I'm sticking to songs/tours that I've actually seen live in person, since I feel I can't fully judge otherwise.
Negative:
Afraid To Shoot Strangers - Maiden England Tour 2012-13. Totally out of context with the rest of the set and a pretty average/unremarkable tune... although it's one I never thought I'd get to see live. Would be a "neutral" due to its rarity if it hadn't replaced Infinite Dreams
Aces High - Maiden England Tour 2012-14. Maiden England was already dangerously close to just being "Somewhere Back In Time... Again", and this song put it over the edge. Aside from being totally out of place in the theme, it was at an odd spot late in the set and Bruce's performance suffered as a result.
Fear of the Dark - SBIT 2008-09. After sticking to their guns on the Early Days tour and not stepping outside the intended "era", it was incredibly disappointing to see this song sneak into the SBIT setlist.
Wrathchild - TBOS 2017. YAAAWWWWWN - I get that HBTN had to be dropped last-minute due to the lawsuit and they needed to replace it with something, but this song was totally out of place in the theme and flow of the setlist.
Positive:
Powerslave - TBOS Tour, 2016-17. Though not an obvious choice,
totally fits the theme of the tour and was a complete surprise. Hearing the heartbeat/demonic laugh intro tape at the opening gig in Florida was one of the most spine-tingling Maiden moments I've ever had.
Wasted Years - TBOS Tour, 2016-17. Again, like Powerslave, not an obvious choice for the tour (especially as the encore closer), but totally fit! A great celebration of Bruce being back to good health and a reminder that one's time on earth is precious and shouldn't be taken for granted. Brought a tear to me eye, if I'm honest!
Tears of a Clown - TBOS Tour, 2016. After Steve's interview in the FC mag prior to the tour, it sounded like he wasn't too keen on Nicko's suggestion of doing this song live. But just like a lot of other setlist choices on this tour, it wasn't expected but made it in anyways. A really heartfelt tune with a unique feel that I though went down really well within the flow of the set.
Moonchild - SBIT Tour, 2008. I mean, holy shit... who in 2008 thought we'd
ever hear this one again?! Plus, doing the intro acoustically was just great fun.
Phantom of the Opera - Maiden England 2012-14. Ok, so just like ATSS, it didn't fit the theme of the show at all, but this is a total bucket list song for me! This was the first Maiden song ever played with a band when I was a young'un, and never thought I'd get to see it live. They could include this on every tour 'til the end of their career and I'd never get tired of it!
Every Reunion-Era Song in the 2010 Setlist. I am a
huge reunion-era fan, especially AMOLAD and BNW, so this whole set was a massive positive surprise for me. Sadly, by the time I saw them BTATS and Paschendale had been dropped, which was a major bummer, but the fact that they dedicated almost a whole set to nothing but modern material and then toured the
USA with it was an amazingly ballsy move. Plus, the Wicker Man/Ghost of the Navigator opening made me feel like I was at Rock In Rio, which happens to also be my favorite live album of all time.