Supermallet

See, what's funny is I hate Coldplay and I haven't liked a Radiohead album after Kid A.

My tastes run the whole gamut. I love metal, classic rock, punk, avant garde, experimental, pop, j-pop, japanese experimental, jazz, jazz fusion, grunge, rap/hip-hop, classic r&b, progressive, singer/songwriter, country (mostly of the Johnny Cash variety), basically everything but yodelling, but that's because I haven't yet heard real good yodelling.

To bring things back to Maiden, looks like the closest they're coming to me is Irvine, but I won't be down in So Cal until November. I had a chance to see them on the Dance of Death tour, but it was right in the middle of a stretch of seeing 5 David Bowie shows, and it was the only night off, so I decided against it. Now I'm kicking myself, of course, especially after hearing about what happened with them at Ozzfest.

B5Erik

Well, we're two dates into the tour, and if you're going to the show make sure you have the new album, A Matter of Life and Death.

Let's just say that they play a LOT of that material on this tour....

And that's a GOOD thing!

Supermallet

Man, I'm going to get back to So. Cal just two weeks or so after they play in Irvine. Damn it.

Giantrobo

Yeah I'm gonna miss in So Cal too.

al_bundy

i probably won't get a chance to see them, but i may buy a coffee cup with their logo

porieux

I'm disappointed Maiden would write songs with such utterly cheesy titles/lyrics as 'These Colours Don't Run' and 'For The Greater Good of God". Eeeech.

And 'Brighter than a Thousand Suns' repeats over and over and over....

But, overall I have to say it sounds really good. Too bad about the lyrics, they used to be a strong point.

cactusoly

I just saw Maiden on Tues. I've seen them live on 9 different tours and unfortunately this was the worst.
There was nothing wrong with the performance or the stage show, its just they played the entire new album (which isn't one of there best) top to bottom and it got old really fast. Whhen they 1st came out it was like YEAH ! by about the 4th song I just wanted them to get through the album. When they finished the album they went into Fear Of The Dark which got a big pop.
I understand that Maiden is proud of this album (though I think its a decent but not great album) and they have established themselves enough to play what they want, but with such an extensive back catalogue they should have played more classics IMHO.

cdollaz

You play the entire new album, you had better follow that up with something a little stronger than Fear Of The Dark.

Supermallet

Fear of the Dark has been a live staple ever since that album came out. They often use it to close concerts.

B5Erik

I've got to totally disagree here. There is a maturity in the lyrics on AMOLAD that they just didn't have back in '82 or '83. "These Colours Don't Run," is a touching tribute to those who go to foreign countries to fight for their own country. I love that phrase, too (it's nothing new, but it is very appropriate for the subject matter).

"For the Greater Good of God," is a great song both musically and lyrically. It really asks some serious philosophical questions, and is very thoughtful.

I didn't think that "Brighter" was repetitive at all, either. Are you sure you listened to the same album?

I'm glad they're playing the entire new album, the more I listen to it the more I like it. Like I said, there is a maturity both lyrically and musically that comes across on AMOLAD that they just didn't have as a young band, but the music just smokes anything they've done since Seventh Son or Somewhere In Time.

Giantrobo

I have to agree. This is a great album and the subject matter is fitting in this day and age. It seems to me that Maiden has always been a "For the Troops" kind of band. I remember when they were on tour back during "Desert Storm" in the 90's, Bruce was very pro-troops during his onstage raps and I think there's some pic(s?) floating around where soldiers had painted "IRON MAIDEN" on bombs. If I remember right the band was pretty proud of that.

fourwalker

Just saw them last night in Continental Airlines Arena. I saw they were awesome, man Bruce Dickinson, what is he 50, he's running around the stage like a teenager. Like other posters noted they did the entire first album (Because as Bruce noted it premiered at #9), I wish they had played a couple of songs from "Brave New World". As usual "Fear of the Dark" was their best received song, its the one that most easily involves the crowd.

As usual the concert had a very visceral feel to it, lots of strobe lighting and cool background sets. They even turned the tank from the album cover in to a stage set that they bring up at the end of the show. It has a light in the turret so its kind of like Eddie is shooting at the audience. Yeah its kind of juvenile, but it works well when you're there

Giantrobo

At today's ticket prices, I would be pissed at anything less...

porieux

No, Iron Maiden were never tools like that. Just read the lyrics to '2 Minutes To Midnight'

Their lyrics were so much better on their classic 80s albums it isn't even funny.

Guess they went soft in their old age.

Giantrobo

Bullshit. And they weren't "tools" for supporting troops. Anyway, I saw Bruce in concert back then and I remember him talking about that. Plus you have to remember that Desert Storm was a popular war in terms of world support back then compare to the current war.

porieux

Nope, they have always been anti-war. And Desert Storm was a joke.

Giantrobo

I didn't say they were Pro war, just pro troops. There's a difference.

B5Erik

Not necessarily true.

Listen to the opening of Live After Death. Playing Churchill's speech as an intro, and then the song, "Aces High," shows that they know that sometimes you have to fight a war in order to preserve your own freedom.

And they have ALWAYS shown support for those who go off to FIGHT the wars, which is the whole point of the song, "These Colours Don't Run." It's not a pro-war song, it's a song about those who fight the wars. THEY don't run and avoid fighting for their country - they stand up and fight. "We sailed away like our fathers before; these colours don't run from cold, bloody war!"

It's a rather poignant song lyrically, and musically it is outstanding! (Like the rest of the album!)

B5Erik

Well, I saw the Irvine show last night and it was PHENOMENAL!

The band was tight (musically), but they were clearly having a lot of fun and goofed around a lot. Bruce ran around the stage and leaped over the monitor speakers more than I've ever seen him run on stage! At 48 that is damned impressive!

The crowd was very receptive to the set list, and sang along to many of the new songs. The stage set was great, and the tank looked pretty cool as well!

The venue, Irvine Meadows (I refuse to call it "Verizon Wireless Amphitheater), was completely sold out. I've never seen a crowd that big there, and everyone was on their feet - the crowd was really into the show.

I even brought a friend who had only heard 2 of the new songs prior to yesterday, and he loved the show - he thought it was great!

Maiden is still arguably the best live band in the world.