Iron Maiden is really testing the loyalty of their fans on the 2024 legs of their Future Past World Tour.
The metal giants kicked off this year's edition of the tour much like where they left off in 2023: heavy doses of their most recent album, Senjutsu as well as 1986's Somewhere In Time.
By heavy doses, I mean 2/3rds of the show are from those two albums. So maybe a better word is overdose.
Senjutsu was a long time coming. Recorded in 2019, right before the plague, and released in 2021, the six year gap between it and 2015's The Book of the Souls was the longest the band experienced between new LPs.
It's understandable and admirable of them to give it the moment to present it in front of Maiden fans - particularly because there's no better way to experience their music than live. The dual guitar attack, Bruce Dickinson's operatic vocals, Steve Harris's bass licks and rock faces, and Nicko McBrain's drumming are the perfect example of '80s melodic metal.
So to present the new album with Somewhere in Time makes sense and fits the theme of the future and the past. But something is missing.
Somewhere in Time is amazing. As the kids say: facts. And in many ways it got overlooked due to the band's unbelievable run in the 1980s where they dropped seven platinum albums plus a near-perfect live album within a span of eight years.
One could easily argue that stretch by Maiden produced more killer tunes, solos, iconic album art, and vocals than any other hard rock band in any decade.
No disrespect to Sabbath, AC/DC, Dio, or Metallica, but someone needs to say it.
Someone also needs to say that if you fill the dozen songs of your main set with 4 from your new album, 5 from the '86 LP, the title track from your debut, and the title track (but none of the three singles) from your first double album... the first song in your encore cannot be another song for the new album.
What did I just say about that stretch in the '80s? It was a wellspring. It was a goldrush of rock. It was an embarrassment of riches. It is why those fans in Australia are wearing the shirt with Eddie on it.
Listen to the fans erupt in the encore when they see the image of the Iron Maiden mascot carrying the British flag on the battlefield for "The Trooper." When they think of Maiden this is what they think of: Piece of Mind.
They also think of The Number of the Beast and Powerslave. But in the first two shows of the Future Past 2024 tour zero songs have been played from Powerslave, which celebrated its 40th anniversary Tuesday, September 3rd.
Taking a deeper look at it, the way Maiden has turned its back on Powerslave is fascinating.
The crowdpleaser "2 Minutes to Midnight" has been played more than any other song on the platinum-selling album that went to #2 on the UK album chars and #21 in the US in '84. But it hasn't been performed in five years.
And the poor "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" hasn't been heard live in 15 years.
Powerslave is one of the top 5 albums Maiden has been playing live in their career. Tunes like "Aces High" helped them maintain their dominance in metal, but you shouldn't expect to hear that one on this tour either.
Likewise The Number of the Beast, the band's most-played album only gets one tune a night now. No screaming "666" with the crowd, no "Hallowed be they Name," and no "Run to the Hills."
But you do get "The Prisoner."
The Prisoner?
Between 1989 and 2011, guess how many times Maiden played "The Prisoner"? Four times. All on the No Prayer on the Road Tour.
Why here? Why now? Why do this to the fans?
The good news is Bruce's voice is as strong and powerful as ever. So for all the fans of the new record and Somewhere in Time, you're in for a treat.
Iron Maiden is down under and in Japan for the rest of this month. In October they come to North America featuring dates at The Forum, Quebec, and Barclays. Then they head south to Latin America. Get your tickets on Iron Maiden's website.
Iron Maiden Future Past World Tour 2024
6th September – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
10th September – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
12th September – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
16th September – Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
22nd September – Sky Hall Toyota, Aichi, Japan
24th September – Osaka-Jo Hall, Osaka, Japan
26th September – Tokyo Garden Theater, Tokyo, Japan
28th September – Pia Arena MM, Kanagawa, Japan
4th October – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, San Diego, CA
5th October – Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV
8th October – Kia Forum, Los Angeles, CA
9th October – Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
14th October – MODA Center, Portland, OR
16th October – Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
18th October – Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
19th October – Ball Arena, Denver, CO
22nd October – Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
24th October – Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
26th October – Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
27th October – Videotron Centre, Quebec, QC
30th October – Centre Bell, Montreal, QC
1st November – Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
2nd November – Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
6th November – DCU Center, Worcester, MA
8th November – PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
9th November – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
12th November – CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, MD
13th November – Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
16th November – Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX
17th November – AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
20th November 2024 – GNP Seguros Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
24th November 2024 – El Campin Stadium, Bogota, Colombia
27th November 2024 – Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile
28th November 2024 – Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile
1st December 2024 – Estadio Huracán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2nd December 2024 – Estadio Huracán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
6th December 2024 – Allianz Parque, Sao Paulo, Brazil
7th December 2024 – Allianz Parque, Sao Paulo, Brazil
