been to Budapest the year before for a few days, so sightseeing wasn’t really on my agenda this time around. After grabbing a quick nap to recharge, I met up with a certain member of this board a couple of hours before the show. We went inside the arena and grabbed some drinks. Honestly, What I heard from Halestorm in the weeks before the show didn’t impress me and their live show didn’t make any difference. Talent and energy is here but something falls flat in connecting with them .
We were in general admission, a little farther back from the sound booth. When the lights finally dimmed and the opening notes of “Doctor, Doctor” rang out, the anticipation in the crowd hit its peak. I think part of it was because I already knew I’d be seeing Maiden again the next night, and also because I’d witnessed a few opening nights before, so instead of feeling like “I’m going to enjoy every second,” I found myself more curious, thinking, “I wonder what’s going to happen now?”
That shift in mindset probably took the edge off my excitement a bit. Instead of just living in the moment, I was more focused on analyzing what was going on around me.
The intro seemed to drag on forever that first night, but when Maiden finally kicked in with “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “Wrathchild,” and “Killers,” everything clicked. The Killers-era Eddie was up on stage in the background, yellow lights bathed the stage, the drum kit was smaller, the stage itself was bare, and Bruce sported his leather jacket. Three songs from the second album back-to-back — I thought, “Okay, this is probably the vibe they’re going for on this tour. And I like it. Is nice. I can imagine this photo circulating all over the world right now, leaving Maiden and metal fans everywhere in awe. Probably wishing they were here. And I’m here, so LET’S DO THIS!”
But then things got a bit topsy-turvy for me. As Eddie was about to make his entrance, the back screen started showing something that looked like a snuff film: Eddie roaming the streets in some dark, unsettling scenes. It was just too much happening in too short a time.
Bruce gave a short speech over-hyping the show and introduced Simon, who got a huge applause (Bruce mentioned Simon several times that night). Then came “Phantom of the Opera,” with the screen shifting to a still image of a staircase and drapes. It seemed like things were back on track. But even then, something was missing.
I’ve seen “Phantom of the Opera” performed several times — back in ’05 when it was the centerpiece of the setlist, in ’09 as a filler, and in ’13 with pyro effects (the best version, in my opinion). Each one felt more powerful than this rendition. Also, I think Bruce could be seen during instrumental part of this song, but he definitely wasn't heard.
Then came “The Number of the Beast,” and the screen showed scenes from the original music video with clips from old horror movies. This is one of those moments where my opinion hasn’t changed since that first reaction - what a pile of dog shit! I can’t tell if they were trying to be retro, or doing a throwback to the video, or if it was supposed to tie in with the earlier songs, but honestly, it felt lazy, uninspired, and just a low point for “The Screen.”
Now, compare that to the song that followed — “The Clairvoyant.” The contrast was obvious. The visuals for “The Number of the Beast” didn’t support the song or build anticipation; they didn’t deepen the experience at all. „The Screen“ was just… there.
Anyway, after the lights dimmed again and I heard a wolf howl, I was ecstatic: “Powerslave!” But once again, something was missing. This time, it was audience participation. To be fair, we were a bit further back, and I had a pretty negative opinion of the Hungarian crowd since I saw Bruce there last spring. But still, it caught me by surprise.
Later, I found out this was just how Hungarians are at concerts: more reserved, less rowdy. Except, of course, for this drunk Croat who ended up right next to me. I didn’t mind his guitar playing, jumping, and headbanging, but the full pint of beer that got spilled right into my sneaker at the start was a bit much. Plus, there were a couple of moments when I honestly thought he might throw up.
Then came “Two Minutes to Midnight,” and I realized the whole vibe was completely different from what I’d felt on the opening night of the Future Past tour. Back then, it was like, “This is MY band!” - personal, electric, intimate. This time, it felt more like, “This is an Iron Maiden show!” - grand, polished, a bit distant. Something they’d promised, more or less (but I’ll come back to that later).
Still, I was pretty sure I’d snap back into the “This is MY band!” mindset soon enough, especially once Bruce started talking about bird shitting...
“Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is one of my all-time favorite Maiden songs, and maybe even my favorite song overall. I loved it in ’08 and ’09, and in some way, I enjoyed it that first night too. But it just wasn’t the same. The screen was a bit distracting, and I found myself watching the story more than the band. True, it’s a storytelling song, and most of the images were fitting, but the key moment (the payoff with “Then down in falls comes the raaaaaaain!!!”). It was enjoyable, but it didn’t blow my mind like before.
After “Run to the Hills,” I realized the setlist felt both predictable and completely random at the same time. Short single followed by a long fan favorite. Or so it seemed at the time. Then “Seventh Son” came, which was a curveball (it looked like that guy who heard from another guy who told a guy who was outside the venue in Split was right after all).
When Pooper started, it was more like, “What next?” It was “Hallowed Be Thy Name” (I’d been expecting “Fear of the Dark.”) And then came Bruce’s solo show. The animation fooled me for a second, but then Bruce went way over the top with it, literally and figuratively, and that’s when I started despising “The Screen” the most (especially since it muffled the famous “Scream for me!”)
Of course, there was Iron Maiden, the big inflatable Eddie… and then - no, wait! Ah, shit. Not gonna lie, I felt cheated at that moment. Especially since I’d been a bit naughty and tried to record that part of the show for my kids. I haven’t shown them the footage to this day, it just felt anti-climactic.
Maiden really spoiled us on the last tour, and I was hoping for another curveball during the encore. I expected “Fear of the Dark” to show up since it wasn’t in the main set, maybe “Running Free” as a closer (though I really, really don’t like that song as a closer), or something from No Prayer for the Dying. (Since that first night, I haven’t been able to spot that line “From Iron Maiden to Fear of the Dark” under the tour logo. Did they remove it, or am I imagining things?)
I like “Aces High.” It’s an energetic Maiden staple. I don’t mind the tempo or Bruce missing a few notes. But out of the twelve Maiden tours I’ve seen, I’ve seen “Aces High” half the time. Sometimes as a concert opener, sometimes as an encore opener, sometimes as a closer. But it’s never hit me like it did in ’08. It’s not a bad song, and the performance wasn’t bad either, but I just can’t get excited about it like I used to.
Compare it to the song that came after, “Fear of the Dark”, and it’s clear why. Everybody went wild for “Fear of the Dark,” but you can’t say that about “Aces High.”
And then there was that little fan club trolling moment: “Can you guess what it is?” Nobody would mind “Wasted Years” as a closer if they hadn’t teased it like that, since that means any song could be the closer. And “fill your boots?” Why? Next time, just end the announcement with “…and at the end of the show you can take your mobile phones, take photos, and print them on parchment” and start a world war.
All in all, it was a good show. I was glad I went, although I knew deep down I hadn’t really let myself “go” at this gig. Maybe it was because I knew I was seeing them again the next night, or because I had to plan for a trek after these two gigs, or maybe I was just too pedantic, trying to catch everything that was happening. I don’t know. What I do know is that by the end of the gig, a thought crossed my mind: “I wish I had seen the Future Past Tour twice instead of this one.” It felt a bit ungrateful at the moment, but luckily, that feeling changed later.
Unsurprisingly, reactions to the gig split between “best gig ever” and “I’m selling my tickets.” For the first group, I was glad; for the second, I felt sad. I’d really like to understand the mindset of someone who would sell a ticket to a gig like this and what made them buy it in the first place.
For the second day, I skipped sightseeing again, did some shopping for my trek, and took a short nap. Since the Hungarian crowd was calmer and the audience was not like it used to be in the first rows 15 or 20 years ago, I decided to try my luck up front. I arrived at the front of the venue around 5 PM and grabbed my fan card (still don’t get the point of these, but now I have two codes for 15% off at the official Iron Maiden webstore - if anyone wants them, PM me).
They let us in around 6 PM. We were escorted by a wall of security with a tape, making sudden stops every once in a while. The guy who won “First to the Barrier” the day before said a stampede happened when the general audience came in, and they almost crushed his ribs. So much for “tame” Hungarians.
Anyway, by 6-something PM, I was maybe two or three meters from the barrier. I chatted with a cool young guy from Sweden, saw some familiar faces in the front row, and noticed details on the stage. I brought my earplugs this time (forgot them the day before) and bobbed my head to Halestorm.
The moment “Doctor, Doctor” hit, pushing and shoving started (but nothing extreme). Singing, shouting, clapping. I have to admit, I missed the front rows at Maiden gigs. It was a completely different experience right from the start.
This time, the intro didn’t seem long but immersive, and I managed to catch all the details even without trying. First Iron Maiden Eddie mask, (the one with smoke coming from the mouth) all the places Eddie hid and disappeared, the black cat from LAD, etc. Up front, it really felt like you were going through the streets of East London, and when the shot went over the wall, it gave me vertigo (or maybe I’m just getting older, who knows). Anyway, the screen at that point seemed less like a giant TV and more like a 3D ride.
It all didn’t matter as soon as Simon did the drum roll (which sounded more deliberate and less like a mistake, I noticed it again on the third gig. He does three bars of high-speed snare rolls, then the fourth bar has just a single snare hit. Probably to count in the pyro or cue the rest of the band. I don’t know why he does it like that, but I do feel it’s deliberate, not a mistake.) Then Maiden hit the stage.
Bruce putting the microphone above you, Steve machine-gunning you, Janick flailing his guitar, Adrian and Dave exchanging solos in the spotlights - it just felt different, rawer, better. I didn’t mind the screen as much (except that crap during The Number of the Beast). Actually, I enjoyed it more this time because I could also see the screens on the stage, which gave a completely different feel: red brick walls during the opening songs, tomb walls during Powerslave, barracks during The Trooper, the deck of a sailing ship during Rime.
Also, the energy was better up front. Not everyone was doing everything all the time, but it kept the vibe going throughout the gig. There were at least six or seven mosh pits behind me during the concert, which surprised me. That energy had been missing at Maiden gigs for a while now because I was either way back or blocked by a sea of phones.
Speaking of which...
I think I took two or three photos during the first night and tried to capture big Eddie on video. That’s it. The second night, there were a couple of opportunities where I pulled my phone out, snapped six or seven photos in seconds, and then put it away (if they end up blurry, I can always blame the phone instead of my age) A lot of people around me did the same, with occasional videos during someone’s guitar solo. I didn’t mind any of that, and I don’t think anyone minded me taking a few pics either.
But what people did mind - and I think this was who Rod was addressing - were the old-school metalheads who were either addicted to their phones or completely untrained with them. I found it funny that it was mostly older people holding their phones in the air. Younger content creators were named before the tour, yet I didn’t see many of them posting videos online. Except for the Brazilians, those guys are all over the place.
Meanwhile, this one guy up front, wearing an official FC shirt, took every damn opportunity to snap pictures. I’m not shitting, during Powerslave alone, he probably took 60 or 70 shots. The worst part? He kept holding his phone in the air, scrolling through photos to see which ones turned out good. Like Bruce is going to run behind the flames again just so he can get the shot a second time.
Anyway, he got warned a couple of times by people around me, and it wasn’t until some metal “Hogar” (a guy taller than 2.20 meters) pretended he’d grab the phone and toss it into the crowd that the guy finally put it down and moved away. But then he did it again, a song or two later, around different crowd of people. The moral? Everyone’s fine if there’s some balance.
I don’t think guilt-tripping is the way, especially coming from the bands or management. But if they keep repeating it, surely people will listen. From my experience, there were way fewer phones in the air during these three gigs. Sure, someone recorded a whole song from the pit, someone grabbed a close-up of Adrian soloing, but there wasn’t that non-stop automatic recording frenzy that floods the arena with videos that probably never get watched (let alone uploaded)
Back to the gig. Powerslave hit different thanks to those flames, Rime felt more epic with the fireworks overhead, I “wooo-ed” on 7th Son, jumped around for Fear of the Dark, and screamed louder when Bruce asked. Bruce was more in control the second night, both in how he engaged the crowd and handled the stage. (Except for the opening: poor guy came out during Ides of March, realized he was way too early, and ran backstage. #SpinalTap)
Adrian is… hard to describe. He always seemed a bit stiff on stage, even when you could tell he was enjoying himself, but now he was loose. Completely. Making faces all the time, moving towards the audience, and making some bold guitar choices.
Dave hasn’t aged, and in the last two tours, I haven’t noticed much difference from the 2008/2009 tours. Yes, he holds a note during TNOTB solo, but it seemed like he added a couple of licks into each solo, same as Adrian. Janick was harder to read since he was on the other side of the stage.
But to me, Steve and Bruce are the driving force behind Maiden’s live shows, and they deserve every praise, accolade, and positive comment coming their way. There might have been a couple of hiccups, but two guys in their mid-60s pulling off shows like this two nights in a row? Outstanding.
Steve is Steve. He never gives less than 100%, and this tour is no different. Bruce, on the other hand, had his ups and downs, but from what I saw, he didn’t take the preparations lightly. A couple of vocal melodies were changed (like at the end of The Clairvoyant), and it was a positive shift to see him opting for a reachable-but-solid approach instead of trying for those extreme highs.
There were some changes in the production, too. On the first night, at the end of 2 Minutes to Midnight, you could see the explosion growing bigger in the background, flags waving faster, and a detonation wave that came onto the stage to set off the pyro. None of that happened on the second night (or any of the following shows I saw). Also, during the title song, lightning would flicker around the Maiden logo and occasionally strike the stage, triggering pyro. Again, I think that was only on the opening night.
Maybe not the best way to end my review of the second night, but as the title song finished, I was thinking about leaving. I had a big trek the next day and wanted to avoid the crowd crush and keep my legs fresh. Luckily, I stayed and Aces High kicked my ass (not like in ‘08, but good nonetheless). Although I noticed during the second chorus Bruce had to catch his breath and rely on the audience. Jump for picks and headbands, catch none, take a selfie, and go home. And always look on the bright side of life.
The next two days I spent mostly on my feet, but I’ll save that story for another thread. I actually arrived in Bratislava a day earlier, caught a bit of the city (as much as my legs would allow). Same with the morning after, June 1st, Sunday: a bit of sightseeing, some lunch, and then off to the venue.
I’ve got to admit, I was on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster before the gig. For personal reasons, I felt like maybe it was a mistake coming to a third show - it felt like too much, maybe unnecessary. That feeling only got stronger when I saw my seat. I’ve always bought GA tickets for Maiden, never seating, and this was my first time with a seat ticket. I bought it just two days before the show and thought I got great seats, at least according to the seating plan. But when I saw where I actually was, I was like, “Is this it? Is this how seating tickets usually go?”
So, I decided to flip my mood and change my mindset. I headed out of the venue. After all, with a seating ticket, my seat would be waiting for me, right? So that was a start. Four euros for a beer? Okay, I’ll have one… two… three. Keg broken? Fine, I’ll wait. (Poor guy opened three kegs, but all that came out was foam. Every few seconds he’d look up and see a huge line of people waiting for beer.)
I got back to my seat about 10 minutes before Maiden started and there was a huge group of people plus security around my seat. Well, let’s see what’s going on.
Turns out the group was local (or at least from Slovakia) and they were complaining about their tickets. From their position (a bit farther from mine but closer to the stage) they couldn’t see most of the stage from the risers. Their seats were somewhere between the first and sixth/seventh row. That wouldn’t be a problem if the ticket agency hadn’t drawn those seats on the plan like they were much further back, where you could see the whole stage. Usually, if seats like these are for sale, the agency lowers the price and puts a tag like “limited visibility” or something similar - which wasn’t the case here.
Anyway, even a couple of people from Maiden management showed up, along with venue staff. They did a sort of ring-around-the-rosie walk around the seats, checking the venue map, shrugging their shoulders a dozen times. The conclusion they reached (or at least what I gathered) was basically: “These are the seats. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
What was even worse, farther up in the stalls, there were seats that were actually behind the screens! (I’m talking about those two side screens by the stage.) So there were people who could see the stage from the side, but couldn’t see anything from the screens or probably the main screen in the middle of the stage. And Bruce himself noticed this.
During his speech, he accidentally spotted those people way up in the stalls and addressed it. His usual “How’s the back doing? Right side? Left side?” bit, and then he saw a couple of people waving up there. He looked shocked, laughed out loud, and then gave a little speech. In short: he said he was glad those fans were there, but it was messed up that they’d been sold seats like that, and they deserved to be up front with everyone else. He joked about it a bit, blamed Rod (“our manager”), and once again said how unfair the whole situation was.
I love Bruce, always have. I know he gets a lot of flack, especially on this board, for some of his sayings and decisions, some of which are definitely warranted. But he often calls out shitty things that a lot of people just turn a blind eye to, and he speaks about them publicly. Maybe it’s not a huge deal: he’s there just for two hours to do his job, and there are a million little details outside his control. Still, he chose to point it out and say it loud. That’s one of the reasons I’m such a fanboy.
Back to the start of the gig: the venue was actually pretty small (a hockey arena with a capacity of 10,000) and I realized I’d see most of the show once the drapes came down. As soon as “Doctor, Doctor” started, I realized how good my seats actually were. In terms of aerial distance, I was about 5–6 meters from the left railing. I was way farther back on the first night and saw a lot less.
Also, the excitement was still there, even though my legs and knees were shot and I could barely walk. Honestly, I even enjoyed sitting during the first few songs. (I did stand up a couple of times during the gig: if Bruce comes close and yells at you, you stand and yell back. And if Janick comes over and mocks you for sitting, you stand up and politely remind him he’s only become cocky because he’s no longer the band member with the fewest Maiden gigs under his belt.)
I’ve seen some talk about whether they use backing tracks or not. I’m not too familiar with all the technical ways they could do it, but I’m pretty sure they’re not “limited” to it. There was more than one screw-up at all three gigs I attended. Bruce came in early a couple of times, and each time it was when he was on the riser above the drums (I think he had the same problem during the LOTB tour). On one occasion, during that tricky part after the ropes squeaking in “Rime,” the whole song almost fell apart. Janick actually went over to Dave to catch his rhythm, and Adrian stopped playing and waited for a sign from Simon to come back. I don’t know how tracks work exactly, but if you could break down those parts that went wrong, I doubt you could just throw in a click track to keep it all perfectly aligned.
Anyway, being that close to the stage but completely free from any crowd pressure or shoving, it was the first time I could really “soak in” the whole concert. I could focus on whatever I wanted and see the entire Maiden show and all the machinery around it for the first time. (it’s pretty busy on the sides of the stage and behind the risers, I had no idea).
And most importantly, I could actually feel the songs as they happened. I didn’t wonder what song was coming next, or worry about getting pushed or shoved, nothing blocked my view, and I didn’t have to fixate on the screen backdrop (the seats turned out great because I could see the band clearly and didn’t really need the screen since I was off to the side). As the concert went on, that feeling only got better.
What started off feeling like a gig that probably shouldn’t have happened ended up being one of my top three Maiden shows. (Not many things can compete with seeing them for the first time or sharing the stage with them during “Heaven Can Wait.”) I genuinely enjoyed Maiden gig in a way I never had before, and I’m seriously considering going for seats next time.
I’m not going to break down every song, but I will say this: I experienced some of them like it was the first time in 20 years. I fell in love with a few all over again. I remembered just how much I enjoyed certain moments. And honestly, that’s what it’s all about - the songs.
I get it, everyone has their own reasons for buying a ticket. And yeah, some people might feel like selling theirs after reading reviews or watching clips. But maybe, it’s worth remembering what made you fall in love with the band in the first place. Was it the stage drapes? Nicko’s snare roll? The placement of “Aces High” in the setlist? Maybe it’s a mix of all that, but for me, it’s always been the songs. And this tour had a really strong selection.
Bruce promised a “setlist for the ages,” and he delivered. (Remember when people used to dream about an all-epic setlist? This one gets pretty damn close.) The last tour had a third of the set from the new album, and a third from the “neglected” golden-era albums. Even with that deep-cut-heavy approach last time—and with this tour being branded a greatest-hits run - they still pulled out a song I hadn’t heard live before (Killers). And I’ve seen every tour since 2005.
Having seen the Early Days tour in 2005, Somewhere Back in Time in 2008/09, and Maiden England in 2013 - Run for Your Lives felt like a fusion of all three, rather than a straight showcase of the first nine albums like I initially thought it would be. I rank No Prayer for the Dying at the bottom of my list, yet I still would’ve loved to hear at least one song from it. And yeah, some of the “staples” I’ve heard a dozen times, but it was still a joy to hear them again.
This show is different. But different doesn’t mean bad. The screen does steal focus sometimes, but at least Bruce is performing in front of it, instead of vanishing backstage to come back decked out with flamethrowers, crosses, or whatever else. It’s still a performance, just... "evolved".
They don’t sound like it’s 2005, 2008, or 2013 - and that’s okay. It’s 2025. They sound like where they are now. And guess what? I’m not the same person either. I sat through an entire Maiden gig and I fucking enjoyed it. That’s something I never thought would happen back when I was losing my mind in the pit 20 years ago.
So, I’ll end this short novel with a simple thought: Go see this tour.
If you haven’t bought a ticket - try and get one.
If you already have one - don’t sell it.
In the distant future, chances are you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
Especially when “the thing” is seeing your favorite band one more time.
P.S. I was thinking of adding photos here, but writing this already took way too much time - so I’ll just post my Instagram story instead.
