Run to the Hills, Run For Your Life
In stark contrast to the subtle and cultured exigencies of Sibelius last week, Saturday night saw Tinseltroos, Sisoftroos, AJS, JJG and myself on a train to Twickenham, the home of English Rugby Union. We weren't there for sport though, we were there to rock. Iron Maiden were playing their first show on UK soil in 2 years and we had to be there.
Iron Maiden became a fixture in our Rock Friday playlists that those of us working on the stone giant for Hellboy 2 put together to keep us going during the project and when we found out about the tour we booked tickets there and then. This was in November last year and the anticipation has been building ever since.
We arrived toward the end of the main support act. The only downside of the gig was that none of the support bands really appealed to any of us but that was a minor gripe.
Having queued for what seemed like 150 hours I finally got a T-shirt, a nice Eddie Cyborg one. Very, very 1980s 2000AD style artwork, just how I like them.
As we took our seats the stage was shrouded in black drapes to keep a sense of mystery. This was finally pulled down just as the show was about to begin revealing an ancient Egyptian themed Powerslave stage design complete with enormous painted back drop.
And then Maiden began. They began with Aces High and continued with a string of classics that kept the forty odd thousand people there very happy indeed. My highlight was probably Run to the Hills, but that's always been my favourite tune of theirs. The pyrotechnics and stage props became more theatrical and extreme as the show progressed ending up with a fifteen foot tall cyborg Eddie marching around the stage as an even larger mummified Eddie reared and writhed in the background. Top stuff.
The show finished after two hours of top-notch entertainment and the five of us, with broad grins, joined the throng to wait for trains to take us back to London.
Iron Maiden became a fixture in our Rock Friday playlists that those of us working on the stone giant for Hellboy 2 put together to keep us going during the project and when we found out about the tour we booked tickets there and then. This was in November last year and the anticipation has been building ever since.
We arrived toward the end of the main support act. The only downside of the gig was that none of the support bands really appealed to any of us but that was a minor gripe.
Having queued for what seemed like 150 hours I finally got a T-shirt, a nice Eddie Cyborg one. Very, very 1980s 2000AD style artwork, just how I like them.
As we took our seats the stage was shrouded in black drapes to keep a sense of mystery. This was finally pulled down just as the show was about to begin revealing an ancient Egyptian themed Powerslave stage design complete with enormous painted back drop.
And then Maiden began. They began with Aces High and continued with a string of classics that kept the forty odd thousand people there very happy indeed. My highlight was probably Run to the Hills, but that's always been my favourite tune of theirs. The pyrotechnics and stage props became more theatrical and extreme as the show progressed ending up with a fifteen foot tall cyborg Eddie marching around the stage as an even larger mummified Eddie reared and writhed in the background. Top stuff.
The show finished after two hours of top-notch entertainment and the five of us, with broad grins, joined the throng to wait for trains to take us back to London.
Labels: chums, london, long live rock and roll, music, photos, weekend
scribbled hastily by Mr Atrocity at 8:30 pm
3 Comments:
I have some friends who saw them in Chicago, last year, I think. They said it was an awesome show. You gotta love a band that has its own mascot.
Good, you got some 4th of July flash, too! I had to ask A. if Iron Maiden was 'metal' and he is, right now, launching into a frighteningly long history of metal and ... oh, yes, yes, this is much appreciated. Now I'm being serenaded with Run to the Hills.
In-fucking-deed.
I know metal not and it's probably best to keep it that way.
Churlita, When the band's mascot is either a 15 foot marching cyborg or a 30 foot mummy hovering over the stage it's even better.
Booda Baby, all together now,
"Run to the Hills.
Run For your liiiiiivees!"
\M/
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