Author Topic: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls  (Read 557774 times)

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Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3675 on: January 09, 2019, 12:30:21 PM »
I've always joked with my friend that as much as I would love to meet and hang with Bruce, I think he would really dislike me  :lol 

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3676 on: January 09, 2019, 01:31:39 PM »
I've always joked with my friend that as much as I would love to meet and hang with Bruce, I think he would really dislike me  :lol

Me:  So...flying a plane must be pretty cool.

BD:  Right.

Me:  You're a big soccer guy, eh.

BD:  Yeah...who's your team?

Me:  Umm...Not really a fan.

BD:  ....

Me:  I saw you guys back on the original Somewhere in Time tour.

BD:  <audible sigh>

Me:  What's fencing like?

BD:  Great.  You ever do it?

Me:  No, but it looks cool.

BD:  <Finishes the last of his beer and gets up and walks away muttering to himself>
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Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3677 on: January 09, 2019, 02:37:25 PM »
 :rollin

Offline El Barto

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3678 on: January 09, 2019, 03:25:17 PM »
"Not engaging with the fans" is pretty much how I'd describe him. He was perfectly polite. Signed everything. Answered questions. Even passed a joint along to the guy next to him (without hitting it). He wasn't at all outgoing or really interested in knowing anybody in the room, though. He didn't seem put out, but he didn't seem interested in being there, either.


Anyway, Bruce Dickinson comes this sunday in Milan for his book reading, and I will be seeing him thanks to a kickass Christmas gift!  :metal

I'd really, really love to meet him personally, but I don't know... it's a cold winter day, I could hang out potentially for hours and for nothing outside the venue (actually a big theater) in the chance to catch him on his arrival, or stay outside once the conference is over to catch him when he comes out, but I assume he will be well "escorted".... furthermore I'm afraid that if he has no time or if he's curt I may feel bad about it 'cause he's basically my hero and role model and, while as I type this I completely understand that such a famous person has the right to not subject himself to the screaming adoration of scores of dozens of fans, being there in the moment and being shunned away rudely by him would "hurt", even if I'm not entitled to anything.
Perhaps look at it from the other side. Myself, I don't want to be a bother to others. Putting somebody I really liked in the position of having to be curt, or even feigning courtesy is something I'd want no part of. There are more than enough boorish people waiting to meet him for me to be one of them.

Having said that, I'm not saying you shouldn't try to meet him. I think you should. Just go out of your way to not treat him like he's your idol and role model. I'd be surprised if he weren't signing copies of his book somewhere. My recommendation would be to have a copy to get signed (not a copy of Powerslave) and maybe ask him a question outside of the realm of Maiden fanboyism. I'd ask him what his favorite Python sketch is, and would refuse to accept The Parrot Sketch as an answer.
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Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3679 on: January 09, 2019, 03:30:39 PM »
So how did you meet him while passing a joint?  I gotta hear more of that story now

Offline El Barto

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3680 on: January 09, 2019, 03:53:41 PM »
So how did you meet him while passing a joint?  I gotta hear more of that story now
I didn't pass him the joint. I was just present. (Did take a big ass hit of it, though). And I had backstage passes for the 84-85 World Slavery Tour. To be honest, I'd have rather had passes to WASP's after-show get-together. I'm sure those people had a helluva lot more fun. That's certainly where all the groupie chicks were.
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3681 on: January 10, 2019, 01:12:49 AM »
Well, I'm shy and I consider myself not obsessive about anyone, so whenever I meet a musician, I always try my best to be kind and supportive, and not go in "OMG OMG I LUV U" mode. Just to make an example, there's a local folk band that I follow since many years, we all know each other, they allowed me time and again to take photos for them in the pit and around the stage etc, and still when I'm at their concerts I have difficulties to talk to them 'cause they're already speaking to other fans and I feel like I'm disturbing them if I just come in and go "Hey wassup dudes".

If I were to stand outside the back door of the venue and Bruce would come out, I'd simply walk out normally to him and greet him hoping he'd stop by, my "fear" was just seeing him walk away with a "oh no, not this again" look on his face while escorted by his entourage. And as I said - as I type this I perfectly understand that it's his right, but when it should happen in the moment, I know it would make me bitter.

Uh well, I'll see what I can do, I'll still get to hear him discuss the book, meeting him just for a shake of hand would be the icing on the cake  :D
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Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3682 on: January 10, 2019, 07:14:38 AM »
So how did you meet him while passing a joint?  I gotta hear more of that story now
I didn't pass him the joint. I was just present. (Did take a big ass hit of it, though). And I had backstage passes for the 84-85 World Slavery Tour. To be honest, I'd have rather had passes to WASP's after-show get-together. I'm sure those people had a helluva lot more fun. That's certainly where all the groupie chicks were.

 :lol still awesome though

Offline Stadler

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3683 on: January 10, 2019, 10:38:32 AM »
The problem (for me) with Bruce is that he seems like the kind of guy that wouldn't hesitate to say "wow, that's a stupid fucking question, innit?" even if it wasn't meant to be mean or hurtful.  I think el Barto is dead on right.  I've been lucky enough to meet some of my heroes - Gene, Paul - and recently got a chance to talk to Billy Squier and Gary Barden (big to me, but I get it, he's not at the level of the others) and in all cases, dealing with them as human beings and not "gods" was half the battle.   With the latter two, I sort of followed their lead, and thankfully both of them were interested in a conversation that was a shade deeper than "Wow you're great!  Wow, I love that song! Wow, what's Michael Schenker really like?"  It helps I'm 50 now, and give about as much of a fuck as Bruce does, even if it's cool to connect with people that touched  my life (I've written about that before; it's the single greatest thing about music for me, and why it means so much to me) 

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3684 on: January 10, 2019, 11:08:03 AM »
When it comes to meeting your musical heroes, I don't think going the whole "OMG, you created so and so song and what was it like doing this and that," would be the greatest approach to certain musicians.  I don't know if this is a correct assumption, but I read stuff about Neil Peart where I think if someone talked to him like that, he probably do what he can to shut you down and end this conversation.  That stated, if you talk to him about traveling and the likes and not gush at all about how great Rush is (which can be difficult, I understand), and just talk to him in a regular conversation with topics you guys relate to, you can get a much meaningful conversation that way.

I mean I wouldn't know what I would talk about if I ever met Myles Kennedy or Mark Tremonti.  I wouldn't want to initially say how great Alter Bridge is and how that band changed my life for the better, forever (they probably hear that too much too often).  That probably would be at the end of the conversation. If I was more of a reader of novels (I think they are huge fans of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels) and a lot more proficient on guitar-playing in general, I probably would talk about that, but I'm sadly non-proficient in guitar player and not much of a novel reader.

So yeah, I say gl trying to get a good conversation with Bruce outside of how great Iron Maiden is.

Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3685 on: January 10, 2019, 11:10:57 AM »
My problem is that I tell myself not to be annoying and not to gush over them and in the process I end up becoming speechless since I am so worried about what not to say that I can't think of what to say.  I'm not very good at meeting idols.  Tarja laughed at me when I didn't say anything to her at ProgPower last year  :lol She was really hot though so I'm blaming it on that (I never had thought she was that attractive until I saw her face to face).

Offline bosk1

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3686 on: January 10, 2019, 11:23:34 AM »
I think a tough one is when the guys you are talking to are total gear heads.  John Myung comes to mind.  The few times I have been able to talk to him, he has always been VERY polite, but very hard to get to say more than a few words.  ...unless someone brings up gear.  Then he can seemingly talk for hours.  But for those of us like me who have no idea about any of that stuff, it's about as uninteresting a conversation as I could imagine.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3687 on: January 10, 2019, 11:25:31 AM »
Tarja laughed at me when I didn't say anything to her at ProgPower last year  :lol She was really hot though so I'm blaming it on that (I never had thought she was that attractive until I saw her face to face).

How I would take that depends on the type of laugh, I suppose.  If it was kind of like an "aww, how cute" kind of laugh, I wouldn't mind so much.  If she was pointing at you and having a good belly laugh, that's a bit more of a blow to the ego.
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Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3688 on: January 10, 2019, 11:27:39 AM »
Tarja laughed at me when I didn't say anything to her at ProgPower last year  :lol She was really hot though so I'm blaming it on that (I never had thought she was that attractive until I saw her face to face).

How I would take that depends on the type of laugh, I suppose.  If it was kind of like an "aww, how cute" kind of laugh, I wouldn't mind so much.  If she was pointing at you and having a good belly laugh, that's a bit more of a blow to the ego.

Oh it was a positive laugh for sure and kind of broke the ice a bit actually.  It was really funny and a cool positive moment when I look back on it, but just shows how hard it is to sometimes talk to such people.  I couldn't say a single bad thing about that experience.

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3689 on: January 10, 2019, 11:40:48 AM »
My problem is that I tell myself not to be annoying and not to gush over them and in the process I end up becoming speechless since I am so worried about what not to say that I can't think of what to say.  I'm not very good at meeting idols.  Tarja laughed at me when I didn't say anything to her at ProgPower last year  :lol She was really hot though so I'm blaming it on that (I never had thought she was that attractive until I saw her face to face).

I can relate to the "not knowing what to say", as I said I'm shy and I also have the bad habit of speaking very fast, which I do also in english, and that basically nullifies my good knowledge of english  :lol it's also the reason why I will probably never attend a paid meet n' greet, no way I pay money just to mumble fast something barely understandable in 10 seconds of time I have.

Speaking of not knowing what to say, I'm already thinking about what question I could ask to Bruce (I mean the written question he will read from the cards given to him during the conference), since I basically know everything about him and new stuff I didn't know from the book is something that, well, now I know because he explained eloquently his point of view. I also want a chance to actually be read so that I can say, at the very least, "Bruce read my question on stage"  ;D

So far all I got is asking how he sees himself: as a singer who flies in his spare time, or as a pilot who sings for hobby, or something completely different. Another thing I'm tempted to ask is about his stream of consciousness during a show: what does he think when he's there in the wings second away from entering the stage and jumping the monitors? what he thinks when the next song in the set is a rarity or the one he likes the most to song? what he's thinking during the most overplayed songs?
« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 12:03:20 PM by MirrorMask »
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3690 on: January 10, 2019, 12:00:07 PM »
One of the best meet and greets I had was entering the venue back when Animals As Leaders first came here. To sin was in front of us (I didn't know, but my friend did). They wouldn't let him in because, they're ids and stuff had gotten stolen or something akin to that. It was funny, we all had a laugh after we went in. He was in the bar on his laptop.

Its hard for me to converse as well, but all that goes out the window if I have a few shots before.
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Offline El Barto

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3691 on: January 10, 2019, 02:19:52 PM »
When it comes to meeting your musical heroes, I don't think going the whole "OMG, you created so and so song and what was it like doing this and that," would be the greatest approach to certain musicians.  I don't know if this is a correct assumption, but I read stuff about Neil Peart where I think if someone talked to him like that, he probably do what he can to shut you down and end this conversation.  That stated, if you talk to him about traveling and the likes and not gush at all about how great Rush is (which can be difficult, I understand), and just talk to him in a regular conversation with topics you guys relate to, you can get a much meaningful conversation that way.
I think it was Dave Grohl who told that story about Neil. He was a little too fan-boyish and was being shown the door within 2 minutes. Personally, as much as I love what he does, I'd have no interest in talking drums with the guy. I'm not a musician, and aside from his style matching my interest I couldn't relate to him on that level. I'd kill for the opportunity to talk travel with him, though. I don't consider him an idol or god insofar as his drumwork goes, but his ability and desire to explore the Earth from a BMW motorcycle makes him both in my book. There's something in particular I'd really like to ask him about, actually.
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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3692 on: January 10, 2019, 02:33:49 PM »
My problem is that I tell myself not to be annoying and not to gush over them and in the process I end up becoming speechless since I am so worried about what not to say that I can't think of what to say.
Write down what you want to say ahead of time, or type it into your phone so that you can glance at it right before the big moment happens!   ;)
 
 
I think it was Dave Grohl who told that story about Neil. He was a little too fan-boyish and was being shown the door within 2 minutes.
Nah - if that happened, I doubt Dave would've been allowed to induct them into the RRHOF. It was Tim Commerford, the bassist from Rage Against the Machine.
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Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3693 on: January 10, 2019, 02:35:27 PM »
My problem is that I tell myself not to be annoying and not to gush over them and in the process I end up becoming speechless since I am so worried about what not to say that I can't think of what to say.
Write down what you want to say ahead of time, or type it into your phone so that you can glance at it right before the big moment happens!   ;)

Good idea, not that different than preparing for a job interview  :lol  I get social anxiety too so that doesn't help me.

Offline Mladen

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3694 on: January 10, 2019, 02:46:29 PM »
Matt Groening once explained that the key to having a good interaction with a famous person is to ask them something they don't get asked about all the time. He told a story about how George Harrison was bummed out when he had to answer questions about The Beatles, but immediately lit up once someone talked about one of his solo works.

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3695 on: January 10, 2019, 03:29:37 PM »
I can count my interactions with rock stars on one hand.

The most notable was about 5-6 years ago when I represented Rob Halford in a legal matter.  I had dinner with him and then spent the next day with him.  Most of the discussion related to the legall matter, but there was enough non-business interaction that I was left with the impression that he is a warm, genuine, nice guy.  He even signed my almost 30 years old Defenders of the Faith tour program.  I saved and still have his last e-mail thanking us for our hard work.

Other than that, it was pretty much just standard stuff.  I met DT (except for KM) after a November 1992 show in Westminster, CA.  There were about a dozen folks who hung out after the show, and I recall chatting with them for 30-45 minutes.  I met them in a similar manner following a 1993 show and got KM's signature on my I&W CD booklet.  I also ran into MP and Marlene at the Foundations Forum in Burbank, CA.  I'm pretty sure this was in 1993 and not the 1994 event where DT played with JR.  I had a similar meeting with Fates Warning on the Perfect Symmetry tour in 1989.

At the 2/12/1993 DT show in Hollywood, I met Alan White and Tony Kaye.  I was talking with my friend in the parking lot and turned and noticed them and a bit too loudly exclaimed, "Alan White!"  I startled him, but he was good-natured about it.

I did a meet and greet (put together by Yes's management) with Yes and Kansas when they toured together in 2000.  Got to meet Steve Howe (and learned that he won't shake hands), Alan White and (I think) Billy Greer.  Nothing much happened there.

In 2013, I did a meet and greet with Yes.  It was memorable as the only time I ever met Chris Squire.  He seemed genuinely interested that I was a bass player and that he was one of my inspirations.  I reminded Alan White about our encounter 20 years earlier.  Not surprisingly, he didn't remember it.

I'd enjoy meeting Geddy Lee.  Aside from all the Rush stuff, I would love to talk baseball with him.
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Offline El Barto

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3696 on: January 10, 2019, 04:02:29 PM »
I can count my interactions with rock stars on one hand.

The most notable was about 5-6 years ago when I represented Rob Halford in a legal matter.  I had dinner with him and then spent the next day with him.  Most of the discussion related to the legall matter, but there was enough non-business interaction that I was left with the impression that he is a warm, genuine, nice guy.  He even signed my almost 30 years old Defenders of the Faith tour program.  I saved and still have his last e-mail thanking us for our hard work.

Other than that, it was pretty much just standard stuff.  I met DT (except for KM) after a November 1992 show in Westminster, CA.  There were about a dozen folks who hung out after the show, and I recall chatting with them for 30-45 minutes.  I met them in a similar manner following a 1993 show and got KM's signature on my I&W CD booklet.  I also ran into MP and Marlene at the Foundations Forum in Burbank, CA.  I'm pretty sure this was in 1993 and not the 1994 event where DT played with JR.  I had a similar meeting with Fates Warning on the Perfect Symmetry tour in 1989.

At the 2/12/1993 DT show in Hollywood, I met Alan White and Tony Kaye.  I was talking with my friend in the parking lot and turned and noticed them and a bit too loudly exclaimed, "Alan White!"  I startled him, but he was good-natured about it.

I did a meet and greet (put together by Yes's management) with Yes and Kansas when they toured together in 2000.  Got to meet Steve Howe (and learned that he won't shake hands), Alan White and (I think) Billy Greer.  Nothing much happened there.

In 2013, I did a meet and greet with Yes.  It was memorable as the only time I ever met Chris Squire.  He seemed genuinely interested that I was a bass player and that he was one of my inspirations.  I reminded Alan White about our encounter 20 years earlier.  Not surprisingly, he didn't remember it.

I'd enjoy meeting Geddy Lee.  Aside from all the Rush stuff, I would love to talk baseball with him.
I remember Squire as being a genuinely warm and friendly guy. Same with Alan White. Met them back in the 80's, during the Trevor Horn era.
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Offline Stadler

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3697 on: January 11, 2019, 10:05:03 AM »
I'd've loved to have met Chris Squire.  I find him to be an interesting guy. 

My list of want to meet:

Robert Fripp
David Lee Roth
Ritchie Blackmore

I don't really have anything I want to discuss with them, but I'd be fascinated as to how they are and how they act in person.   Though, I'm sure I could come up with something.  The problem with someone like Roth, though, is that he's been doing this so long he's got it down to a science.  Simmons is like this as is Springsteen; they know what's expected of them, and while I think its sincere because it comes from a pure place (of wanting to be generous) I think it's ultimately a job to them and I'd feel bad for taking their time. 


There are others that would be interesting, but at a lower level:
James Hetfield
Jack Blades
Myles Kennedy
Stone Gossard
Tony Banks
Robin Zander (though I sat next to him at a bar once before a show in CT.  I didn't talk to him; the cowboy hat, sunglasses and cloud of cigarette smoke made it clear he was trying to keep a low profile)

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3698 on: January 11, 2019, 10:13:59 AM »
Well, I assume that the thing is that, with time, you get used to everything. Say that you live right in front of a famous landmark of a nice view: an apartment overlooking the ocean, Central Park, the Golden Gate Bridge... cool and all, but after 5, 10, 15 years that you wake up and see the Empire State Building, it's the ESB, it's cool, ok, we get it. You get used to it.

At the same time, I'm sure many musicians are appreciative of fans showing polite and respectful attention, but how many variations of You rock / This song really touches me / The show was phenomenal they can through year after year before it all sounds same-y? so you just listen a bit to the fan, pull out your smiling pose for the photo, and that's it. That's why the suggestions of "Tell them something they haven't heard a gazillion times" is cool, because at least it's something new also for them.

As for Ritchie Blackmore, he gives me the idea of being even more hard to reach than Bruce. Then maybe he's a softie deep down inside, dunno.
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Offline El Barto

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3699 on: January 11, 2019, 10:20:15 AM »
Well, I assume that the thing is that, with time, you get used to everything. Say that you live right in front of a famous landmark of a nice view: an apartment overlooking the ocean, Central Park, the Golden Gate Bridge... cool and all, but after 5, 10, 15 years that you wake up and see the Empire State Building, it's the ESB, it's cool, ok, we get it. You get used to it.

At the same time, I'm sure many musicians are appreciative of fans showing polite and respectful attention, but how many variations of You rock / This song really touches me / The show was phenomenal they can through year after year before it all sounds same-y? so you just listen a bit to the fan, pull out your smiling pose for the photo, and that's it. That's why the suggestions of "Tell them something they haven't heard a gazillion times" is cool, because at least it's something new also for them.

As for Ritchie Blackmore, he gives me the idea of being even more hard to reach than Bruce. Then maybe he's a softie deep down inside, dunno.
It's funny you use that as an example. That's exactly what I'd want to discus with Neil Peart. If there comes a time when you lose your sense of awe.
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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3700 on: January 14, 2019, 02:14:26 AM »
So, long post coming even though it's not a concert, but let me express my excitement at having seen Bruce Dickinson's conference!

First of all, regarding the topic of discussion in the last pages - I didn't try to meet him after all. The conference ended at midnight, I was with the subway and the theatre was big and I wasn't even sure of where the backdoor was, and I noticed anyway cars parked inside. To risk to lose the last train to see Bruce entering into a car was not a smart thing to do, better lucky next time in that regard.

Also, let me say it right here for those who won't, understandingly, be bothered to read through it all: the "news" that we got is that he's working on a solo album, there are demos, and that he's gonna write the soundtrack to a movie he's involved in, about a book he's reading, "A Pair of Silver Wings". This of course doesn't mean that in the summer we'll have a new Bruce solo album, but still him mentioning it casually while discussing the Roy Z lineup was good.

On to the conference... the queue to enter was concert like - there were security checks for each person, I had assumed that being a seated theater everyone would just show up and go to their place but no. Also, funny thing, I had a seat in the back but the venue was not full so they gave us permission to go and sit nearer the stage, imagine the frantic movements of everyone running for a nicer spot :lol

Intro music was Bruce's solo stuff, now I wish I had entered earlier to enjoy more of his solo tunes. After a brief intro video he entered the stage, he still has long hair, dressed casually  but not like a bum. And from that moment, the show was ON!

Because it was actually a show, entertaining and interesting. First of all, I could understand everything, sometimes at concerts I can't really make out every last word he says but I had no problem this time. Also, it was never boring or self referencing - he always sneaked in a funny comment or a joke, got the crowd going, and made us laugh a lot.

He also "acted" a lot - he didn't sit there talking boringly, no, he gestured and also made impressions of the voices of the ones he was talking about. Talking about his very short band for example he mumbled "Let it be" to show how the bassist really couldn't do it, and then he sang it himself immediately saying the reply of the others: "Ok, you're the singer". So I guess I heard Bruce sing the chorus of Let it Be, hehe!

He spent a lot of time about his school, more than once he mentioned the beatings from the teachers, he was really pissed at this. He didn't shy away from the Maiden days, but he didn't go into too much details either, he explained anyway, as in his book, what it was like to join and eventually to leave.

He went through the Sarajevo experience rather quickly - very minor bummer, it was the best chapter in the book. At the end he took a pause to allow us to send him some questions, when he returned he said "I tried to keep the most interesting ones, if I kept all the 'When are you gonna play Alexander the Great live' kind of questions the pile would have been THIS high" :lol

He answered MY question, yay! I asked "what's your stream of consciousness during a concert?", and he was:

"Mh, let me show you.  [Walks back and then comes in again] Ok, he's there, the other guy's there, jump the monitors, start to sing; think about the sound, mh, it's actually nice, second song, change of costume, then the other songs, oh, The Trooper, I have to get my sword [he was clearly thinking about the Legacy of the Beast show], then go back, drink, other song, all of this for two hours. And you don't notice because you're all "Yeaaaaah!!!! :metal ". Sometimes people ask me "What it's like to have played such a massive show?", and I say Well, I couldn't tell you, I was too f'kin busy".

I assume this works for most bands - so preoccupied and concentrated with everything that's going on with their instruments and the technical side of the show, that they can barely take in the atmosphere of the venue!

Other stuff he said in the Q&A:

- He cut his hair, aside because of his pilot job, because he looked younger, and now he's growing it longer again to piss off people his age :lol;
- Asked about if the cancer scare changed his rapport to religion, he said "I didn't have and still don't that much of a rapport with religion. My approach is Whatever works for you in this life, because what comes next... nobody knows. So enjoy your time while you're here, have fun, and be nice to one another".
- "Are you a victim of fame or can you walk around freely?"... he said that he actually took the bus to a public event and people wouldn't believe him, but nobody on the bus talks to anybody, he gets however crowd reaction if he goes in tourist-y places, he mentioned Harrods as an example.
- "How does it feel to be the best singer in the world?" "When I'll become it, I'll let you know". He never came off as bragging of thinking of himself what a badass he was. That's how the great ones behave, they don't make it weigh on you that they're actually great, they leave pride and arrogance to the lesser ones.
- Asked about his best sexual experience, he said a wacky story of when, during the Number of the Beast tour, he and a roadie went in Hamburg to a legal "eros center" (prostitution was legal also there, not only in Amsterdam), they had issues with the exact amount of money requested and so they argued so much about a possible discount, and offering to pay more if they actually enjoyed the sex, that the 20 minutes time slot expired and they got kicked out after a very quick and lousy handjob, so he and the roadie decided to place a formal complaint to the police for receiving a bad service for the money asked, which was actually accepted, and the policeman went back to the brothel to "fine" the hooker, even though they obviously didn't show up for the former trial :lol

And I saved the best for last: the last question was "Can you sing the initial stanza of Revelations?" and he said "Yes, I can."

"Oh, wait, you actually want me to sing it? ok, here we go"... and he sang the "Oh God of earth and altar" part a cappella. It's my favorite Maiden song! the song that back in 1995 made me fall in love with Bruce's voice, therefore Iron Maiden, therefore heavy metal! and someone asked him to sing it! whoever you are, brother, thank you very much!!!

A pity that, in the excitement I didn't notice that I actually had to press the button to film it - I have a new smartphone and I don't really do videos so I'm not used to that, I missed the first line, still, some other people filmed it and I hope the full version surfaces.

All in all an amazing and satisfying experience, Bruce commands the stage whatever he's doing, be it singing, or talking :metal
I use my sig to pimp some bands from Italy! Check out Elvenking (Power / Folk metal), Folkstone (Rock / Medieval metal), Arcana Opera (Gothic/Noir/Heavy metal) and the beautiful voice of Elisa!

Offline Zydar

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3701 on: January 14, 2019, 02:26:49 AM »
Awesome! :metal
Zydar is my new hero.  I just laughed so hard I nearly shat.

Offline Mladen

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3702 on: January 14, 2019, 02:29:43 AM »
Now that is just a tremendous story.

Online wolfking

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3703 on: January 14, 2019, 03:49:35 AM »
Good read there mate.  Great to hear a solo album is still in the works.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline Art

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3704 on: January 14, 2019, 04:35:57 AM »
i saw the video of him singing Revelations a capella. epic!  :hefdaddy

Offline RodrigoAltaf

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3705 on: January 14, 2019, 07:20:47 AM »
Amazing story, man. You had a great question!

About Alexander the Great, if/when I had a chance to ask about it, it wouldn't be "are you going to play it", but "what is preventing you from playing it, since EVERYONE on Maiden's camp is aware of how much any fan would love to hear it live?". Maybe with that phrasing we'd get something more substantial in reply.

Another question I dream of asking Bruce is "what would have made you stay in 1994?". Maybe one day I'll get a chance...

Online MirrorMask

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3706 on: January 14, 2019, 07:34:20 AM »
When elaborating on his departure, he said - this during the conference, he wasn't answering a direct question - that many people asked why he left at the top of the success. He said that first of all, the peak of their success was the recent years, since they were bigger than ever in these last years (roar from the public), and that in reality their peak already happened back then but they were stagnating, and that you don't recognize it from inside the "bubble".

He also said that he had to leave, to take a jump in the dark, if he wanted to see what "the rest of the world" was like, and that if he, say, took a break of one year, people wouldn't have taken him seriously because anyway he was going back to Iron Maiden. He had to leave to experience for real the other stuff he wasn't experiencing in Maiden.

So, I don't know how he'd reply to the question, but I assume that he thinks that leaving back then was the only option, and therefore would say something like "everything had to be completely different". He also said that his experience helped for a successful reunion and changing his later approach to the band and their members.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2019, 08:42:20 AM by MirrorMask »
I use my sig to pimp some bands from Italy! Check out Elvenking (Power / Folk metal), Folkstone (Rock / Medieval metal), Arcana Opera (Gothic/Noir/Heavy metal) and the beautiful voice of Elisa!

Offline cramx3

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3707 on: January 14, 2019, 08:30:48 AM »
Sounds like an awesome evening with Bruce  :metal

Offline Stadler

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3708 on: January 14, 2019, 09:41:32 AM »
"Yes I can!".  That's vintage Bruce.


Some guys you sort of wonder what they're thinking, and in a lot of cases (Peter Criss comes to mind; sometimes I think this of Ritchie Blackmore) you kind of have no choice but to conclude they're their own worst enemy.    Bruce is the exception to this.  I never once ever thought that his leaving Maiden was anything other than Bruce being Bruce, and not resting on his laurels. That's a guy that seems to hit life head on in the nose, and leaving Maiden was just that.  Each of his solo albums was like that too (and gave me far greater insight into his inputs into Maiden).  He's almost Neil Young in that other than Accident and Chemical, no two of his solo albums sound even remotely alike. 

Offline Stadler

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Re: The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls
« Reply #3709 on: January 14, 2019, 11:12:27 AM »
HEY!    I was researching Angra as part of the roulette I'm running and I ran across this in the Wiki article about Andre Matos:

"Andre took part in a worldwide contest for replacing Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden and was in the Top 3 finalists alongside James LaBrie and eventual winner, Blaze Bayley."

Is that really true?  Either I never heard that about LaBrie, or it never registered.  Was he really officially in the top three for that spot?  I've heard Matos, and I've heard Michael Kiske, but James?