Unplayed live songs and the future of Maiden: what's next?

Mosh

Mosh

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So now that Iron Maiden has broken the "no previously unplayed live songs" rule, one that I would argue was never a hard rule to begin with, it has me thinking about whether we will see more previously unplayed songs or if this is a one-off. The Occam's razor answer is that this is a one off and no other song has the mythology of Alexander the Great, so there's not an obvious next song, but that's the boring answer as well. I've also noticed that a few rock bands that are older than Maiden have entered a stage of their careers of having more fan service-y setlists and bringing out never-before played live songs that previously were unimaginable (Judas Priest, Kiss, Yes, and Rush are the main ones that come to mind). Maybe Maiden has entered that stage in their career and we will be seeing more of these setlists. Of course the Maiden guys are getting up there as well and there probably aren't a lot of tours left, but there's still time for a couple of surprises (for all we know Maiden could go on for another decade too, who knows).

So here is my question:

Under what circumstances would Maiden bring out another unplayed song? Try to be as realistic as possible. We all know @Diesel 11 wants to hear The Apparition live, but what are some actual realistic choices and tour themes that could accompany them?

For me, I think Maiden is about due to play an album in its entirety. Most of the 80s albums only have one or two unplayed tracks, so it wouldn't be a tall order. To me the obvious candidates are Number of the Beast and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Seventh Son because they seem to like playing it a lot and only two never played songs which don't seem to present logistical challenges for playing live, including one that Steve has expressed interest in doing. Number obviously makes sense as one of the band's most famous albums, and one in which most of the songs are in frequent rotation. 6 of the 8 songs have been played during the reunion era. Gangland and Invaders would be pretty vocally acrobatic, but Bruce could rework the parts to not include the screams and upper-range stuff. Additionally, with the new NOTB reissue replacing Gangland with Total Eclipse, they could play that version of the album and skip Gangland altogether. Then it's only one unplayed song to check out.
 
I guess the best way to tell is to check to see if there's something they've never played that one band member has been particularly firm about wanting to play, especially from before the end of the first Bruce era. Interviews from that time suggested a level of heat between Steve on one side, and H/Bruce on the other. Most famously around Flight of Icarus and the speed it was played - and sped up a hint on LOTB, it rocked. Bringing back a few classics really seems more likely to me.

Maiden has done a limited NOTB tour retrospective, and a far more intense SSOASS retrospective. Early Days served as one for Killers and IM, and I can't see them interested in doing one for anything in the 90s.

Which, to me, leaves only one real option: a Brave New World tour. They've played most of the songs from that live already, and it would be an excellent way to re-live the rejuvenation of the band, the restoration of the epic lineup, the top live album. Maiden was as-on top of the world by the end of the Brave New World Tour as they had been in 1985, so I think it's a logical bit.
 
The next tour will probably be a new album tour, so I wouldn’t hold my breath for more than one rarity there. The tour after that one is an interesting thought, because they’ve already done the discography walk with Legacy, they’ve done highlight tours for TNOTB, SIT, and SSOASS, they did a sort-of World Slavery retread with Somewhere Back In Time, and then you have the Early Years and the reunion discography walk on Final Frontier. So it’s really just the 90s and unplayed rarities left for obvious themes.

The 90s albums aren’t generally popular, although FOTD got a fair amount of attention in its day. And I really can’t see them doing a 90s-themed tour, or a pure rarities tour. But given the timeframe, maybe a 45th anniversary Piece Of Mind tour with some rarities with 90s focus to pad it out…?

Where Eagles Dare
Revelations
Flight Of Icarus
Die With Your Boots On
The Trooper
Still Life
Quest For Fire*
Sun And Steel*
To Tame A Land
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Judas Be My Guide*
Fates Warning*
Run Silent Run Deep*
Only The Good Die Young*
———
Prodigal Son**
Flash Of The Blade*
Fear Of The Dark

*Never played live
**Maybe played once live a very, very long time ago

(OK, “Prodigal Son” is wishful thinking, but still…)
 
LooseCannon said:
I guess the best way to tell is to check to see if there's something they've never played that one band member has been particularly firm about wanting to play, especially from before the end of the first Bruce era. Interviews from that time suggested a level of heat between Steve on one side, and H/Bruce on the other. Most famously around Flight of Icarus and the speed it was played - and sped up a hint on LOTB, it rocked. Bringing back a few classics really seems more likely to me.

Maiden has done a limited NOTB tour retrospective, and a far more intense SSOASS retrospective. Early Days served as one for Killers and IM, and I can't see them interested in doing one for anything in the 90s.

Which, to me, leaves only one real option: a Brave New World tour. They've played most of the songs from that live already, and it would be an excellent way to re-live the rejuvenation of the band, the restoration of the epic lineup, the top live album. Maiden was as-on top of the world by the end of the Brave New World Tour as they had been in 1985, so I think it's a logical bit.
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Now this, I'm here for.

Brave New World is pretty front-loaded in terms of the more popular, well-known material, though. It could be cool if they pulled a Metallica and played it in reverse order, saving the most well known chunk for the end. Kick off with 2 classics, play BNW in reverse order, Iron Maiden, encore 2 more classics and you've got a killer show.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
Now this, I'm here for.

Brave New World is pretty front-loaded in terms of the more popular, well-known material, though. It could be cool if they pulled a Metallica and played it in reverse order, saving the most well known chunk for the end. Kick off with 2 classics, play BNW in reverse order, Iron Maiden, encore 2 more classics and you've got a killer show.
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Yea, that’s kind of the tricky thing with BNW. Once you get past Blood Brothers you’ve got about 40 minutes of material that nobody is going to recognize, might as well play other reunion era songs at that point (which is what 2010 was). Reversing it could work or just shuffling it throughout the setlist, but I have a hard time imagining them being able to market a full on BNW show despite how cool it would be.

Edit: I remember pretty clearly in 2010 when they opened with the first two tracks from BNW. By the time Ghost of the Navigator ended, that audience was pretty much done. Wrathchild was there to offset that energy drop.
 
Maiden could do the gimmicky classic album tour thing that a lot of older bands do, where they play old albums in their entirety. That and playing with an orchestra are good gimmicks for the old bands.

So that way you’d get some unplayed songs.
 
I think Alexander is more of a one-off, but who knows, everything is possible. Songs like Only The Good Die Young, Deja-Vu, Judas Be My Guide are not that difficult and are popular enough. No song is as beloved as Alexander though. Empire?

Since I can't see them doing a 90's based tour, I think the options after the current tour are:

1) another Hits tour - after the current bold setlist they will probably play the usual classics, it doesn't make much sense at this stage in their career.
2) new album tour - this would be the best case scenario.
3) a proper celebration of the Reunion era - it's possbile, I gues. They can choose the less difficult songs from all albums and bring back some deep cuts.
4) a tour with only rarely played songs live - this would be the ultimate tour they have left to do. They can debut some songs too (if they want) and play more of the 90's material. I'm thinking of songs like: Killers, Prodigal Son (they rehearsed it in 2005), Die With Your Boots On, Still Life, To Tame A Land, Rime, Sea Of Madness, Long Distance Runner (not sure), Infinite Dreams, Tailgunner, No Prayer For The Dying, Be Quick Or Be Dead, Wasting Love, Lord Of The Flies, Blood On The World's Hands, Edge Of Darkness, Futureal, Mercenary, Dream Of Mirrors, Fallen Angel, Out Of The Silent Planet, Rainmaker, No More Lies, Brighter Than A Thousand Suns, Benjamin Breeg, Coming Home, Death Or Glory...
 
Jer said:
The next tour will probably be a new album tour, so I wouldn’t hold my breath for more than one rarity there. The tour after that one is an interesting thought, because they’ve already done the discography walk with Legacy, they’ve done highlight tours for TNOTB, SIT, and SSOASS, they did a sort-of World Slavery retread with Somewhere Back In Time, and then you have the Early Years and the reunion discography walk on Final Frontier. So it’s really just the 90s and unplayed rarities left for obvious themes.

The 90s albums aren’t generally popular, although FOTD got a fair amount of attention in its day. And I really can’t see them doing a 90s-themed tour, or a pure rarities tour.
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I agree.
The Red and the Black said:
Maiden could do the gimmicky classic album tour thing that a lot of older bands do, where they play old albums in their entirety. That and playing with an orchestra are good gimmicks for the old bands.

So that way you’d get some unplayed songs.
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Playing with an orchestra? Why not, but I don't see it happening. Old album in its entirety? I think not.
 
Mosh said:
Under what circumstances would Maiden bring out another unplayed song? Try to be as realistic as possible. We all know @Diesel 11 wants to hear The Apparition live, but what are some actual realistic choices and tour themes that could accompany them?
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Pretty much any The X Factor song would fit the current incarnation of the band rather well and 'Arry always liked that album. It's slower, darker, somewhat a blueprint for the reunion albums nad Bruce would be really fine doing Blaze's repertoire nowadays, methinks.
I don't remember off the top of my head what has and hasn't been played live off it, but since they brought back SotC, I could very well imagine for example The Unbeliever being played live one of these days.

Going back to your "whole album" idea - they probably won't do this one, because the Blaze era is still facing some backlash, but then again, it could have the "once more with clarity Bruce" feel, like DT's When Dream and Day Reunite, including a semi-official release, but more of a one-off thing, not a full tour.
 
Look at recent interviews and comments by band members if there are songs they would like to do. Bruce always goes on about Killers (the album) and how much he loves it. Prodigal Son being a favourite. Steve said something about Only the Good Die Young being a song we thinks would work well live or something like that.

But I think Alexander will be the only exception to the rule.
 
You're probably right, and yet... you may say I'm biased, but if only somebody would nudge the band... Judas Be My Guide would absolutely slay live. :innocent:
 
I can't see Maiden doing a tour playing an album in its entirety but I can see them doing a tour similar to this one, mixing a new album with an older one. And in that way the BNW approach could work perfectly for a tour in 2025, for example, its 25th anniversary. 5 or 6 songs from a new album, 5 songs from BNW (Wicker Man, GOTN, BNW, BB, OOTSP/Dream of Mirrors) and maybe one or another rarity like OTGDY mentioned by Steve or Still Life.
 
I think we should be happy what we got this tour and last tour. Fantastic setlist with a lot of rare songs. Ok, last leg of Legacy tour was not so great in term of setlist.

For me the biggest problem were setlist from 2011 to 2017. It was rotation of SBiT tour songs plus songs from new album. During that period they missed out to play some deep cuts and rare songs.

Dream will be tour with only deep cuts, but I dont think that is possible.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
Pretty much any The X Factor song would fit the current incarnation of the band rather well and 'Arry always liked that album. It's slower, darker, somewhat a blueprint for the reunion albums nad Bruce would be really fine doing Blaze's repertoire nowadays, methinks.
I don't remember off the top of my head what has and hasn't been played live off it, but since they brought back SotC, I could very well imagine for example The Unbeliever being played live one of these days.

Going back to your "whole album" idea - they probably won't do this one, because the Blaze era is still facing some backlash, but then again, it could have the "once more with clarity Bruce" feel, like DT's When Dream and Day Reunite, including a semi-official release, but more of a one-off thing, not a full tour.
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This is an interesting idea because if you polled fans on which album they would remake, this would probably be high on the list. The thing with Dream Theater is that a lot of fans were clamoring for a re-recorded version with better production and vocals, so the band delivered on that by just playing the whole album live and recording it. The other issue there is the band seemed to also be unsatisfied with the original WDADU, whereas Steve Harris seems to still be quite proud of the Blaze albums, so I don't see as much of a push to revisit it in that way.

I do agree though that you could put any X Factor (or Virtual XI for that matter) song in the setlist and it would fit well with the current material. Senjutsu as a whole feels like the missing link between X Factor and the reunion era to me.
 
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