| After a crushingly good tour supporting their latest album, Iron Maiden was back in town to pay tribute to the songs that made them living legends!
 Iron Maiden Of course they need no introduction, and apparently they need no opening act. The Forum was filled with Maiden fans young and old and the anticipation was at maximum. The sold out show was a special present, because this tour is a perfect time warp back to the record setting, and enduring legacy of the "Powerslave" tour. This show however is aptly known as the "Somewhere Back in Time World Tour" which is, in fact, a full fledged, no bullshit, balls to the wall, classic Maiden show that veteran fans have come to expect.
During their 2+ hour set, Iron Maiden played an energetic barrage of songs from several classic albums. In true fashion, Bruce Dickinson ran around the stage in various masks and costumes and belted out lyrics as if he was 20 years younger. It was easy to get caught up in the show, which consisted of nearly two dozen songs including such fan favorites as, "Number of the Beast," "Sign of the Cross, and "Run to the Hills". It was refreshing to see such a respected and world renowned band as Iron Maiden acknowledging it's fan base to such a degree. Even though their most recent records have been great, they really gave it their all to immerse the crowd in the vintage experience. The visuals and effects of the original "Powerslave" tour were once considered breakthrough and epic (as noted in their documentary) but though time has passed and several updates have been implemented, they still hold up to the legend and really enhance the show.
Iron Maiden history is full of lavish and large characters and this show featured everything from the 16 foot tall walking cyborg/mummy mascot ("Eddie"), to a wall of flames, and layers of fog. They pulled out all the stops and played with a humorous and wild attitude. The few minor sound issues were no trouble for Dickinson, who made good use of the crowd's voice when his mic stopped working. And the band kept up the energy and enthusiasm throughout the show. Although, Iron Maiden are not exactly breaking new ground at this point, the music will always be epic, and what they bring to the stage can rival their quarter century worth of immtaters. I was very glad I got to witness, up close, the band, the myth, the legend.
IRON MAIDEN have released several solid concert DVD's over the years, but nothing quite stacks up like their latest release, "Live After Death." The DVD chronicles the "World Slavery" tour (amongst others) as was originally performed in Long Beach 1984. Aside from an excellent transfer of an already amazing show, the DVD is perhaps the fattest, most feature packed Maiden disk in print. Disc 1 holds the feature length concert with completely re-mastered video and audio. On Disc 2 there is everything from a full hour long retrospective documentary (which is insightful and often hilarious), to classic music videos and a series of long segments of other live shows from the decade. The material here is very well constructed, damn entertaining and will take hours to go through. The concert clips give an accurate and vivid glimpse into their raw and gargantuan stage shows, and the extras shed light on behind the stage shenanigans and insanity. This is a must have DVD for any fan and is available at all decent retailers now!
In closing I highly recommended picking up "Live After Death" and be sure to catch IRON MAIDEN come their full North American tour in May of this year! For up to date news and tour dates please visit www.ironmaiden.com Originally Posted at: http://iesb.net/audiofrequency/content/view/434/
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