IRON MAIDEN - Earls Court 22/12/06

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Well, here we go again – another impossible task. How on earth can I do justice to what happened at Earls Court on that unforgettable night…..The beginning is always a good place to start, so here goes. The security was tighter than a ducks butt in Fort Knox – which I didn’t mind one bit.  I missed Steve’s daughter Lauren’s show due to being caught up in the merchandise stall scrum (great t-shirts by the way). I decided to wander in and check out Trivium – got a good spot next to the mixing desk. Have to say, they surprised me as I wasn’t expecting much…good stage presence, and excellent playing – the vocals  were a bit hard to make out at times – perhaps I am getting old! Could have done without some dumb idiots chucking balloons filled with urine (ugh!) on to the stage! The lead singer slagged them off big time with some suitable threats of violence if they didn’t stop – fair play to him for that! Don’t think he was too bright in encouraging mosh pit to kick off though. Despite that, I may well be checking out their CD when I next go up west-end. On to the Masters:  Some people have been saying that the idea of them playing A Matter Of Life And Death in it’s entirety would be a big mistake. Well, in my opinion this show destroys that argument totally. ALL the tracks are simply amazing live; it would be an impossible choice to choose which to drop. If people want to hear a load of the old stuff, wait until the next Early Days tour…. Maiden have shown a lot of guts to do this and in my view, it pays off big style. And yes, I do believe it was time to give Number Of The Beast a rest…. This show will be remembered for the power failure after The Longest Day….. power cables from the venue to Maiden’s equipment caught fire and melted!!. As Bruce put it; “as you all know, this venue has a no smoking policy, but I have to inform you that some power cables are disobeying that policy................!” Onto the show……at 8:30 PM the lights went up, the crowd went potty ….the usual UFO track  “Doctor Doctor” nicely led into the “Mars – God of War” classical piece….then  Nicko’s  “Aieeee” started proceedings proper - the band ripped into the opening track Different World and didn’t look back……each song had it’s own particular highlight…if I were to list them all here, this review would be 10 pages long (1 page per song!)…. To name a few; the chorus of ‘Colours…., the thunderous Maiden trademark “gallop” in Brighter than A thousand suns, the pounding drums from Nicko and wonderfully angry delivery to The longest day from Bruce. The intro to Benjy Breeg & The Legacy, all of For the Greater Good……..Adrian’s screaming solo in Lord Of Light….Oh, what the hell, EVERY song was a highlight. Hallowed be thy Name worked brilliantly as a show closer, with frenzied guitars driving the crowd nuts. Stunning vocals them the best voice in metal.  Brutal solos, beautiful solo’s, amazing drums and bass playing....I think you know what I am getting at!  The Eddies were brilliant, especially the one who appeared out of the tank during Iron Maiden….one of the best ever appearances in my opinion. The power breakdown could have been disastrous, but Maiden turned it into a triumph, and confirming Bruce's status as the best frontman in metal bar none. First of all they didn’t all just troop off to the changing rooms until power was restored like most other bands would have done, they stayed onstage for the fans. These are the highlights of those 20 minutes or so: Adrian, Bruce, Jan & Steve playing football on stage and booting the ball in the crowd. Bruce trying to talk to us with a (small) megaphone but not reaching many ears past about 10 rows and getting us to sing Christmas songs and Happy Birthday to Dave a day early. Adrian juggling and dropping some oranges he randomly found (please don’t give up you day job ‘H!).Nicko walking around in a dressing gown and being handed a cup of tea! (not the first time I have seen him in his dressing gown – but that is another story!) Not forgetting the usual Mexican wave of course!! It turned out that it was the venue’s fault, so the curfew was forgotten about, so they could still play the full set. Bruce chat: In addition to the stuff during the power cut; a threat to stop the show and walk off if the moshing at the front didn’t stop…..it stopped!  And a 95% certain fact that they will be playing in a muddy field named Donington next summer! Summary: The energy and enthusiasm they showed on stage was amazing, it is hard to believe that they have been in this game for 30 years now! This is a band still 100 points ahead of any other contenders in Metal’s Premier league…STILL showing all the young pretenders how it is done. Set List Different World These Colours Don’t Run Brighter Than A 1000 Suns The Pilgrim The Longest Day ------------------ (power failure) Out Of The Shadows The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg For The Greater Good Of God Lord Of Light The Legacy Fear Of The Dark Iron Maiden ------------------ 2 Minutes to Midnight The Evil That Men Do Hallowed Be Thy Name Prodigal’s Men Of The Match: Bruce & Nicko – can’t split them Prodigal’s Star Rating: 10/10 (what else could it be?!)

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