I had some friendly people in front of me at the show, and one of them asked me how often I had seen Maiden before (she left off the "Iron"; that wasn't me). She was stunned that this was my first time.
The truth is, I had never really been into metal or
even harder rock. It was always around because I had friends and family members
who liked it, but I never sought it out until I started aggressively,
critically listening to guitar music. That has led to some interesting places,
but one of the key early moments happened when listening to some guys talking
about a song, and one of them said "You can hear it goes a little Iron
Maiden here", and I could hear that! It made me feel like I was getting
somewhere, but it's also where I started to grasp how influential Iron Maiden
has been, not just on metal, and how justifiable their influence is.
It was in light of this that when I found out three
of my siblings were going to Iron Maiden in Tacoma that I said
"That should be a great show!", and where it was very exciting to
find out that they had an additional ticket.
You can get a great deal from listening to the band
alone, but you will be missing out on the sheer spectacle that they present for
you live.
The set was convertible, changing constantly to mesh
with the songs. At one point, one of the venue staff said they only had 5 songs
left, but the show was supposed to last for another 45 minutes. Well, based on
the setup and the showmanship and audience engagement, I can believe that the
average number took around nine minutes.
There were two things that especially stood out to
me. We have enjoyed tracking the progress of Ed Force One, the bands customized
747 piloted by singer Bruce Dickinson.
I should also mention that we were not close to the
stage, though we were aligned with it perfectly. So it was helpful that they
had screens that would do close-ups of the band and we could still see things. However,
at some points, these screens ran video segments, including one incorporating
the plane right at the beginning. That felt very right.
That segment also had a motif of ruins being lost
and forgotten in the jungle, and then being re-launched. This worked with an
older band going out on another tour, but it also fit in with the set for
"The Book of Souls" number, which is certainly central to this The
Book of Souls tour. This ended up being my favorite number of the night,
so I want to go into that.
First of all, I referred to them as an older band,
which is true, but they are not a nostalgia band. They continue to produce new
material, and it's smart and living.
"The Book of Souls" song does bring to
mind the end of the Mayan empire, but Dickinson talked before starting about
how all empires fall, which is true, and so it became part of a more universal
theme, and as he spoke a reminder for kindness and respect toward others.
Perhaps that sounds kind of high brow, and that
element is there, but also during this song a very tall Eddie (their mascot)
came out. After making his way around the stage Dickinson dug around in Eddie's
chest and pulled out his "heart", not only referencing Mayan
sacrifice, but if I saw correctly also providing a souvenir for a lucky fan
when he then threw the heart into the audience.
It was just cool.
And, for a third thing I liked, with no analysis
whatsoever, they made great use of pyrotechnics. (I'm a sucker for fire.)
I am really glad I got to see the show.
And for whoever those Stereogum commenters were who
posted Iron Maiden's "Alexander the Great" and "Number of the
Beast" as tracks that should be on the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs list,
well, it's hard to argue.
(But of course "Run to the Hills" is my
sentimental favorite. It's my mother's favorite music video.)
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