Review by Sarah Kidd with photography by Doug Peters.
It has been a long wait for fans of Iron Maiden; last here in 2016 on the Book of Souls tour almost a decade has slipped by, so it was no surprise that Spark Arena was sold out and heaving under the weight of black tour shirts and battle vests.
Tāmaki Makaurau suffered under the vengeful hand of a disgruntled weather deity as torrential rain soaked thousands who arrived for the opening of doors; even small tornadoes and hail had been predicted. But that was not putting any fan off, hell, a tornado could have rolled through the forecourt itself and the crowd would have more than likely politely side-stepped it before reforming the line for entry. Such is the dedication of a Maiden fan.
And there is a particularly good reason for that. Iron Maiden are one of the true juggernauts of the metal world, right up there with bands such as Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. With a combined age of the six members being four hundred and seven years (let that sink in for a minute) they have become a band that has spanned generations. Anyone who thought the show would be full of just dads reminiscing their youth, would have quickly adjusted their opinion as kids, right through to twenty and thirty-year-olds lined up next to patrons proudly grinning at their grandkids.
Opening the evenings proceedings were none other than Massachusetts metalcore legends Killswitch Engage, a band with twenty-five years of history under their own belts, they laid down a set that would have kept their fans happy while proving to anyone who had not seen them before that they were definitely worth seeing again.
Against a killer backdrop of the cover of their last released album ‘Atonement’ (2019), the two-stepper king Jesse Leach belted out opening track ‘My Curse’ proving that he certainly has the chops to be fronting the band, many Killswitch fans thrilled to see him back at the helm after a ten-year hiatus.
Their set was relentless, delivering all of their tracks to a receptive crowd, Adam Dutkiewicz on lead guitar and Justin Foley on drums, ensuring that each track had the backbone to pack a punch. Leach soon speaking of how being on tour was “bittersweet” as you always miss home but never want things to end – it was a poignant statement to lead the band into ‘My Last Serenade’.
But to close, Killswitch Engage pulled out all the stops and threw down a cover of Dio’s ‘Holy Diver,’ that unmistakable riff echoing out across the arena and setting heads nodding. Guaranteed to have annoyed the purists who may have been less than complimentary, it was a solid version and a nice insight into the band themselves and a track that they obviously love. At the end of the day, every musician is influenced by someone, and what better way to pay homage than by playing their song live in an international setting?
Changeover occurred swiftly, thousands of eyes glued to the stage as roadies and techs bustled about under a cover of darkness. The intro music of UFO’s ‘Doctor Doctor’ and Vangelis’ ‘Blade Runner’ theme set the tone, 80’s style animation of their beloved mascot Eddie coming into view on screen before a loud bang announced the arrival of the band as they sprung into view, Bruce Dickinson running out with arms outstretched. Straight into ‘Caught Somewhere in Time’ and ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ from the 1986 album Somewhere in Time, the duo of songs immediately had their fans hanging on their every move.
And how could you blame them? Sure, Iron Maiden may have softened those razor-sharp edges a little over the passing decades, but their delivery, their tenacity, their camaraderie is utterly faultless. Not once, even for a second do they ever appear to be a band dialling it in for a quick buck. This is a group of men who love what they do, and the more the fans give them, the more they give back. It is a truly symbiotic relationship, and it is one that creates such an atmosphere that even if they aren’t at the top of your list, an Iron Maiden show is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.
Dressed as somewhat of a crossover of Bladerunner and Mad Max, Dickinson was the charismatic frontman he always is, regaling the crowd with jokes about how they themselves were the true hobbits “short in stature and hairy feet” and how flying from Perth to the other side of Australia was to fly over the “Gafa” aka the greater Australia of fuck all. His hair now shoulder length, his grin ear to ear it was easy to see why he has always been so popular.
But the proof is in the pudding as the English would say, does Dickinson still have the vocals to be leading Iron Maiden on another world tour? Unequivocally yes. It is astounding how good he sounds. In fact, the entire group are at the top of their game, not only musically but with their stage presence. From Dickinson sprinting back and forth and traversing stairs with ease to Janick running rings around Eddie in a cat and mouse game, none looked tired for even a nano second.
Iron Maiden love to curate a show, their mix of tracks and backdrop banners each lovingly paired and presented, the past melding into the present as they moved into ‘The Writing on the Wall’ and ‘Days of Future Past’ from their latest album Senjutsu, [which translates as ‘sage techniques’ which is a specialised field of jutsu that involves the natural use of energy, rather befitting really for a band that feeds of the energy of their audiences].
What struck about these tracks live is just how well they melded with their previous material; this is not to say that they sound like a rehash of old, but a continuation of their spirit with lyrics that express what they have seen and their thoughts on what the future may hold for all.
This was never expressed better than by Dickinson himself as just before ‘Death of the Celts’ he spoke of how man has consistently tried to destroy others, and how dictatorships never work, “for you can kill humans, but you can never kill language, culture or family.” The beautiful backdrop of the soft greens of a battlefield gave way to some of the best solos of the evening, a touch of a jig undulating in the background as Gers held his guitar aloft with ease, Murray, Smith, and Harris all contributing to a sound that just enveloped you.
Cameras gave those in the back the chance to see some of that impressive finger work up close, the birds eye view of McBrain on the skins always a sight to behold. It was impeccable, immaculate, inspiring; here was a band staring down the barrel of a fifty-year career and still bringing the goods.
Nostalgia hit like a freight train as ‘Can I Play with Madness’ brought the arena to its knees, hundreds of voices singing along to every word, Dickinson urging them to scream louder. The set list was missing some of the more esteemed tracks of any Maiden fan such as ‘Run to the Hills’, ‘Number of the Beast’ and ‘Hallowed be Thy Name’ so fans jumped on the popular classics with fervour and who could blame them, for nothing beats the sound of thousands of people singing along to their favourite song.
Dickinson had once again changed his top, the rest of the band remaining in their homage to the traditional metal look of long hair and black jeans as the band once again went back in time for ‘Alexander the Great’, Dickinson looking like the cat who got the cream as he ran to the top of the riser above McBrain, leaned over the edge and banged the gong with relish, his mischievous smile as he did once again reminding all of just how much he loves what he does. He ended the song by holding the last note perfectly for an incredible amount of time, so long that it made some fans down front stop for a moment and stare at him in reverence.
‘Fear of the Dark’ was a deserved highlight of the show, the spooky backdrop of Eddie in a tree (similar to the album cover but updated), and smoke bubbling over the edge of the riser and down onto the floor setting the tone as Dickinson slowly moved forward like a seasoned actor, face covered, hand outstretched before all hell broke loose and everyone sang in unison, the fast paced iconic riffs fuelling their voices.
‘Iron Maiden’ closed out the set – multiple jets of fuel ignited in flame framing the band – the fans knowing there would be an encore but screaming for one regardless. No one wanted this to end, the musicianship, the heavenly guitar solos, the several versions of Eddie that had graced the stage already and even at one point had a gun fight with Dickinson (so cheesy and yet so good!) – why would anyone want this to be over just yet!?
The three-song encore once again melded the past with the present – the entire theme of this The Future Past world tour – and what a trio of goodness they were. ‘Hell on Earth’ gave way to the cherished ‘The Trooper,’ undeniably one of the most instantly recognisable opening riffs of all time, as Eddie leered in his red and white uniform and watched the mosh pit pop off. To close, a bittersweet ‘Wasted Years,’ a song with lyrics to live by every day.
Pics, sticks, drum skins and even sweatbands were thrown to waiting hands by the band as they exited with smiles and waves, their genuine admiration for all in attendance reflected back at them tenfold. The biggest cheers saved for the last member to leave; Nicko McBrain, drummer extraordinaire and the oldest member at seventy-two, his teddy bear dressed in an Eddie skin suit still sitting atop the bass drum as he left.
Will Iron Maiden ever return to the shores of Aotearoa remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, they left all last night with treasured memories that will never fade, and a whole new generation of musicians with something to aspire to.
For Iron Maiden are, and forever will be, one of the true icons of metal.
Iron Maiden: Killswitch Engage:Were you there at Spark Arena for this truly massive heavy metal gig? Or have you seen Iron Maiden perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist: Caught Somewhere In Time Stranger In A Strange Land The Writing On The Wall Days Of Future Past The Time Machine The Prisoner Death Of The Celts Can I Play With Madness Heaven Can Wait Alexander The Great Fear Of The Dark Iron Maiden Hell On Earth (encore) The Trooper (encore) Wasted Years (encore)Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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