From: Jose S Ruiz Jr 
Subject: Re: Skunk works - out
Newsgroups: alt.rock-n-roll.metal.ironmaiden
Date: Sat, 9 Mar 1996 17:11:00 -0500
Organization: Columbia University
Path: druuna.tky.hut.fi!nntp.hut.fi!news.csc.fi!news.eunet.fi!EU.net!sun4nl!surfnet.nl!swsbe6.switch.ch!swidir.switch.ch!nntp.coast.net!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!swrinde!newsfeed.internetmci.com!panix!news.columbia.edu!namaste.cc.columbia.edu!jsr27
Lines: 47
Message-ID: 
References: <4hjhla$21c@newstand.syr.edu> 
NNTP-Posting-Host: namaste.cc.columbia.edu
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
X-Sender: jsr27@namaste.cc.columbia.edu
In-Reply-To: 
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Hi,

I just got back from London where I saw Bruce performing at Virgin.  The
new band seems to rejeuvenate him.

Luckily I saw Bruce then, otherwise I wouldn't have recognized him with
his funky short haircut when he passed by my aisle seat on a British Airways
flight back to New York. I was surprised to say the least.  I then watched
him return to his seat in the the cabin ahead -- economy -- which surprised me
more.

So I approached him eventually and asked for his autograph.  He was
remarkably charming and receptive.  We chatted for about 30 minutes.  He
didn't seem insulted when I told him that I had grown up listening to
Maiden.  He was travelling alone, to promote "Skunkworks" in the States.
We talked about the new album (which I have yet to hear) -- he said that
he was very proud of it.  And he especially enjoys his new band, and said
that he was considering dropping the "Bruce Dickinson" solo moniker, and
just calling himself and the band "Skunkworks."

We talked a bit about the sad state of American music television (i.e.
MTV), and the fact that he was going to do an interview with the Spanish
version of MTV rather than the English one.  He also bemoaned his lack of
success when he last toured the States, opening for Jackal.  But he did
add that at least he was able to practise his flying when he took his
band around on a small plane (apparently Bruce is almost qualifed to
become a commercial pilot).

But the best part of the conversation was his recounting his trip to
Bosnia last year, playing for the kids, getting through the U.N.
bureaucracy, and wondering at the horrible "black and white" view of
Bosnia that the media has presented.

He really kept our conversation going and was very personable.  I gave
him my business card and suggested that he call me if he ever got bored
in NYC.  I don't expect him to, but given how nice he was, it wouldn't
surprise me.

So everything I suspected about Bruce Dickinson -- his intelligence, his
depth, his sympathetic character -- was proven correct during our
encounter last Monday.  I will buy "Skunkworks," and treasure his music
and our meeting.  I also won't forget watching a big star like him get
caught in the same awful line that all us non-yanks were stuck in at
Immigration at JFK Airport!

Hanson Hosein
hhosein@nbc.com

    Source: geocities.com/~tkause/ftp-directory-maiden/interviews

               ( geocities.com/~tkause/ftp-directory-maiden)                   ( geocities.com/~tkause)