Powerage5

Fuck it, I thought it was fantastic. I love Indiana Jones, it's my childhood. One of, if not my earliest actual memory is watching Temple Of Doom, and I remember being hooked immediately. With this one I really made a conscious choice to avoid everything that I could - I watched the first teaser a single time when it dropped, and that's it. I wanted to go in with as open a mind a possible. That said, it's very hard to zone out the negative press it's been getting and it all manages to boil down to social media "lol this movie is a mess and it's gonna tank" shitposts. I didn't actually read any reviews before seeing it, but I knew the general perception of it was not positive going into it. With that in mind, I didn't have particularly high expectations. I really, really enjoyed it. I had a few nitpicky things that I can critique, but I'm talking small elements. Big picture, I think they hit most of the marks. The story had some emotional gravitas about it - something that I think was really appropriate given that it was written as Indy's swan song. The dialogue is much better than KOTCS, and there were some really touching moments in the film. The third act did not totally shit the bed like KOTCS, despite similarly going a bit off the deep end. Ford turned in a hell of a performance in this one, one of his best performances in a long time. The MacGuffin worked a lot better than I expected given the little bit I knew about where they were heading with this movie. The de-aging was not perfect I'll admit, but it was a lot more serviceable than we got of a certain character in the Star Wars Disney+ series' for example. It was not overused the way so many people expected. But most importantly - it felt like an Indy film. All that said, I do understand most of the criticisms others have about the movie. The third act, while it didn't shit the bed, was a bit hard to follow and certain events feel...a little open to interpretation, or at least poorly explain (More in the spoilers below). The character development between Indy and Helena could've been fleshed out a bit more. Mikkelsen was good, but definitely underutilized. It's hard not to draw comparisons between Teddy and Short Round as a child sidekick and let's be honest - Short Round wins all day long. After a single viewing, I'd rank this one firmly in the middle for me. Temple Of Doom is my personal favorite, Raiders in not far behind. Decent gap between Raiders and Dial, and I'd put Last Crusade just behind. Big drop off between Last Crusade and Crystal Skull. Now the juicy stuff...

True, but they were also one of the very first bands to resume touring after lockdowns - COVID didn't mean the 2.5 year break it did for some artists. I honestly can't remember if it was rehearsed again in 2021 or 2022, but IIRC it was on the alternates list still.

Having digested the EP a bit - it's fine...but it all feels a bit sterile. It's very polished but also lacks any real punch or energy. The only song that really sticks out to me is We Don't Need Another Hero - that's a fantastic cover and suit's Tobias' voice really well.

Nothing is ever too early in GN'R land. They were rehearsing Pretty Tied Up in 2020 to not touch it until this year.

The tempo thing has been a lot more gradual than it would seem if you’ve not seen them in 12 years - I’m sure it was quite noticeable for you last night. Every tour there seems to be 1-2 songs where I’ll say “well this is slower this time out”, and a couple of those songs it’s happened with a few times. The biggest culprit for me is The Wicker Man, which really drudged along in 2018/19. Nicko really struggles with the kick drum in the chorus on that one nowadays for example.

I got back to doing some Maiden gigs this year after only doing the Hamilton gig at the last second last year, albeit a lot less than I used to do. I did the first six shows of the tour, from Ljubljana through to Bergen. My goal this year was to string together a trip that was primarily places I'd never been, and the start of the tour was perfect - I'd only driven through Slovenia on my way from Venice to Zagreb before, Prague (And Czechia at that) were entirely new to me, in Finland I'd only ever been to Helsinki, and Bergen was a city I was revisiting but one of my favorite cities in the world. Getting to do the opening night of the tour was the cherry on top, as opening night is always special. This tour is, in a word, fantastic. Certainly the most diehard-oriented setlist since 2010 - if you're looking to hear the big hits you will likely be disappointed this time out. Personally, Somewhere In Time is my favorite Maiden album, and I was so looking forward to seeing some songs from an album that has historically been completely ignored by the band. The production this time out really lets the music do the talking, it's a big step back from the over the top production for Legacy Of The Beast, but I think it was a smart decision to not try and one-up that show. That's not to say it's not a good looking show - the addition of video screens on either side of the backdrops is welcome, and all the sleek LED stripes around the stage and lighting rig lend themselves well to the Somewhere In Time/Blade Runner vibe. The band is mostly sounding great. Bruce sounds better than last year to me. The tempos are a bit more laid back, and Nick has noticeably simplified some of his drum parts - a small price to pay getting a setlist of this calibre. Adrian is probably the MVP for me this tour - he really nails the SIT guitar tones, and his playing on some of his most inspired work really shines. At the end of the day Nicko does have the hardest job in the band, and if keeping it simple can keep him going, I'm all for it. I did feel a bit of push and pull between Nick and Bruce on the tempos in the first 2/3 gigs, but by the end of my trip they had ironed themselves out. The opening night in Ljubljana was certainly a highlight for me. Opening night is always a blast - this was my fourth opening night for Maiden and it was probably the sloppiest I've seen in terms of performance, but it was arguably the most fun/rewarding. Getting five live debuts, plus two more old songs I'd never seen before, along with one song returning after 15 years and two more after 9 years - this is a very fun show to get all the surprises. Prague was my least favorite gigs I caught - the band was still in the "ironing things out" phase, and the shows were tough to enjoy as the floor seemed to be oversold. It was uncomfortably packed, and those Czechs are seriously tall fuckers so I struggled to even see the stage at all. Tampere was a lot of fun ,and those two shows were probably the best performances out of the six I saw. Bergen was also a blast - I love that venue (It's inside the walls of a medieval castle), it was the only barrier I did, and it's fun seeing the full show in daylight as happens outdoors in Scandinavia. Bruce was also in a particularly fun mood in Bergen. Onto the setlist... Caught Somewhere In Time - I can safely say after seeing this a few times, this has now become my favorite Maiden opening track I've seen. The Blade Runner theme is a great intro tape, and the pulsating rhythm of it gets the crowd clapping and moving - not something common at Maiden gigs. The song works so well as an opener, I can't imagine it anywhere else in the setlist. It was rumored the band had rehearsed it for the Maiden England tour, presumably to open the encore where we actually got Aces High. But having seen it live, I just don't think it would have the same impact at that point in the set. Stranger In A Strange Land - A great one for crowd interaction, and Bruce really shines on it. I hope this tour isn't this song's final outing as it works really well live and it's not particularly hard on any members of the band. Adrian's solo on this one is probably my favorite solo in any Maiden song, so getting to see it live finally was really a treat. If you're keeping score this marks a milestone for Iron Maiden in setlist choices - this is the first time ever a song was brought back into the setlist when it had previously been dropped mid-tour. It was initially part of the Ed Huntour setlist in 1999, but was dropped after a few shows when Adrian had to take leave due to his father's passing. The Writing On The Wall - This one picks up where it left off last year - it's anthemic and fun, works really well live. Not much else to say. Days Of Future Past - The first live debut this tour. It's a punchy rocker that translates well live. Unfortunately, like a lot of the new songs and deep cuts, it falls on deaf ears with a lot of the crowd who seem lost. Regardless this one was a natural choice to play live. The Time Machine - Another live debut. A moderate surprise IMO, but a welcome addition. One of the better songs on Senjutsu for me, and it translates better live than I expected. The beginning of the bridge goes over well with the crowd, excellent for a chant and gets the crowds jumping. It's a pretty tough song to navigate but the band does so effortlessly, and this was the only new song that completely clicked right off the bat live. The Prisoner - Arguably the biggest surprise in this setlist, because it makes no sense within the concept of the tour. That said it is one of my favorite Maiden songs, and I'm so happy to see it back in the setlist. It's one of those rare deep cuts that seems to appease both the diehard fans, but is also well enough known that it goes over well with the casual fans. However I never thought we'd get this song live again, and I'm really happy it's back. The Portmeirion backdrop for the song looks absolutely stunning as a sidenote. Death Of The Celts - Yet another live debut. This one is the low point of the set for me (And for a lot of people, judging by the number of people I saw going for a bathroom or beer break during it). I don't like the song on the album, and while it might be marginally better live, it still does nothing for me. Having just seen them do The Clansman live on the last tour it's hard not to make comparisons, and that one is just miles ahead of this in the way it goes over with the crowd. Can I Play With Madness - It's one of my least favorite big Maiden hits, and normally I'd be indifferent to it's inclusion. But fair play to the band for throwing this in as one of the very few big hits in the setlist - I'd much rather this since it's relatively fresh over NOTB, Run To The Hills, etc. It's always a good crowd pleaser, not much else to say. Heaven Can Wait - Probably my least favorite song on Somewhere In Time, but I found myself looking forward to it each night. It sounds really good on this tour, and of course the big showcase is a gun battle between Bruce and Eddie - it's a lot of fun and more than makes up for them not having a crowd onstage for the singalong bit for the first time ever. Alexander The Great - What can I say? Maiden is finally playing this absolute fucking masterpiece live. It still feels surreal - even when this tour was announced I really did not think they'd be doing Alexander. For the most part it sounds really good - Bruce shines on it, and the band navigates the complex instrumental section with ease. Unfortunately this is another that really does not seem to click with a lot of the crowd, it's disappointing to see most of the crowd looking lost while Maiden plays one of their great epic songs live for the first time ever. Also worth noting this is another milestone for Maiden - this is the first time they've ever debuted a song live after the song's respective album tour. Fear Of The Dark - Not much to say - you know what to expect of this one. It's nice it's got a unique backdrop for a change, but otherwise it's business as usual. Iron Maiden - I'm not a huge fan of the big Eddie on this one - I like the artwork it's based on from Senjutsu, but it just looks too cartoony in a giant inflatable. Again, no other real comments here. Hell On Earth - The fifth and final live debut in this show. It works well live - it actually significantly improved my opinion of the song. It's visually appealing with a stunning backdrop and lots of pyro throughout. But again, the crowd is consistently lost. The Trooper - The most disappointing of the classics played on this tour. Bruce does absolutely nothing on it - no flag, no uniform, no guns, nothing. It really showcases how this song's live prowess is based on the showmanship, not the music. Wasted Years - A fitting and powerful closing song for this tour. The crowd loves it, the band has fun with it, and it fits with the theme of the tour. If you're on the fence with this tour - I recommend it highly for the diehards. If you're a casual and you really just want the hits, or if you've never seen the band before, you might end up feeling a little let down. But I absolutely loved it, and I'm already looking forward to more of it next year...

Ghost fans really are a special breed sometimes. Some of the comments I’ve seen on Reddit over the last few days…wow. One user found the Phantomime LP for sale a few days early…and refused to buy it because they wanted to “experience it on release day the way Papa intended”. Now I’m all for not listening to leaks if you so choose, but if you have a chance to buy the music, legally, and listen to it early…what? The other fantastic one was “I hate Iron Maiden. But if Ghost could cover every single Iron Maiden song, I could finally call myself an Iron Maiden fan”

I'm very...split over it. It's not bad by any stretch, and it's very faithful to the original. But it also feels a bit sterile, it lacks a lot of the raw energy of the original. Tobias' vocals feel a little subdued to me, and they're just a little too buried in the mix for my liking. I do however like the change in the perspective of the lyrics, I think that's really fitting for Ghost. I don't hate it. But it's one of my favorite bands covering my favorite song by my favorite band, and I'd have hoped for more from it.

Favorite bootleg is either HOB 2001 or Inglewood 1991. Favorite attended is either The Ritz 2012 (Great atmosphere in a room synonymous with GN'R, and one of the better UCAP performances) or the second to last night in Vegas 2014 (Amazing setlist and a very good performance from Axl).