A Different World called Iron Maiden.
"Tell me what you can hear,
And then tell me what you see,
Everybody has a different way to view the world.
I would like you to know,
When you see the simple things,
To appreciate this life, it's not too late to learn."
These are the exact words that put Maiden fans in a "Different World", a world filled with untainted adulation, a world of awe for this legendary Heavy Metal band from Britain! With these very words put into practice about 7 years ago, we began our journey with Iron Maiden. I vividly remember a college rock show where a band covered "The Trooper". This was during our pre-Maiden (Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Metallica) days and this was our first association with a Maiden number! What followed was a friend lending us the tape of "Best of the Beast" and asking us to start off with "Hallowed be thy name", "2 minutes to Midnight" and "The Trooper". A compilation of some of the "best" (while compiling a list for Maiden, the word "best" would include nothing lesser than their Discography) Maiden tracks, we instantly took a deep liking to this form of music, personified by the name Iron Maiden. And as they all say, the rest is history!
The Ides of March, sorry...the 17th of March.

The Wasted Years before the Revelations.
After 90 more minutes, the first opening act (don't even bother about what they called themselves...in short, F*** The Name) took the stage and they SUCKED! In the thought of what was to come 2 bands after this, we patiently ignored this band. After being booed off, the next band was Parikrama, which was much better. They played an own-comp setlist which was well appreciated by probably the biggest crowd they'll ever get. They were really good, with a couple of acoustic songs, with well timed violin pieces in their numbers. After another 45 minutes of this, just after sunset came Lauren Harris and her troupe. Their songs were not that bad, but Lauren Harris has a lot to work on, regarding her vocal duties. Going off key several times during the show, she didn't steal many Bangalore hearts as far as music was concerned!
A show Brighter than a thousand suns!
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The first 3 tracks of the latest album were thrown open to us in succession. It was time for Bruce to address the crowd. This he did and he was extremely positive about the scene in India becoming "a lot different after tonight". He went on about how he met a person who had waited 17 years for this day. The remark that brought out the greatest cheer in the concert was "the next time, you won't have to wait for 17 years, not even 17 months. We will be back here in another year"!!! We got goose bumps when we heard this. Truly amazing! Just after this, Bruce spoke about Moksha's vocalist, the late Leon Ireland and he dedicated the next song "Wrathchild" to this person. A world famous band dedicating one of their songs to the vocalist of a local band in India? Yes, we were all humbled at this nice gesture by the Gods.
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The next song needed absolutely no introduction and without a warning came the opening beats/notes of "The Trooper". There were several things noteworthy in this song - The brilliant backdrop on screen, in which Eddie stood in the battlefield, holding the Union Jack. Just for this song, Bruce had put on a red jersey and he too waved the Union Jack in command, as his co-soldiers fought the war, blasting out galloping sounds and firing canon shots. The atmosphere was again like a battle ground, and the crowd was jumping in unison, making it look like the Gods were leading a 25k strong army towards the enemy! This was absolutely magnificent!
Benjamin Breeg died in the above battle and he was reincarnated! "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" was next and the band marched on with pin point precision, as Bruce unleashed those note perfect lines filled with emotion. He is in that league of vocalists who can portray emotion excellently with variations in voice. When he sings "Someone to save me, something to save my from myself..." in the song, it portrays an emotion in itself! His vocals were absolutely mind blowing on this track!
"For the Greater Good of God" was the next epic from Maiden's 2006 release. Another extremely catchy track by Steve Harris, it started off with the Iron Maiden founder's bass lines. The sound emanating from 'Arry's bass is always powerful and it wasn't different this time. The crowd sang along, describing war and it's aftermath. The lines in this song pose questions about war and about how stupid and nonsensical the concept of war is. In the song, Bruce was as hyper-active as ever, running from pillar to post and belting out the lines. He repeatedly positioned himself on the right and left pillars on either side of the stage and remarked "Tell me why, tell me why", questioning all parts of the crowd the purpose of war. We were absolutely thrilled to watch such activity live. It was a classic!
When a particular bass voice (known to all Maidenheads, worldwide) starts off with the words "Woe to you Oh Earth and Sea", it is but natural for any Maiden fan to become possessed and start acting like the devil himself. This was what precisely happened. "The Number of the Beast" was what caused the noise level to reach another record at the Bangalore Palace. Extremely catchy, with a chorus that goes "Six, Six, Six...The Number of the Beast", the entire crowd joined Bruce in those sacred chants. The lines "I'm coming back I will return, And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn. I have the fire I have the force I have the power to make my evil take it's course" in this context have so much meaning, in us expecting the Gods to return and possess us again in 2008!
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"Run to the Hills" started off after just a 2-3 second pause, with Nicko really giving the bass drum several powerful beatings. Being an old number, the crowd instantly recognised it and the mass singing began, with the crowd volume going a bit higher on the chorus. Bruce held out the mike several times and the crowd didn't disappoint him. Another classic!
The next track was special. Very special. Many fans will know that Bruce is nicknamed "The Siren" for his wailing, screeching voices and for his sustenance of this pitch for a really long time. With this would comes his characteristic "Screaaaaaaaammmmmmmmm for me..." followed by the place of the concert. This statement is exactly like the commander-in-chief giving out an order for a war cry and his army of thousands screaming out before the final charge! This is what we were waiting for! The track I'm referring to is "Iron Maiden". It is usually preceded by the war cry order and the war cry. This time, it was "Screaaaaaaaaammm for me Bangaloreeeeeeeeee, SCCCCRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAMMMMMM FOR ME BANNGAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEE" and then the army screamed out and the charge, oops sorry...the song began. In the middle of this, the music suddenly came to a halt and the stage was lit up by flashing lights and sounds of bombs/grenades/gunshots. There was a battle on stage. After about 30 seconds of this, there came the canon arm of a tanker, which turned to point to the crowd and then, a loud canon shot - BOOOOOOOM! All was quiet on stage and then "Iron Maiden" resumed! It was spectacular! What a display! What a stage setup! We were stunned into silent admiration!
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Can Iron Maiden ever play a concert without their '82 classic "Hallowed be thy Name"? No way! One of the most popular tracks of Maiden, ever! This was never missed in any Maiden live show and will probably never be left out in future! With each old classic, the intensity of the crowd reached new records and this was the highest! The song started off slowly, picking up in intensity, but the crowd was jumping and shouting, with raised arms and extreme enthusiasm. In the middle of the song, where the tempo slows down and again picks up with the drums, just before the solo, Bruce for the final few times let out orders for war cries and the crowd was only too glad to oblige.
THIS was Maiden! THIS was their intensity! THIS was what brought out the best in thousands gathered for the single cause - IRON MAIDEN! They came, they saw and they most definitely conquered! Playing for about an hour and 45 minutes, it seemed like they just started 15 minutes ago! Bruce himself remarked "It was very special...too good, but too short". He couldn't have put it better! As we left the venue, we hope these Gods return in a year, as promised! In their own words,
"I'm coming back I will return
And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take it's course"
We, at India definitely want THIS evil to take it's course back here!!!
For those that missed out on the "Iron Maiden experience" and for those who want to recollect their "Iron Maiden experience", below is a set of live videos shot during the concert:
Intro leading to "Different World"
These colours don't run
Brighter than a Thousand Suns
Bruce talks to the crowd
Wrathchild
The Trooper
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
The Number of the Beast
Fear of the Dark
Run to the Hills
Iron Maiden
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Evil that Men do
Eddie entering
Hallowed be thy Name
Closing clip