Iron Maiden; 20/3/02, Brixton Academy

REVIEW BY: "LAUREN" from the ANGELWITCH email list

Set list: The Wicker Man / Ghost of the Navigator / Brave New World / Wrathchild / 2 Minutes to Midnight / Blood Brothers / The Clansman / The Mercenary / The Trooper / Dream of Mirrors / The Evil That Men Do / Fear of the Dark / Iron Maiden // Number of the Beast / Children of the Damned / Hallowed Be Thy Name / Run to the Hills

If Iron Maiden had a dictionary definition, I believe it would read something like this:

“Iron Maiden (noun): 1) pioneers of British Heavy Metal and still playing gigs that make foundations shake.”

Yes, Iron Maiden can still rock, can still sell out 3 nights within the space of hours, can still produce awesome albums, and the best part is, it was all for a friend in need.

Band members, Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers, Dave Murray, Steve Harris, Adrian Smith and Nicko McBrain made the decision to play 2 charity gigs to build a trust fund for their good pal and ex-drummer, Clive Burr, after finding out that he sadly suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. In fact, Maiden fans from all over the world were so eager to get their hands on tickets and support an icon, that the band announced another gig on the 19th in addition to the two nights following! With three sell out concerts to oblige the masses with, Maiden dusted off the Brave New World tour set list, hastily performed three rehearsals, and headed out to London to blow the minds of a total of over 6,000 screaming metal heads.

And what a show it was.

Having arrived shortly after the second number, my friend Dave and I pushed our way to the front of the sea of head banging bodies and immersed ourselves in what was to be a truly stunning concert. The bright lights and screaming guitars of Gers, Murray and Smith complimented a very lively Mr. Dickinson, who entertained us with his constant leaping from one side of the stage to another. Nicko, completely hidden by a ridiculously large drum kit, provided not only a solid back beat, but an amusing Scottish dance during The Clansman. Harris, with his rumbling bass lines, provided an awesome intro to Wrathchild, which was followed shortly by knock out song of the night, Blood Brothers. Naturally, when the first strains of this rock-filled ballad filled Brixton Academy, the crowd erupted with appreciation and out came the lighters and compulsory rhythmic swaying! And talk about your crowd interaction! As one voice, we obeyed Bruce’s orders to sing our hearts out, creating quite an emotional charge to a beautifully performed song.

With around half of the night over, I didn’t expect it to get much better. But oh, how wrong I was. Being misinformed that Dream of Mirrors was omitted from the show, I nearly exploded as Nicko hit the first resounding drumbeat of my favourite song. For over 6 minutes I was overwhelmed by the power of the band, Bruce’s manipulation of the crowd to sing at his will being quite a wonder to behold! An excellent rendition of Fear of the Dark nearly blew the roof off the Academy and as the last chords of Iron Maiden died away, the fans made it quite clear they wanted much, much more.

Only the first words of Number of the Beast were enough to satisfy their hunger, and classics from the back catalogue, Children of the Damned and Hallowed be Thy Name, were well received and much appreciated. As the much-loved riff of re-released single, Run to the Hills, filled the venue, any self-respecting fan chanted the opening lines as second nature. The raw energy of the crowd as we sang the chorus was phenomenal, and the band showed their enjoyment by not just playing fantastically, but really throwing themselves into the moment. As the song finished to a thunderous ovation, Clive Burr walked on stage and received one helluva cheer and proceeded to throw drumsticks into the crowd. What followed was a truly touching moment where the band members hugged each other and thanked the fans for a fabulous night.

Ok, so the sound wasn’t wonderful, and there are always going to be “fans” who’ll find something to complain about, but I for one wouldn’t exchange the experience of that concert for anything in the world. Now the proud owner of a well-earned Dave Murray wrist band, I, without a shadow of a doubt, thoroughly enjoyed myself. Iron Maiden put on a cracking show, second to none in terms of musical excellence and showmanship. I’m proud to be able to say, “I was there for Clive!”

All proceeds from the gigs, merchandising sales, and sales of the Run to the Hills singles have gone to the Clive Burr MS Trust fund. Much respect goes out to Maiden for putting on 3 fantastic shows, not for the money, but because they wanted to help a friend. That is a mark of a band that truly cares.

UP THE IRONS!