A Real Live Tour (1993)
Following the end of the Fear Of the Dark tour, Maiden took a short break. The idea was to take a few months off for Steve Harris to put together A Real Live One, and the band would go back out on the road for what was effectively a second leg of the tour. However, the tour was given added significance when, during the break, Bruce Dickinson announced he would be leaving the band at the end of the tour. What was originally going to be a sort of victory lap for another successful tour became a farewell tour for Bruce. It was to be a very brief run taking place exclusively in Europe for a period of just over 2 months. It also included a handful of UK dates, although it was still a far cry from the usual UK itinerary.
Being an extension of the Fear Of the Dark tour, the stage production was pretty much the same as before. The setlist was similar but with some added “classics” from the band’s early albums. Songs that hadn’t been performed since 1983 or earlier, such as Prowler and Remember Tomorrow were back in the setlist. Other songs which had been in and out of the set over the past few years, such as Where Eagles Dare and Wasted Years, were also included. If the 1992 tour wasn’t a “greatest hits” 1993 certainly was.
Over the years, Maiden have earned a reputation as a band with virtually no publicized drama or infighting. A Real Live Tour was the closest they ever got to that point. While the band remained professionals on stage, Steve and Nicko in particular were very candid about Bruce’s decision to leave. Steve felt that Bruce was no longer putting effort into his performances unless he knew they would be recorded for TV or radio. Nicko made similar comments in addition to voicing a feeling of betrayal. On the other hand, Bruce repeatedly claimed that he was having a blast on stage and that there was no friction between the band. There are a lot of bootlegs from this tour so luckily the fans can be the judge here.
Unfortunately, a full show from A Real Live tour has not been released by the band. Raising Hell technically counts, but it is more of a one-off than a part of a tour. Some recordings from the tour appear on A Real Dead One, so the band definitely at least has audio in the archives. There is a TV broadcast from Milan on this tour, but it’s not a full performance. Still worth watching to see how this tour compared to the previous visually.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKxsLkMgdNIA Real Dead One (1993)
The sequel to A Real Live One, A Real Dead One was supposed to be released shortly after but was delayed until the end of the tour. This turned out to be a positive as Steve was able to add the rarities played on the 1993 tour. The result is a mixture of songs from both A Real Live Tour and Fear Of the Dark tour.
Where A Real Live One focused exclusively on the post-Live After Death era, A Real Dead One focuses on songs from before Live After Death. While only four of the twelve songs didn’t appear on the classic live album, A Real Dead One doesn’t feel like a retread of Live After Death. It was recorded 8 years later with a different lineup and, as a result, the songs have a different feel. It also continues the raw sound of A Real Live One with the songs being recorded at different venues.
The tracklist is especially interesting because, being a compilation, it once again does not have the typical flow of a Maiden concert. Number Of the Beast had never been a concert opener, and the typical encore tracks Sanctuary and Running Free are in the middle of the album. Like A Real Live One, unless you’re reading the back of the CD case, it’s an unpredictable selection of songs.
A single was released for A Real Dead One, Hallowed Be Thy Name. It was to be the last single released with Bruce in the band and, appropriately, features Bruce being murdered by Eddie on the cover. You might remember Paul Di’Anno meeting a similar fate in an alternate artwork for Maiden Japan years earlier. The b-sides to the single are outtakes from the tour that didn’t make it on A Real Dead One: Wasted Years and Wrathchild. Wasted Years is of particular interest because it’s a signature Adrian Smith song being performed without Adrian in the band, and of course Janick takes the solo.
Raising Hell (Recorded 1993, released 1994)
Raising Hell is probably the strangest thing Maiden has ever done in their career. It was recorded on a soundstage in the UK’s Pinewood Studios for a pay-per-view TV event (remember those?). The performance itself actually took place a couple months after the last show on the A Real Live One tour, so the band were already searching for a new singer and Bruce was working on his solo album. While Raising Hell is seen as Bruce’s final farewell, it’s almost like a mini-reunion before they went their separate ways.
If a pay-per-view Maiden event recorded in a TV studio wasn’t unusual enough, the gig was topped off with a collaboration with British magician Simon Drake. Drake performs magic tricks in between and even during the band’s performance. There are props, special effects, and overall it’s the most theatric Iron Maiden concert.
The setlist is mostly based on A Real Live Tour but with some tweaks. The concert was edited to change some of the songs around, so it’s a different experience than listening to a bootleg from the tour. Unfortunately, most of the rarities from the tour weren’t included in this video, with the exception of Transylvania. I’m not sure if Remember Tomorrow, Prowler, or Where Eagles Dare were actually performed, but they aren’t on the video. The best way to describe it is a shuffled version of the Fear Of the Dark setlist with some minor additions.
The performance itself has received mixed reviews with fans and is generally not regarded as one of their best moments. Tensions within the band were at a high, especially since Bruce was beginning to take shots at Maiden in interviews. Steve has recalled being furious at Bruce during the concert and it’s obvious that they are avoiding each other in the video. Bruce also seems bored and is clearly done with Maiden. Most fans agree that the magic portions are a distraction at best and cheesy at worst.
A VHS of the performance was released in 1994, probably to fill the gap of what would be one of Maiden’s quietest years. A DVD was released later on and can be found pretty cheap. It’s worth watching for the historic significance and for the novelty, but is probably the worst live video the band has released.
Bruce’s Departure & Closing Thoughts On the 1990-1993 Lineup
It’s hard to say what the catalyst was for Bruce leaving Maiden. He’s never really given a straight answer and there are multiple possibilities. The most likely explanation is that he continued to discover other interests outside of Maiden and eventually realized he was being held back. In the time since Seventh Son, Bruce wrote two books, released a solo album, and received his pilot’s license. Like Adrian a few years earlier, it was better for everyone involved for Bruce to leave if he wasn’t 100% into it.
Despite the negativity mentioned earlier, Bruce’s departure is widely considered one of the amicable splits in Rock history. There was very little drama within the band during the breakup and Bruce remained on their label and management during his solo career. Steve and Nicko were clearly unhappy with Bruce’s performances toward the end, but for the most part everybody acted like adults. The dynamic was mostly the same through the 90s, with the two camps occasionally taking small jabs at each other, but they were also often complementary and never resorted to pettines. This is at least partially the reason why they were able to reunite not long after.
Coincidentally, around the same time Bruce decided to quit Maiden, Martin Birch announced that he would be retiring after 10 years of working almost exclusively with Maiden. Birch had actually wanted to retire earlier but was so satisfied with the Maiden partnership that he hung on for a few more years. Steve Harris was becoming more involved in the production process, so Birch felt comfortable leaving it in his hands. As a result, A Real Live/Dead One and Live At Donington were both entirely produced by Steve. With Bruce and Martin Birch out of the picture, Maiden were truly heading into uncharted waters.
Maiden took 1994 off to search for Bruce’s replacement, making it the second year with no live performances or studio releases. Steve used the vacancy as an opportunity to take Maiden in a different direction. He was adamant that the new vocalist would be an unknown British vocalist and not a Bruce Dickinson clone. Blaze Bayley was actually Steve’s first choice. Blaze and Maiden knew each other from the No Prayer On the Road Tour where Wolfsbane opened for Maiden. Blaze was reluctant at first, so the band went through audition tapes to no avail. Eventually they were able to convince Blaze to audition and he was accepted into the band. It wouldn’t be until late 1995 when audiences had their first chance to hear the new band, as Maiden decided to take their time with the next album. It was, after all, one of the most critical moments of their career. Many were questioning their ability to survive the 90s so it was important for the next album to be a strong artistic statement.
We’ll talk about The X Factor next Friday, but stay tuned for a quick write up on Balls To Picasso a few days before.