Iron Maiden Land In Los Angeles On Jet-Fueled ‘The Book Of Souls’ World Tour

By Lisa Burke

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April 16th 2016, The Forum, Los Angeles CA: The pioneers and champions of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Iron Maiden are out on their biggest tour yet, ‘The Book of Souls’ tour with Bruce Dickinson (a.k.a. the best thing to ever happen to Iron Maiden) flying the biggest airplane yet from show to show, Ed Force One. On Saturday April 16th 2016, I saw their latest tour at the Forum featuring openers The Raven Age. On these two Forum nights April 15th and 16th many were in attendance for both nights and got exactly the same set list but regardless if you are a true fan you may as well get all you can out of it.

These nights also included a pre-party or tailgate party outside that was fenced off and had food trucks and various activities as well as constant Iron Maiden jams. I sat outside for a while watching the planes fly overhead and wishing they were all Ed Force One clones. I only attended the second night as a floor ticket holder which proved to be a much more pleasant experience than originally anticipated. There was plenty of room to walk around and no one was pushing at all so I could see the show from both sides of the pit and come and go freely and easily. I don’t like to see a show from one spot the whole time because it limits the experience and the sound, so if I can help it I’m going to run around the venue rather than remain stationary.

The Raven Age
The Raven Age

The Raven Age was formed by Steve Harris’ son George who plays guitar in the band, and it is melodic metal with a very modern take. I enjoyed the heaviness and the power behind it but the similarities between most songs did give it a monotonous feel that I wish could have been pushed to a higher, outside-of-the-box level. Would this band be opening for Iron Maiden if Steve Harris’ son wasn’t involved? I highly doubt that, and while it’s a cute gesture and a quality band, it was also a privileged situation where had The Raven Age toured with another big band we could have said wow, congratulations on getting that gig, yet instead all we are left saying is congrats Steve on spoiling your son. Check them out though, as it was not a disappointment and they definitely have some reassuring qualities for a metal band created in the late 2000s. The guitar playing does have an Iron Maiden related quality to it and must be acknowledged for its own style as well. The singing is clean yet refrains from the ever-annoying whining, and that’s a huge plus. They got a very decent set length and specially with their first EP having only coming out in 2014 they got to really put their music out there to the world and hopefully they’ve gained new popularity in their fanbase.

After that interesting set, the crowd started to fill into the pit with Iron Maiden anticipation galore, and with the most interesting member being a baby with her head phones on sitting on mom’s shoulders ready to rock out. I highly condone setting your children straight at a young age and exposing them to many music adventures because this is how you learn to survive when you are an adult by culturing yourself and putting yourself in vulnerable situations and making the best of it. On to the show, it was a treat to see a man who recently battled cancer run and jump around the stage and sing with perfection. This man is none other than the almighty Bruce Dickinson who has definitely gained superhero status by now in my book. I actually liked Paul Di’Anno and Blaze Bailey as vocalists, as Iron Maiden in general can do no wrong and is one of those bands you can mention to anyone as being great and they will not deny it, but definitely Bruce has that extra charm and talent, not to mention pilot license that clearly sets him on a pedestal above the rest. I’ve never seen Iron Maiden this close before and it definitely changed my perspective in a way I thought it wouldn’t with the visual aspect of the show. Also, I believe that since all the big bands of the same era are using video as a backdrop and Iron Maiden is all still old-school painted backdrop with an Eddie scene setting despite the added pyrotechnics and 3D walking Eddie character and giant 3D Eddie bust, it still feels outdated but I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing and it’s actually part of their charm.

Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden

Somehow for me the time I saw them on the Flight 666 tour, being further back in the audience, maybe the whole Eddie spectacle seemed more amazing, or perhaps it’s the generally more somber feel of the new album that they based half the show on so Eddie was just different to me in his new form I suppose. The beginning of the show was primarily Book of Souls songs but also not the best ones on the album in my mind, however they are the ones that work the best in a live setting. If you aren’t a fan of the new album then you were probably asleep by the end of the fourth song, unfortunately. I personally loved the whole show but did feel the difference in the vibe because it is much more somber than the wild antics of ‘The Trooper’ where Bruce comes out in soldier gear waving the British flag climbing on set blocks with ease like a 16-year old boy at his first carnival, or when ‘Fear Of The Dark’ comes on and the crowd goes wild. One great note about this band that helps them remain timeless is that they have had the same members since the ’80s except for a short stint without Bruce Dickinson. Janick Gers and Steve Harris kind of stole the show for me in terms of stage presence but Dave Murray and Adrian Smith worked their magic as well, and this has always been one of the only bands with three guitar players that are all vital to the band’s total sound with their individual styles meshing so well together, and if replaced, might completely alter the sound into what might create the impending doom of Iron Maiden. So let’s pray these boys stay healthy and happy for a long time coming. Also, Mr. Nicko McBrain has always been an ass-kicking drummer and still remains so today, yet with him sitting in the middle of a wall and me being on the floor unless I was dead center of the stage I couldn’t see him at all. Still great overall, and the ‘Bruce fights Eddie’ scene was fun yet again but being up close the magic is actually pretty stripped down. The encore comprised ‘Wasted Years’, and that was of course a great time had by absolutely everyone, even the baby I’m sure, because it’s never too soon to have regrets. Seriously though, go see Iron Maiden and listen to ‘The Book Of Souls’ in its entirety before you do so you understand what’s going on here, and get the maximum experience because as you should know by now, every album tells a different story these days and this concept is highly regarded as one to blow your mind.

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For ‘The Book Of Souls’ world tour dates, visit IronMaiden.com.

Set List:
01. If Eternity Should Fail
02. Speed of Light
03. Children of the Damned
04. Tears of a Clown
05. The Red and the Black
06. The Trooper
07. Powerslave
08. Death or Glory
09. The Book of Souls
10. Hallowed Be Thy Name
11. Fear of the Dark
12. Iron Maiden
Encore:
13. The Number of the Beast
14. Blood Brothers
15. Wasted Years

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