The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[jjrock88]

Tim, how many times have you seen Maiden?

[TAC]

Are you going to Worcester?

YES!!!

Tim, how many times have you seen Maiden?

15 times at a quick count, and 2 Bruce solo tours.

[Stadler]

That's where I'm leaning as well.   I don't have tickets yet, but there's time.

Only six for me. 

[TAC]

That's where I'm leaning as well.   I don't have tickets yet, but there's time.

Definitely let me know if you do.

That's where I'm leaning as well.   I don't have tickets yet, but there's time.

Only six (six six) for me. 

 

[pg1067]

Nicko will be 72 when they tour here in the fall. I'm honestly not banking on seeing them after this coming tour. I'm hopeful for sure, but I'm going into this one as likely the last time I see them.

The LA show is on a Tuesday, and I'm not doing that.  I MIGHT go to the Vegas show the Saturday before, but that'll be closer to a gametime decision and may depend on the setlist for the Australia shows the month before.

[Mosh]

I think Bruce has said they aren’t changing the setlist from last year.

[pg1067]

Looking at the last show that wasn't that silly festival, it don't impress me much.  The only song that really interests me is Alexander, but...meh.

[TAC]

Looking at the last show that wasn't that silly festival, it don't impress me much.  The only song that really interests me is Alexander, but...meh.

It's a pretty decent setlist. Hell On Earth is a great tune, and I think Alexander will be really cool live.
Also, I'm most looking forward to Caught Somewhere In Time. For some reason, they haven't played it since that album's tour. The three guitars really helps out that opening melodic line, which honestly has never sounded great on all of the old boots.

[wolfking]

It's a pretty decent setlist. Hell On Earth is a great tune, and I think Alexander will be really cool live.
Also, I'm most looking forward to Caught Somewhere In Time. For some reason, they haven't played it since that album's tour. The three guitars really helps out that opening melodic line, which honestly has never sounded great on all of the old boots.

Agree, on the SIT tour from the boots it has always sounded a bit thin.

[Stadler]

Am I the only one that is more jazzed to hear "Hell On Earth" than "Alexander The Great"?   I'm excited that they're flexible, and that they're listening to their fans, but I'm not sure there's ever been that much hype for such a - to me - mediocre song. 

[TAC]

Am I the only one that is more jazzed to hear "Hell On Earth" than "Alexander The Great"?   I'm excited that they're flexible, and that they're listening to their fans, but I'm not sure there's ever been that much hype for such a - to me - mediocre song.

Other than Caught Somewhere In Time, which is one of my favorite Maiden songs, I can't wait to see Hell On Earth.

And I've always been fairly indifferent on the whole AtG thing, but from the looks of the footage, it's working pretty great live.

[cramx3]

Other than Caught Somewhere In Time, which is one of my favorite Maiden songs, I can't wait to see Hell On Earth.

This.  Those are the two songs I want to see the most.  AtG is probably next (or maybe Stranger in a Stange Land) but more so because of the rarity of it and having never seen it. 

[Mosh]

Not sure if I posted a recap here but I caught the tour in Vancouver last year and was thrilled by the setlist choices. I appreciated that Hell On Earth was given the coveted “start the encore” spot, a position rarely given to a new song. It showed that even with a retro album being showcased, the band prioritizes new music (can say the same about opening with three songs off Senjutsu in 2022, although I was a little less into that). I was also indifferent to ATG over the years, but I have also always wanted to see Maiden dig into songs they have never played live, so it was a treat for that reason and was actually a lot better live than I expected. Same goes for CSIT which sounded way better with three guitars and Bruce killed on the vocals. Unfortunately Nicko struggles quite a bit on that song and some of the coolest drum parts are just not there. I’m not trying to complain as I’m absolutely amazed at Nicko’s recovery from the stroke, but it’s hard not to notice things like that.

I’ll be curious to see how the tour plays to an arena tour in North America as it largely felt more like a new album tour in terms of audience response, in other words a dead audience for most of the songs. I always felt like SIT was more of a European album and that those fans are more invested in it than the Americans. I’m not sure if people out here will be as impressed with the deep cuts from that album. I know a lot of people in the audience in Vancouver weren’t.

[cramx3]

I’ll be curious to see how the tour plays to an arena tour in North America as it largely felt more like a new album tour in terms of audience response, in other words a dead audience for most of the songs.

I get the feeling it's going to be relatively dead.  The last tours, their local shows (at Barclays Center or Prudential Center) have sold out, but this tour has LOTS of tickets available.  I'm thinking the older fans saw the set at Power Trip this year and said "nah".  Sucks because theres a lot of good music missing out, but it seems like this not being a true legacy tour, that the american fans are being more timid about it.  I personally can't wait, saw the ads for the show during Judas Priest last weekend and got my excited.

[MirrorMask]

And what about the fact that for the first time they picked a (relative) rarity to honor The Number of the Beast, ditching all together the same three ultra-classics? never in a Maiden setlist 666, Hallowed and Hills were missing all together, at least one was always there.

I too am not crazy about Alex the Great but it was, well, great live. I'm still thinking people are obsessing over it 'cause it was never played live; To Tame a Land is even better but it was played in the Piece of Mind tour so people are not asking "why you never played TTAL live?".

And yes, Bruce was great beyond any expectation during Caught Somewhere in Time, and let's remember Nicko had a stroke, hopefully with some months of rest and more therapy he will be back to his usual self.

And since I haven't commented on it.... when on the web I caught notice of rumours about 2025 Bruce solo dates I wondered "well, next year it could be Bruce solo time and writing time, so maybe in 2026 we'll get a new album", so I'm glad I was right! Senjutsu is ok but not worthy of "last Maiden album" title, it does not give you the "ok if this is the last album, it was a great closure" vibe that Priest's Invincible Shield gives.

[TAC]

I think one of the problems, especially with ticket sales, is that the show is in November and I bought tickets in October...13 months earlier.
I think a lot of people are just waiting.
And ticket prices...


I'm happy with the setlist. I mean, I'd take Stratego over Time Machine and The Parchment over Death Of The Celts, but whatever. It's all good. The AtG presentation is outstanding and I'm looking forward to that.

[TAC]

Senjutsu is ok but not worthy of "last Maiden album" title, it does not give you the "ok if this is the last album, it was a great closure" vibe that Priest's Invincible Shield gives.

I couldn't disagree more.

[Grappler]

I think Senjutsu as an album was a lot better than The Book of Souls, but the title track did come off a little boring live as an opening song.  Stratego and WOTW were much more energetic. 

I'm looking forward to the Future Past tour as well - CSIT, Stranger (!) and Alexander are rarities, plus 4 of 5 new songs that I haven't seen live.  I've never seen them play Prisoner as well, so it will be a fun night.  The Chicago show is back at the Allstate Arena, which is smaller than the United Center, where the last few tours have been.  I think the band knows that this is a very specific tour highlighting the newest album and an under-appreciated album, so they booked venues accordingly.  It doesn't have the draw of the Legacy setlist and huge stage show with different props for every song.

[pg1067]

It's a pretty decent setlist. Hell On Earth is a great tune, and I think Alexander will be really cool live.
Also, I'm most looking forward to Caught Somewhere In Time. For some reason, they haven't played it since that album's tour. The three guitars really helps out that opening melodic line, which honestly has never sounded great on all of the old boots.

Meh...Senjutsu is a mid-tempo slogfest (and the title track, Stratego and Writing opening the show was a mood killer).  Everyone keeps talking about how great HOE is, but I gave it a pretty good listen when it came up in the Maiden countdown, and it did nothing for me.

And SIT, while slightly better than SSOASS, doesn't have any really high highs.  And they're not playing my favorite song from the album (Deja Vu).

I too am not crazy about Alex the Great but it was, well, great live. I'm still thinking people are obsessing over it 'cause it was never played live; To Tame a Land is even better but it was played in the Piece of Mind tour so people are not asking "why you never played TTAL live?".

TTAL in a set list would pretty much make it a must see.  It's been my favorite song pretty much as soon as I had digested POM.  Unfortunately, the POM tour was before I started seeing concerts, so I've never seen it.  I do have it on a bootleg I bought way back when.

[TAC]

I think Senjutsu as an album was a lot better than The Book of Souls, but the title track did come off a little boring live as an opening song.  Stratego and WOTW were much more energetic. 

The Senjutsu title track is awful IMO. Brutal decision to open the show with it. My album starts with Stratego, and that would've made a better opener if they wanted to open with a new song.

[cramx3]

I think one of the problems, especially with ticket sales, is that the show is in November and I bought tickets in October...13 months earlier.
I think a lot of people are just waiting.
And ticket prices...

Tickets will definitely sell more, but it's like, night and day compared to last tour.  But also, I would consider you a much bigger and hardocre IM fan than the average fan I'm thinking of that is sitting this tour out.

A year or two ago, I was at a big outdoor concert. I wore my IM Senjutsu shirt. I got SO many compliments from older dudes, but every single one of them that said nice shirt to me, also said they didn't listen to Senjutsu when I asked if they liked the album.  It was kind of eye opening, the average IM fan in the US is old and doesn't give a fuck about the reunion era music.  This feeling also goes back to the AMOLAD tour where people complained so much in the arena that night. 

[TAC]

But also, I would consider you a much bigger and hardocre IM fan than the average fan I'm thinking of that is sitting this tour out.

I actually skipped the needless post pandemic Legacy leg last time where they added the three Senjutsu tunes, two of which I don't really care for, to the set. It was a Monday in Worcester and the tickets were outrageous.

I was kind of prepared to sit this one out too. A Wednesday night in Worcester really doesn't work, and I wasn't getting eviscerated by the ticket prices. But I scored seats that are just fine for what I thought was for a reasonable price. Plus, I'm viewing this as the last time I see them.

No way I'm banking on them making it back here in two years.

A year or two ago, I was at a big outdoor concert. I wore my IM Senjutsu shirt. I got SO many compliments from older dudes, but every single one of them that said nice shirt to me, also said they didn't listen to Senjutsu when I asked if they liked the album.  It was kind of eye opening, the average IM fan in the US is old and doesn't give a fuck about the reunion era music.  This feeling also goes back to the AMOLAD tour where people complained so much in the arena that night.

So lame. They should fucking go see Def Leppard instead. The AMOLAD tour is the one I regret missing the most. (We were in Disney that week).

[Mosh]

I am planning on three or four shows this year and have not bought any tickets. It’s just way too early. I also think bots scalping has become a huge problem. I waited til day of on the 2022 Legacy tour to buy my tickets after seeing everything sold out except the nosebleeds. Day of I purchased a ticket in prime seating and when I got to the concert the section was totally empty. So either a bunch of people decided to stay home at the last minute or (more likely) bots bought up all the tickets for those sections and real people never had the opportunity to purchase.

At this point in Maiden’s career I think the demand is there for one more big arena tour playing greatest hits (not counting this year’s tour). That also coincides nicely with when people will want to retire.

[Anguyen92]

I would gladly like to go to the show in Inglewood, but I have developed a huge hatred for driving there after not able to get parking to go see Ed Sheeran last September, that I'm just like, "It's not worth it to go to that area for concerts anymore."  Not only just the cost of ticket, but the cost of parking, the time it takes to get there, the time it takes to walk from the parking lot (that I'm buying a pass from a 3rd party site) to the arena and back.

Then again, maybe circumstances will line up in my favor and when that Tuesday comes when Maiden will be in Inglewood, I might be there.

[wolfking]

Am I the only one that is more jazzed to hear "Hell On Earth" than "Alexander The Great"?   I'm excited that they're flexible, and that they're listening to their fans, but I'm not sure there's ever been that much hype for such a - to me - mediocre song.

No.  HOE is the song I'm going to see.

[TAC]

No.  HOE is the song I'm going to see.

When is your show?

[wolfking]

And since I haven't commented on it.... when on the web I caught notice of rumours about 2025 Bruce solo dates I wondered "well, next year it could be Bruce solo time and writing time, so maybe in 2026 we'll get a new album", so I'm glad I was right! Senjutsu is ok but not worthy of "last Maiden album" title, it does not give you the "ok if this is the last album, it was a great closure" vibe that Priest's Invincible Shield gives.

I feel the exact opposite to this.

[wolfking]

When is your show?

Not until September!

[wolfking]

The Senjutsu title track is awful IMO. Brutal decision to open the show with it. My album starts with Stratego, and that would've made a better opener if they wanted to open with a new song.

Yeah, I pretty much agree.  The novelty of it was fun but wore off very quickly.  I think it would be the perfect opportunity not to start the next tour with it, but don't see that happening.

[DoctorAction]

I love the title track. Slow, epic and mighty.

[Zydar]

How many officially released live tracks are there of Blaze doing the Dickinson material? I remember hearing Afraid To Shoot Strangers on the Best Of The Beast compilation when I was getting into the band in the late 90s. That was apparently from Gothenburg in 1995 on The X Factour, according to Wikipedia. There's some video stuff out there on Youtube but I haven't found any great/good quality audio yet.

I'm a little interested in hearing how he did with the Bruce stuff, as I'm reading a bit about his time in the band and how he mainly struggled with The Trooper and Hallowed (his own words).

[Grappler]

How many officially released live tracks are there of Blaze doing the Dickinson material? I remember hearing Afraid To Shoot Strangers on the Best Of The Beast compilation when I was getting into the band in the late 90s. That was apparently from Gothenburg in 1995 on The X Factour, according to Wikipedia. There's some video stuff out there on Youtube but I haven't found any great/good quality audio yet.

I'm a little interested in hearing how he did with the Bruce stuff, as I'm reading a bit about his time in the band and how he mainly struggled with The Trooper and Hallowed (his own words).

This is my favorite live Blaze video of him singing The Trooper:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW1_vv7-t0w

Some fan in the crowd spit on him - Steve came over, stood by his side and the two just stared down the fan while playing the song and Blaze sings with such venom.  As soon as the song ends, they rip into the fan hard. 


As for officially released songs: 

The Evil that Men Do (Futureal B-side):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od1jWMPzj9o

[Stadler]

I'm pretty sure there's only Afraid... and The Evil... that are official (both from Gothenberg). 

[Mosh]

Didn't realize Evil with Blaze on vocals was ever officially released. Chorus isn't great but the rest not bad!

[MirrorMask]

The Blaze era live setlists were a missed opportunity to bring back some Di'Anno stuff and to find some deep cuts that were better suited for Blaze's voice.

Of course they were between the hammer and the anvil; play only alternative stuff, and people complain, play the classics, and people notice the struggles in singing them.......