Iron Maiden back in Greece again and why not? After all, there will always be a big crowd to go to their live and is there really any other band to present a show equal to theirs as far as quality and magnitude, tension and performance are concerned? As for the stage- show, it would be sacrilege to compare it with the one of any other band of their range. In the end, this is Maiden.

A band that has built and preserves its myth on stage, all over the world, with Bruce’s runs, Steve’s bass-gunshots and the same sweat that is spilt by the fans below the stage, the fans who dance along with them. And whereas the media throughout the years did not offer them the attention that history itself has awarded them with, the answer came again from the fans…

I was in the venue since one o 'clock at noon, because I also had an interview with Lauren Harris, the daughter of Steve Harris. So I had the chance to watch the preparations for the stage, the rise of Eddie before the curtain fell above him and also the soundcheck. A nice moment to remember was when one of the guitar technician of Maiden started to play the riff of "Highway To Hell" and all of the others- even the one checking the microphone- followed him playing the song like a real cover band! Nice…

The time has passed and it is the turn for Lauren Harris and her band to get on stage. Their music cis ommercial hard rock with nice choruses, a classic “Take It Or Leave It” case for the fans. The band was very competent, specially the guitarist who is obviously a big fan of  Zakk Wylde, musically and in terms of style, and Lauren was very willing to entertain us all as a good front-woman. For sure they did not tire us...

And the time For Iron Maiden has come. My text is going to change. I won’t be writing as a music reporter but as another one of the crazy fans full of emotions and ecstasy. I will report exactly the way I would tell a friend. Moments, photos of memory…

Churchill’s Speech. Prepare for attack!. "Aces High"! The fans are taking off! Am I on the air? Is it because of the lack of space.? Did they lift me? Is it because of the song? "Two Minutes To Midnight." We go on . "Revelations "and the first shivers down my spine for a diamond-song. Scream For me Athena (!) screams Dickinson and what the hell -if my throat stops functioning I will take a new one. "Trooper" and I don’t need to say a thing. Just a little complaint from a fan…Why so many classics again? Why "The Number Of The Beast," "Run To The Hills", why "Fear Of The Dark"? The tour is called "Somewhere Back In Time", Why not "Stranger In A Strangeland", "Infinite Dreams" or something like that? But I understand that there were so many young and new fans that made the classics necessary.

So I will close the parenthesis and go on.. "The Number Of  The Beast" and  a wicked red goat  rises on stage and huge fires from a great pyro-show really make our foreheads burn! Spectacular! "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" and the grandeur, the atmosphere, the theatricality and the epitome of all that Maiden is about, of all that metal is about. Breaths were taken away here…"Powerslave" and Dickinson wears the well-known mask back from "Live After Death" and one of the most enchanting Maiden songs. "Heaven Can Wait" and as always some lucky fans and the crew get on stage to sing along. Party! The IRON MAIDEN and in the middle the pyramid behind Nicko opens up in two pieces and the mummified Eddie emerges and it is like he is flying above the band. Stop. Encore. "Moonchild "and the last of us surrender. A dark hymn. "Clairvoyant" and Eddie as a cyborg from "Somewhere In Time "takes his walk on stage. Huge!  

Rumors that the rude mascot made inappropriate gestures to the crowd have not been checked yet . It is heard that there are thousands of witnesses to testify against him, haha! Last song for the night the one that if someone threatened to kill me unless I named only one song that I think that it is Maiden’s top, would be my answer: "Hallowed Be Thy Name"!

What can I say about the band’s performance? Always very good. About Dickinson? Always on the run, ready to be pissed- off and ingeniously sarcastic! For the moron with the laser? You are pathetic. As for the fans there were so many. I hesitate to estimate. People that were also an Manu Chao’s gig told me that the number seemed to be the same, only with the Maiden’s crowd to be much more thick. On the Internet a valid source mentioned something about 35.000 fans. I don’t know. There were for sure 25.000 people. But this is not so much important. It was an excellent live.

And Iron Maiden, please come back again next year. We will never have enough of you! After all ,is there anything else so good that has lasted so much? Not yet. When we find that we can open the discussion for the obsession of metal fans in Greece with certain bands, with the obsession of metal fans all over the world…

Promoter: DiDi Music


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