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
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"
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!!!!
". 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
;
- 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
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