Just shortly after I find out Priest and Saxon are playing together, my real heavy metal dream finally is coming true, in real life. Seriously, I thought the Somewhere Back In Time tour setlist was a cop-out because they couldn't be bothered to play the real amazing songs from SSOASS (my absolute favourite metal album of all time)... well, looks like I was wrong, and I have ever been so happy to have been so wrong in my life!

http://www.ironmaiden.com/maiden-on-the-charge.html

Seventh mother of a seventh boy right up the bum! The world better not end this year, because 2013 will be the best year of my bloody life.

Although knowing my luck, they'll leave Inifinte Dreams and Seventh Son off the setlist because they can't remember how to play the solos. Bastards.

It very much IS believable, being the logical next chapter in their huge nostalgia trip. I'm not complaining though as I also worship SSOASS above most things in life. I hope they go for the full icy stage show. They played Powerslave and Rime... last time so it seems quite likely that they'll roll out Seventh Son. They'd better play The Clairvoyant too, the bastards.

Can't see any specific UK dates yet, but I'll definitely seize upon this as I didn't catch them on their last UK jaunt.

Only the Good Die Young....

Well you see, the funny thing is they actually played Moonchild, Clairvoyant, and Can I Play With Unbelievable Madness on the last history tour - plus they billed that tour as 'songs from the first 7 albums (+ Fear of the Dark for some strange reason), so I thought they included SSOASS in that, and that was that. That's why I didn't expect them to go and do the wonderful icy Maiden England joy, but amazingly they really are doing it. And in the press statement Bruce mentioned playing some songs they haven't played in a long time - the only two songs that come under that category in the Maiden England setlist are SSOASS and Infinite Dreams (they've played the rest of the album fairly recently, apart from The Prophecy and Only The Good Die Young, which will never happen (and never have happened) unfortunately), so that definitely means pure joy for our lovely faces.

All I really want them to do is the Blaze years. They have to do it soon enough, it's the next logical chapter after the Fear of the Dark/No Prayer For The Dying years! Unless they realise they've got themselves into a bit of a hole by doing this history stuff, and retire after the next new album tour. Which they probably will do I guess. Otherwise they'll have to do two massive world tours of shit/hilarious songs.

I actually think it's amazing Maiden are doing this though. So many young boys and girls like ourselves wish we were around in the 80s to witness these wonderful joys like Live After Death and Maiden England, and Maiden are basically recreating it so we can all have that chance, which is actually amazing and should be greatly appreciated indeed. If only they would recreate the real Somewhere In Time tour though... goodness me. Too late for that I suppose!

Killers, the Prisoner and Still Life were all in the Maiden England setlist too nd they haven't done those for years either! They're mention "two thirds" of the original setlist though, and I bet that's an excuse not to play all the rare ones that the likes of me and you really want to hear...

The fact that we get excited that maiden are going to play live songs we actually want to hear says a lot. Especially as we get fucked over for £40/50 a pop for the privilege.

Iron Maiden always play songs I want to hear. I fucking love Iron Maiden!

Caveman Ninja wrote:Killers, the Prisoner and Still Life were all in the Maiden England setlist too nd they haven't done those for years either! They're mention "two thirds" of the original setlist though, and I bet that's an excuse not to play all the rare ones that the likes of me and you really want to hear...

Good point, and the fact they said that probably means they won't play the very songs you just mentioned... although if they do play those and they don't play SSOASS (which I would find very surprising as they're recreating the SSOASS tour, though you never quite know with those old boys) I'll definitely cry a little bit. Well, a lot.

Just play Alexander the Great for heaven's sake.

The notion that Adrian "can't remember the solos" is absurd. Just fucking work them out or play something similar! IT'S YOUR JOB! Hah.

I reckon they just don't think it's very good, because they didn't even play it on the SIT tour, and they did usually play the big 'epic' of the album on every tour (even To Tame A Land, which would've been amazing to see!). Adrian not remembering the solo must be just a ridiculous excuse, I can't believe a guitarist as amazing as him can't remember how to play one solo!

Do you really think Alexander the Great is actually that amazing a song though? I reckon they fact they have never played it live has built up in the fans' heads for so long, people think it's better than it actually is. I mean, it is a fun song, and the lyrics are wonderfully hilarious and the solos are great, but if I'm going to be really really honest, it has never given me that wonderful powerful epic feeling that most of the other wonderful powerful epic Maiden songs give me. Although that chorus is pretty amazing, and the bit where he cries "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaarchiing ooooooooon, maaaaaaaaarCHIIIIING OOOOOOOOOOON!" is one of the best things ever. But as a song overall, I don't think it has that complete glorious epic journey feel of the other early amazing golden year epics. I shall write a lovely list and you shall see what I mean:

Phantom of the Opera
(I don't think there is an 'epic' on Killers, the one exception to the rule!)
Hallowed Be Thy Name
To Tame A Land
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Alexander The Great
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Out of that list, I would say Alex is definitely the worst of the lot. And if you try and imagine it live, I bit it would be a bit weird and not work as well as you might think. It is of course still a very good song, but I don't think it's quite as amazing as it's made out to be - I think it's just been hyped up all these years because they never played it live. I for one have never really cared whether they play it live or not. Though I can't deny it would be amazing to sing along to that chorus live.

But I guess we'll never know for sure, because Maiden are old stubborn bastards!

It's not on a par with their other big odysseys, I just think it would be an interesting spectacle as I do enjoy it on record.

I'd say the title track is the closest to an epic on Killers, but I see your point.

It would indeed be interesting, I can at least imagine lots of nice fire explosions everywhere during that 'bom-bom... DUR DUUUUUUUUUR!' dramatic bit before the happy joy middle section starts (the bit that sounds like I'm flying through the sky in a glorious mission to defeat Dr Robotnik, rather than in an ancient Greek battle).

Yeah it probably is actually, being a rather lengthy one. The other song on that album I was thinking of was that one I hardly ever listen to, Prodigal Son is it? That's quite long and slow but I guess it's more of a ballad kind of thing. I actually never ever listen to that song. Is it actually good? I can't even remember. Drifter is amazing though. I had the time of me bloody life when they played that on the early days tour! That is kind of an epic album closer in a fun happy kind of way I suppose, but not really long and dramatic enough to put alongside the others.

I do love having a good old chat about Iron Maiden I do.

I listened to ‘Alexander The Great’ twice today. I also finally realised that ‘De Ja Vu’ is awesome.

I have recorded a 25 min EPIC for a ‘project’ called “The Wizards Of Delight’…it sounds like an 80's Hard Rock/Scissor Sisters/space rock/funk musical…yeah..so it does.

I've been in Athens the last few days for the Up the Hammers festival, and a DJ in one of the rock bars played De Ja Vu, which made a lovely change from UK bars always playing the done-to-death numbers.

Posted this on Facebook and it's going here too:

Hahahaha, oh my goodness indeed, that is amazing!

Alexander The Great is my favourite song I think! Would love to hear the massive epic swaggering bit with a huge crowd of people. It would be gloriously magnificent.

And yes, Prodigal Son is actually very ace. Go and listen to it now.