Iron Maiden were one of my first true loves. I first discovered them nearly twenty years ago now; and they’ve been with me ever since. Other bands and trends have come and gone through the years, but none has stopped with me longer or captured my imagination more than Maiden.
I first discovered them, like many people, through their album covers. That unbeatable Derek Riggs artwork featuring long time band mascot Eddie is a metal fans dream come true. I first picked up ‘Killers’ on a second hand record fair stall. It isn’t regarded as one of their best releases, but just like a first kiss, it will always have a special place in my heart. From that moment onwards (once I’d discovered that the music was even better than the artwork) to today I find it very hard not to buy anything with Iron Maiden written on it!
You can buy as many records or as much merch as you want but nothing quite compares to seeing your favourite band live. I’ve been lucky enough to see them quite a few times, I’ve even travelled abroad to see them. I was slightly worried however that this would soon be a distant memory when talk was circulating that their last album would be there final studio release.
It was called ‘Final Frontier’ after all…
My thoughts were put at rest last week when Iron Maiden announced the ‘Maiden England’ tour. Another chapter added to the revisits to classic periods in the bands history. This tour will mirror the ‘Maiden England’ video and live album (released in 1989) very closely. A classic period in the bands history, by anyone’s standards.
The tour looks set for US dates only this year. The rest of the world will see them in 2013. So I’ve got a bit of a wait until I get my next fix of live Maiden. Unless…
