2002, that's was the year Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson (9) played a solo tour. It was 2 years after re-joining with Maiden for their brilliant Brave New World album and 3 years until Tyranny Of Souls his last solo record.
However with Iron Maiden live activity now quite obviously winding down, I'd say they've got one more mammoth tour left in them, Bruce put the finishing touches on his new solo album The Mandrake Project. More than just an album it's a full creative experience of music, video, graphic novels etc, Dickinson living up to his billing as the theatrical one in Maiden.
With any new album comes a new tour and what a tour! Having already covered a big proportion of the world in North and South America, this third UK date brought Dickinson and the "House Band Of Hell" straight to Swansea Arena. A swell of Maiden/Dickinson T-Shirts made their way to the storm ridden Swansea for the Mandrake Project Tour to roll in, yes there were others that avoided the cliché of wear an Eddie on your chest, one guy even had a 2002 solo tour shirt which must be highly coveted.
As with most Maiden and Maiden alumni shows the good majority spent the support act, who had not really been well advertised on the tour posters, in the bar, leaving quite a sparse crowd for Black Smoke Trigger (7) a Kiwi band with an American sound that was clinical, slick and radio friendly if not a little mismatched with the headliner. In their own shows, in a smaller, sweatier, room perhaps, with more than half an hour, their hard rock swagger would have been a bit more enjoyable but while their chops are definitely there, they did look a little lost on that quite mighty stage.
As the intro to The Invaders (TV Show) played out over the PA, and Toltec 7 Arrival introduced the band members and with the shredding Adrian Smith written riff of Accident Of Birth we were off and running, monkey dancing and Air Raid siren in fine fettle. On this song and throughout Bruce sang the best I've seen him sing in years, perfectly pitched, going high when he required but keeping much of it in that snide snarl and grandiose power. It was a joy as if I'm honest I prefer Bruce's last four (?) solo records to some of the more modern Maiden. Which obviously he does as well drawing heavily from them.
Without long term guitarist Roy Z in the touring band, two guitarists took his place in the shape of hulking Swede Philip Naslund who swapped between electric and acoustic and Swiss shredder Chris Declercq who played on guitar on The Mandrake Project alongside Z who mentored him during the process. Alongside the two guitarists, was the powerhouse backing of Tanya O'Callaghan on bass and Dave Moreno on drums, the long time keyboard player and Roy Z collaborator Mistheria, who we were told had the flu but soldiered on.
After being "welcomed home" by Accident Of Birth it was Abduction and more Maidenisms on Road To Hell (again co-penned by Adrian Smith). The first glimpse of The Mandrake Project was with rocker Afterglow Of Ragnarok but then it was back into The Chemical Wedding, where the bulk of the set came from. What's funny about this is that even with about 20 gigs behind them, there still a bit of miscommunication during Chemical Wedding which lived some chuckles and Dickinson to tell the audience that it's all live folks.
The mid set show stopper of Jerusalem, a folky track inspired by William Blake's poem, is one of the numerous references and songs inspired by Blake who Dickinson is a massive proponent of, recently becoming patron of campaign to restore his cottage. This dark Albion mysticism, alongside the works of Aleister Crowley inspired Chemical Wedding hugely, the themes returning again with Book Of Thel and The Alchemist but after Jerusalem it was two from The Mandrake Project and then a drum solo/cover of Frankenstein with Dickinson doing a Phil Collins with double drums and even bringing out a bloody theremin!
His energy is infectious, throwing poses, racing around the stage all while commanding the audience with the trademark "Scream For Me", but even when he disappears from view to drink etc his band are talented enough to keep the attention with guitarists Chris and Philip shifting positions or linking into a solo trinity with Mistheria on keytar (so much keytar). Tanya's dreads spin with a mind of their own and Dave gets the best arm workout I've ever seen.
As we reached the conclusion there was always going to be Tears Of The Dragon, the sole cut from his second record Balls To Picasso as it's a fan favourite, in South America particularly. As the adult peekaboo brought on the three song encore at the closing of The Tower I was left awestruck at how impressive Bruce and his band are live, if I've got half the energy he has when I'm 65 I'll be laughing. If this is the future for Dickinson, then there's plenty of life in the old dog yet!
Selected Photos By Mike Evans:
However with Iron Maiden live activity now quite obviously winding down, I'd say they've got one more mammoth tour left in them, Bruce put the finishing touches on his new solo album The Mandrake Project. More than just an album it's a full creative experience of music, video, graphic novels etc, Dickinson living up to his billing as the theatrical one in Maiden.
With any new album comes a new tour and what a tour! Having already covered a big proportion of the world in North and South America, this third UK date brought Dickinson and the "House Band Of Hell" straight to Swansea Arena. A swell of Maiden/Dickinson T-Shirts made their way to the storm ridden Swansea for the Mandrake Project Tour to roll in, yes there were others that avoided the cliché of wear an Eddie on your chest, one guy even had a 2002 solo tour shirt which must be highly coveted.
As with most Maiden and Maiden alumni shows the good majority spent the support act, who had not really been well advertised on the tour posters, in the bar, leaving quite a sparse crowd for Black Smoke Trigger (7) a Kiwi band with an American sound that was clinical, slick and radio friendly if not a little mismatched with the headliner. In their own shows, in a smaller, sweatier, room perhaps, with more than half an hour, their hard rock swagger would have been a bit more enjoyable but while their chops are definitely there, they did look a little lost on that quite mighty stage.
As the intro to The Invaders (TV Show) played out over the PA, and Toltec 7 Arrival introduced the band members and with the shredding Adrian Smith written riff of Accident Of Birth we were off and running, monkey dancing and Air Raid siren in fine fettle. On this song and throughout Bruce sang the best I've seen him sing in years, perfectly pitched, going high when he required but keeping much of it in that snide snarl and grandiose power. It was a joy as if I'm honest I prefer Bruce's last four (?) solo records to some of the more modern Maiden. Which obviously he does as well drawing heavily from them.
Without long term guitarist Roy Z in the touring band, two guitarists took his place in the shape of hulking Swede Philip Naslund who swapped between electric and acoustic and Swiss shredder Chris Declercq who played on guitar on The Mandrake Project alongside Z who mentored him during the process. Alongside the two guitarists, was the powerhouse backing of Tanya O'Callaghan on bass and Dave Moreno on drums, the long time keyboard player and Roy Z collaborator Mistheria, who we were told had the flu but soldiered on.
After being "welcomed home" by Accident Of Birth it was Abduction and more Maidenisms on Road To Hell (again co-penned by Adrian Smith). The first glimpse of The Mandrake Project was with rocker Afterglow Of Ragnarok but then it was back into The Chemical Wedding, where the bulk of the set came from. What's funny about this is that even with about 20 gigs behind them, there still a bit of miscommunication during Chemical Wedding which lived some chuckles and Dickinson to tell the audience that it's all live folks.
The mid set show stopper of Jerusalem, a folky track inspired by William Blake's poem, is one of the numerous references and songs inspired by Blake who Dickinson is a massive proponent of, recently becoming patron of campaign to restore his cottage. This dark Albion mysticism, alongside the works of Aleister Crowley inspired Chemical Wedding hugely, the themes returning again with Book Of Thel and The Alchemist but after Jerusalem it was two from The Mandrake Project and then a drum solo/cover of Frankenstein with Dickinson doing a Phil Collins with double drums and even bringing out a bloody theremin!
His energy is infectious, throwing poses, racing around the stage all while commanding the audience with the trademark "Scream For Me", but even when he disappears from view to drink etc his band are talented enough to keep the attention with guitarists Chris and Philip shifting positions or linking into a solo trinity with Mistheria on keytar (so much keytar). Tanya's dreads spin with a mind of their own and Dave gets the best arm workout I've ever seen.
As we reached the conclusion there was always going to be Tears Of The Dragon, the sole cut from his second record Balls To Picasso as it's a fan favourite, in South America particularly. As the adult peekaboo brought on the three song encore at the closing of The Tower I was left awestruck at how impressive Bruce and his band are live, if I've got half the energy he has when I'm 65 I'll be laughing. If this is the future for Dickinson, then there's plenty of life in the old dog yet!
Selected Photos By Mike Evans:
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