Iron Maiden Concert Review
IRON MAIDEN ‘SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME’ 2008 TOUR
Show Date: June 11, 2008
Location: Rosemont, Illinois, U.S.A.
Venue: Allstate Arena
Reviewer: Graham LaMontagne
Band Website: www.ironmaiden.com
It’s only fitting that Iron Maiden flaunts the most frightening mascot in the business because their amazing performance last night in Chicago was so good it was scary.
Iron Maiden is just one of those bands, much like AC/DC, that despite the decade, their loyal following will always be there ready to shower them with adoration.
Before Maiden even graced the stage, the crowd was going absolutely bonkers with Maiden chants and deafening rounds of applause that were encouraging the band to feed the hungry crowd with their metal classics.
After the short Winston Churchill speech, like a bolt of lightening, Iron Maiden was already seconds into “Aces High”. The devoted crowd stayed on their feet with devil horns in the air the entire two hour set. I do not believe that I have ever seen a crowd so continuously energetic during a show. The frenzied crowd was so worked up that the Allstate Arena was literally bouncing up and down.
Iron Maiden blazed through a stellar set of all 80’s era Maiden with the addition of the always-pleasing “Fear Of The Dark”. What you wanted to hear you heard – “The Trooper”, “The Number Of The Beast”, “Run To The Hills”, “Powerslave”, “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”, “The Clairvoyant”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, “Wasted Years”, “2 Minutes To Midnight”, “Iron Maiden”, “Heaven Can Wait”, “Revelations” and “Can I Play With Madness” were all included in the setlist. For me, the standout performances were “Powerslave”, “The Clairvoyant”, “The Number Of The Beast”, “Iron Maiden” and “The Trooper”.
Bruce Dickinson‘s voice was crystal clear and as powerful as ever, and the complex musicianship of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain was an education in the pursuit of flawless Heavy Metal perfectly executed.
What is so sensational about this current tour is that you get to see all the classic Maiden stage setups all at once. The backdrops and props constantly change to give the crowd a glimpse of the Iron Maiden heyday – an Eddie Sphinx head separates revealing an enormous Mummy Eddie, a Two Story Somewhere In Time Cyborg Eddie walks around onstage and interacts with each member, picking at their guitars and mimicking the act of masturbation, and a giant Beelzebub lurks onstage during “The Number Of The Beast”. Iron Maiden without a doubt puts on the best stage production that I have ever seen.
The Iron Maiden show was an epic moment in my metal history and a must see for any true Metalhead. If you do go see the current Maiden tour, a little advice – get there early. At each stop the band has special event shirts for that particular city and they sellout fast. I was fortunate enough to get the Chicago event shirt, which features Cyborg Eddie as a gangster in Prohibition Era Chicago (it is a play on the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that bloodied Chicago’s history). Let’s face it, you all want that shirt souvenir because Eddie is hands down the best mascot in music history.