Iron Maiden - The Future Past Tour 2023-24

[Nicklord]

Don't know if we need a new topic or anything but I just saw the setlist for the new tour and it's fucking amazing. Their best in some time I think

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/iron-maiden/2023/arena-stozice-ljubljana-slovenia-33b97885.html

 

MOD EDIT:
Starting a new thread for a new tour, and I've moved all of the posts pertaining to the new tour into this new thread. I'll update below with tour info and dates:

 

 

Iron Maiden will be bringing a new tour to Europe in the Summer of 2023 including arena shows in the UK & Ireland. The Future Past Tour will feature previously unperformed songs from the band’s most recent studio album, Senjutsu along with a focus on 1986’s iconic Somewhere In Time record, plus other classic cuts.

Steve Harris says,
“Following the release of our latest album, Senjutsu, we updated the current Legacy of the Beast Tour a little by opening the show with the first 3 songs from it, with the Japanese Palace stage set. As it doesn’t make a lot of sense to repeat this for a Senjutsu album tour, we thought about other options and we’ve decided to revisit Somewhere In Time as that tour didn’t feature in the various retrospective history tours we’ve played over the years. They were based on our 80’s concert videos and sadly we did not film that tour (blame the manager!!).  We have had lots of requests from fans over the years for many tracks on it so we are now going to play them, plus of course a few others we know you will like! It will also be particularly satisfying to finally get to play some of the more epic tracks on Senjutsu, it's been a long wait! 2023 is going to be an exciting time and we’re really looking forward to seeing everyone again in the UK, Ireland and around Europe”.

Manager, Rod Smallwood adds,
“This combination of the two albums we feel is very exciting. We know fans want to hear those epic cuts on Senjutsu for the first time live and we think that by combining it with an iconic album like Somewhere In Time it will make for another really special tour for fans old and new! Of course, for a new album tour in Europe and the UK we will go back largely to the relative intimacy of arenas and we know fans will be very happy about that too!”

 

The Future Past Tour 2023 dates:

May
28 - Arena Stozice, Ljubljana, Slovenia
30 - O2 Arena, Prague, Czechia
31 - O2 Arena, Prague, Czechia

June
3 - Nokia Arena, Tampere, Finland
4 - Nokia Arena, Tampere, Finland
7 - Keongen, Bergen, Norway
9 - Sweden Rock Festival, Solvesborg, Sweden
11 - Quarterback Immobilien Arena, Leipzig, Germany
13 - Tauron Arena, Krakow, Poland
14 - Tauron Arena, Krakow, Poland
17 - Hellfest, Clisson, France
19 - Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
21 - Zag Arena, Hannover, Germany
24 - 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
26 - Ovo Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
28 - First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
30 - AO Arena, Manchester, England

July
3 - Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, England
4 - Utilita Arena, Birmingham, England
7 - O2 Arena, London, England
8 - O2 Arena, London, England
11 - Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands
13 - Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
15 - Return Of The Gods Festival, Milan, Italy
18 - Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
20 - Estadio Enrique Roca, Murcia, Spain
22 - Bizkaia Arena Bec, Bilbao, Spain
25 - Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
26 - Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
29 - Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
31 - Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany

August
1 - Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
4 - Wacken Open Air, Wacken, Germany

September
28 - Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
30 - Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB

October
2 - Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
6 - Power Trip Festival, Indio, CA

 

 

The Future Past 2024 Tour Dates:

September
1 - RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
4 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
6 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
7 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
10 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
12 - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
13 - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
16 - Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
22 - Sky Hall Toyota, Aichi, Japan
24 - Osaka-Jo Hall, Osaka, Japan
26 - Tokyo Garden Theater, Tokyo, Japan
28 - PIA Arena MM, Kanagawa, Japan
29 - PIA Arena MM, Kanagawa, Japan

October
4 - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, San Diego, CA
5 - Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV
8 - Kia Forum, Los Angeles, CA
12 - Aftershock Festival, Sacramento, CA
14 - MODA Center, Portland, OR
16 - Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
18 - Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
19 - Ball Arena, Denver, CO
22 - Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
24 - Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
26 - Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
27 - Centre Videotron, Quebec, QC
30 - Centre Bell, Montreal, QC

November
1 - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
2 - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
6 - DCU Center, Worcester, MA
8 - PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
9 - Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
12 - CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, MD
13 - Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
16 - Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX
17 - Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
20 - Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico
24 - Estadio El Campín, Bogota, Colombia
27 - Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile
28 - Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile

December
6 - Allianz Parque, São Paulo, Brazil
7 - Allianz Parque, São Paulo, Brazil

[The Dissident]

19 hours ago, Nicklord said:

Don't know if we need a new topic or anything but I just saw the setlist for the new tour and it's fucking amazing. Their best in some time I think

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/iron-maiden/2023/arena-stozice-ljubljana-slovenia-33b97885.html

When I saw them for the first time on the LOTB Tour Aces High blew me away as an opener, but I'm sure when I see them later this year it may be dethroned now...

[-Jaro-]

On 5/29/2023 at 11:21 AM, Nicklord said:

Don't know if we need a new topic or anything but I just saw the setlist for the new tour and it's fucking amazing. Their best in some time I think

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/iron-maiden/2023/arena-stozice-ljubljana-slovenia-33b97885.html

And I skipped Ljubljana due to work... When I saw setlist - wow what a bad decision... Hope they do 2nd run in Europe and visit Zagreb or something close again...

[Cosmo]

Holy shit what a nice set, imagine going to that concert wow

[Cosmo]

 

Man, I love this song.

[James Bond]

Nicko's drumming has become the "Axl's vocals" of Iron Maiden after these first couple of shows. He's skipping fills and simplifying the drum parts in addition to some more relaxed tempos (which I actually like). Since he's the oldest guy in the band he can be expected to slow down with age, but it's drastically different from just a few months ago which is somewhat worrying. I do hope he's okay.

But, of course, it's impossible for people to discuss that without getting annihilated by the die hard fans.

Reddit and YouTube are full of the usual comments:

"It's unreasonable to expect him to drum like he did in the eighties."

"Must be the sound in the YouTube videos."

"I was there and he played the songs exactly as he always has."

But, on a positive note, super cool set list so if/when they announce more gigs I will definitely try to hit one. I'm not trying to be pessimistic by any means but part of me thinks there won't be much fuel in the tank beyond this tour with Maiden as we know it. I'll see them while I still can.

I also think it's time to tune down to E-flat. Bruce still has good tonality and overall power, but that semitone would make a huge difference on some of the higher tracks.

[Powerage5]

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...

[Mansin Humanity]

49 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

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...

glad to hear you're back to it! really looking forward to the presumed NA dates next year

[Bansidhe]

Was at the show in Glasgow last night.

 

Not seen the lads since Final Frontier so it'd been a while.

Bladerunner into Caught Somewhere In Time is a tremendous way to open.

Was noticeable that they'd dialled the tempos back a bit and Nicko perhaps not being quite as intricate but they sounded immense still.

Highlights for me were Alexander The Great and Hell On Earth.

[Powerage5]

1 hour ago, Bansidhe said:

Was at the show in Glasgow last night.

 

Not seen the lads since Final Frontier so it'd been a while.

Bladerunner into Caught Somewhere In Time is a tremendous way to open.

Was noticeable that they'd dialled the tempos back a bit and Nicko perhaps not being quite as intricate but they sounded immense still.

Highlights for me were Alexander The Great and Hell On Earth.

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. 

[Amir]

On 6/13/2023 at 3:40 PM, Powerage5 said:

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. 

This really stood out to me, wonder what the reasoning is 🤔

[ChineseDemocracy2004]

Did anyone else go to their show in Manchester?

[SAU3R]

On 6/3/2023 at 10:29 PM, James Bond said:

Nicko's drumming has become the "Axl's vocals" of Iron Maiden after these first couple of shows. He's skipping fills and simplifying the drum parts in addition to some more relaxed tempos (which I actually like). Since he's the oldest guy in the band he can be expected to slow down with age, but it's drastically different from just a few months ago which is somewhat worrying. I do hope he's okay.

But, of course, it's impossible for people to discuss that without getting annihilated by the die hard fans.

Reddit and YouTube are full of the usual comments:

"It's unreasonable to expect him to drum like he did in the eighties."

"Must be the sound in the YouTube videos."

"I was there and he played the songs exactly as he always has."

But, on a positive note, super cool set list so if/when they announce more gigs I will definitely try to hit one. I'm not trying to be pessimistic by any means but part of me thinks there won't be much fuel in the tank beyond this tour with Maiden as we know it. I'll see them while I still can.

I also think it's time to tune down to E-flat. Bruce still has good tonality and overall power, but that semitone would make a huge difference on some of the higher tracks.

That explains it, but holy shit, hats off to Nicko. Age 71, cancer survivor, suffers a stroke in January, goes on tour in May, what a legend! It’s beyond incredible how he performed on this tour giving the circumstances 

Edited August 3, 2023 by SAU3R

[James Bond]

3 minutes ago, SAU3R said:

That explains it, but holy shit, hats off to Nicko. Age 71, cancer survivor, suffers a stroke in January, going on tour in May, what a legend! It’s beyond incredible how he performed on this tour giving the circumstances 

Holy shit. On one hand, it's nice to hear from him in that regard but obviously terrible news about the stroke. All the same, he is nothing short of a badass. Long live Nicko I say. He's doing just fine all things considered, and each consecutive show has just gotten better (although I'm trying not to listen to too much so I'm somewhat spoiler free).

[Powderfinger]

Fucking Hell !! Glad he’s ok. I’m going to see them in Oct and have avoided any vids from the tour thus far so wasn’t aware there was talk about Nickos drumming. 

[Powerage5]

22 hours ago, James Bond said:

Holy shit. On one hand, it's nice to hear from him in that regard but obviously terrible news about the stroke. All the same, he is nothing short of a badass. Long live Nicko I say. He's doing just fine all things considered, and each consecutive show has just gotten better (although I'm trying not to listen to too much so I'm somewhat spoiler free).

Even in the first six shows I saw markable improvement, even if by the end of those shows he still wasn’t quite up to his normal par. I haven’t listened to anything since so I’m not sure where he’s at now. 

[Powerage5]

The first shows have been announced for 2024:

September
1 - RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
4 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
6 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
10 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
12 - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
16 - Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
22 - Sky Hall Toyota, Aichi, Japan
24 - Osaka-Jo Hall, Osaka, Japan
26 - Tokyo Garden Theater, Tokyo, Japan
28 - PIA Arena MM, Kanagawa, Japan

Further dates expected to be announced in North America and South America as well.

[Mansin Humanity]

on the floor for barclays 366 day countdown begins NOW

[Powerage5]

On 10/31/2023 at 10:34 PM, Mansin Humanity said:

on the floor for barclays 366 day countdown begins NOW

You're doing Brooklyn huh? Seems we might finally meet up for a Maiden gig  

[Mansin Humanity]

10 hours ago, Powerage5 said:

You're doing Brooklyn huh? Seems we might finally meet up for a Maiden gig  

oh man is it finally gonna happen? hell yeah, we will be in touch

[Powerage5]

21 hours ago, Mansin Humanity said:

oh man is it finally gonna happen? hell yeah, we will be in touch

Seems like it! We’ll definitely figure something out. In NA I’m planning to do Toronto (or Montreal), Philly, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Newark, and Baltimore. Taking a couple trips also though - I’m doing all four in Japan, and I’m hoping to do a couple in South America (There’s good reason to believe a Bogota show will be announced so that would be my priority). 

[The Cosmic Ted]

Saw them in Tampere. The gig was great but the Arena was bad, there was this weird "echo" going on and it hurt my ears.

[Powerage5]

Mexico City announced for late November, along with their first show in Bogota since 2011!

[Cosmo]

I absolutely hate the fact big metal bands like Iron Maiden, when they come to France, probably sign a exclusivity contract with Hellfest, and then, to see them, you gotta travel to Clisson, watch a gazillion bands you usually don't/won't like and then travel back home, being that 2 out of the 4 festival days are weekdays. God, I hope Maiden, by some kind of miracle, brings this show to Paris or anywhere near, next year.

[Powerage5]

On 11/29/2023 at 6:13 AM, Cosmo said:

I absolutely hate the fact big metal bands like Iron Maiden, when they come to France, probably sign a exclusivity contract with Hellfest, and then, to see them, you gotta travel to Clisson, watch a gazillion bands you usually don't/won't like and then travel back home, being that 2 out of the 4 festival days are weekdays. God, I hope Maiden, by some kind of miracle, brings this show to Paris or anywhere near, next year.

I hope so for your sake, but if I'm being brutally honest I'd be surprised if this tour runs three years. It's not a massive, over the top production like Legacy Of The Beast was. It is also a setlist that's heavily geared towards diehards, and thus maybe not one where demand necessitates another European run. Even the North American leg for next year, while more than I expected for this tour, is considerably shorter than usual. 

In other news (But along the same lines) - Brazil added, and seemingly it's only a single date in São Paulo. Very odd.