Heaven Can Wait Til Another Day
As expected, Iron Maiden ripped up New York on Sunday. Their current Somewhere Back in Time Tour focuses on songs from Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time, and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
They had promised an amazing stage show on this tour, and at first it seemed like it wouldn’t be as ridiculous as I had hoped. But it quickly exceeded my expectations. The abundant use of pyrotechnics was a great touch that I haven’t seen too often. Stage props, smoke, and lighting turned Rime of the Ancient Mariner into an experience. Their presentation of Number of the Beast also stood out. A totally red-lit stage with a devil and fire will do that for a song.
Needless to say, they sounded great. Banging my head was an absolute necessity.
The band’s insane energy was even more amazing when you realize how long they’ve been at this. Iron Maiden in some form has been touring for over thirty years, and their energy puts many younger bands to shame.
Bruce Dickinson as always showed his frontman skills, whether wailing, running around, or just talking to the crowd. Loud applause followed his statement that Iron Maiden “never was and never will be part of anyone’s establishment.” The band’s extreme success with little mainstream airtime proves that some things are too awesome to be stopped.
Seeing them made me feel great to be alive.
