9 posts tagged “iron maiden”

Top Artists this Week (see more)

17 Feb 2008 – 24 Feb 2008

–	1		Iron Maiden	196
	2		Radiohead	39
	3		British India	27
	4		Opeth	26
3	5		Robert Plant & Alison Krauss	18
	6		Bruce Dickinson	17
	7		Monster Magnet	14
	8		Ramones	10
	8		Black Mountain	10
	10		Joy Division	9

A far more sensible chart than last week, but clearly I have not yet overcome my addiction, following on from the fucking amazing Maiden concert a couple of weeks ago.  In fact, on Thursday last week I FORCED myself to put something else on, even though I saw no need to.  Since then, I've only kept 3 Maiden albums on my PDA, so there's been a much more even spread.

Opeth's a new one for me, recommended by Mendosus now that I seem to have conquered my death-metal-growl phobia.  Dark new musical doors are open, much to my wife's chagrin ;-)

British India were recommended by my wife, and I'm really enjoying them.  They've got a real Arctic Monkeys vibe, but they're from Melbourne.  They've got those great frenetic rockin' riffs and they make you wanna move about, something best not done in public my yours truly in any form other than foot tapping.

Next week should be a more balanced affair...

Holy fucking shit. I have never been to one of those enormodome kinda shows where EVERYONE stood up the ENTIRE time. The whole place, from the front row to the nose bleeds, was on it's feet from the moment the band hit the stage.

Iron Maiden haven't been to our shores in 15 years, since the 'Fear of the Dark' tour, and this probably expains why the vibe was as intense as it was. A few songs in, between songs, Bruce came and sat down on the foldback up the front of the stage. The crowd went nuts, and we didn't stop screaming for a whole minute or more. At the end of the show he commented that it was one of the warmest welcomes they've had "in any city" apparently. Aww shucks, you probably say that to all the boys (blush).

The excitement was intense though, and I think I had more fun than I've had at any concert. I was with a bunch of guys and I don't think any of us stopped movin' and groovin' to the triple lead guitar onslaught for the entire show. I certainly didn't.

The stage set was kick-arse, with three stone-looking walls with heiroglyphics on them surrounding the band for that Powerslave vibe. Big curtains/sheets with various representations of their artwork were drawn across the rear of the stage during the appropriate song, with the default being one with Powerslave, Somewhere In Time & Seventh Son artwork on it. The only downside was that Nicko's drumkit sat in a little enclave in the wall, completely surrounding him on three sides, and blocking the view for all but those directly in front. Ahh well, he is credited as being the ugliest drummer in rock.

The set list busted out all the songs you'd expect, and fuck they sound amazing live. 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' especially sounded heavy and beefy, with eerie dry ice smoke covering the stage in the middle section, washed in blue light for effect. If I'm to get picky, I'd complain that they picked the wrong songs off 'Somewhere In Time' ('Heaven Can Wait', 'Wasted Years') but they've always had a preference for playing those two off that album, so it was no surprise. 'Fear of the Dark' was another highlight, as it seemed the crowd were all singing it as one. I found myself looking around at other people singing it, rather than the band. It was a 'moment'.

Before the show, one of my friends emailed around the setlist from the Mumbai show (a few days before ours) and I knew I shouldn't have looked because, as I'd feared, they played exactly the same set. Not that it affected my enjoyment, because I've never seen them play <em>any</em> song before, but I just don't understand how a band can want to play the exact same set, night after night, for a whole tour. Seems to me they're missing the point of live music. I guess there are a couple of types of band -- those who put on the huge 'show' with pyrotechnics/visuals and it's all planned out to come off perfectly (Maiden, Roger Waters, Kiss) and those who are free to take it as it comes and slot any song in at any time (Pearl Jam). Fundamentally I prefer the latter but I wasn't complaining on Saturday night.

UPDATE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO POST THIS EARLIER: It's been a week since the show and I have still listened to nothing but Maiden, for 2 weeks straight now. Last.fm shows about 600 Maiden tracks in that time. I have no desire to put anything else on yet, and I'm singing their songs in my sleep. I've never been as obsessed with them, even in the 'old days'. I guess that's another mark of a fantastic show.

Show us something that's got you hooked.

I think I'll let this week's last.fm charts do the talking:

Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 17 February 2008

–	1		Iron Maiden	330
4	2		Nebula	1
4	2		Robert Plant & Alison Krauss	1
4	2		Richard Hell and the Voidoids	1
	2		Nine Inch Nails	1

This is even more than last week's haul.  It can't continue, can it?

No surprises whatsoever this week, and possibly my biggest ever haul for a single artist.  The concert was on Saturday, a run-down will follow, but this leaves no doubt as to my excitement for the event of the year...

Top Artists for the week ending 10 Feb 2008

3	1		Iron Maiden	250
9	2		Radiohead	5
1	3		The Cult	2
6	3		Angus & Julia Stone	2
2	3		Monster Magnet	2
	6		Talking Heads	1
14	6		Cat Stevens	1
8	6		Black Rebel Motorcycle Club	1
	6		Richard Hell and the Voidoids	1
3	6		Robert Plant & Alison Krauss	1
8	6		Public Image Ltd.	1
	6		Nebula	1

I'm very excited about this weekend, as I'm off to see Iron Maiden on their 'Somewhere Back In Time' world tour.  I've been listening to all their albums non-stop over the past week, and watching live DVDs -- basically I'm building this thing up to be a major fucking event.  Based on their 2004ish 'Death On The Road' DVD that I watched the other day, however, I don't think I'll be disappointed.  They seem to be at the top of their game -- check out Hallowed Be Thy Name from this DVD, which FULLY blew me away:

Watching this DVD also made me appreciate their 'Dance of Death' album from 2003, which sits between two of my favourites (Brave New World from 2000, and A Matter Of Life And Death from 2006) and which I had previously thought was shit.  There are some real gems on there though, and whilst not as good as the other two abovementioned albums from this reunion period, it's certainly not the pile of horseshit that I previously thought it to be.

I've been reading about the cover, too, which I must say I never liked much.  There's a bit of controversy behind it, as I've discovered is standard with Maiden's covers.  The artist, Dave Patchett, who is responsible for the amazing Cathedral album covers, was hired to do the artwork for Dance of Death.  What he submitted to them first was not quite what they were after, so they asked him to add some ideas to enhance it, which he did by way of very rough computer generated sketches.  However, they like this dodgy rough version so much, they just released it as is (with the addition of some masks by a different artist) and didn't want Patchett to finish it.  He was so unhappy with it that he subsequently asked to have his name removed from the credits. 

Check out the original vs the unfinished-yet-final version and you'll see the problem.  The figures aren't even anatomically finished, and check out that 'baby' kinda hovering above the dog.  I can see the final version is more in keeping with his other work, but why didn't they just ask him to finish it off?? 

I've also read that their original and most popular artist, Derek Riggs, responsible for their best covers from the 80s, has now refused to work with them anymore, as they're too difficult.  He had concepts for 'Fear of The Dark' and 'Brave New World' rejected, and decided enough was enough.  Of course, they took bits of his Brave New World illustration (the sky) and used it in the final.  You'd be pissed off I think.

Anyway, none of this detracts from the amazing live feast that awaits us on Saturday night.  Up the Irons!!  Scream for me Sydney!!!

For the Iron Maiden fans amongst you.

The 'SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME' World Tour 2008 will be in three sections, starting in February and March 2008 with the first leg encompassing major concerts in 20 selected cities on five continents in seven weeks including India, Japan, North America, Central and South America, and, of course, Australia, opening in Perth on Feb 4 and continuing through Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane:

To tie in with forthcoming 2008 releases on DVD of the classic 'LIVE AFTER DEATH' and 'MAIDEN ENGLAND' concert videos (more details coming soon) this tour, aptly entitled 'SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME', will revisit the band's history by focusing almost entirely on the 80's in both choice of songs played and the stage set, which will be based around the legendary Egyptian Production of the 1984-85 'Powerslave Tour'. This will arguably be the most elaborate and spectacular show the band have ever presented, and will include some key elements of their Somewhere In Time tour of 1986/7, such as the Cyborg Eddie.

I thought that a good way to kick this blog thing off properly is to get this best albums of 2006 list out of my head finally so I can stop thinking about it. Only a month later than most but think of it as a refreshing flash back.

This is not necessarily a list of my favourite albums that were released in 2006 but just the albums that I got into and that really affected me in some way.

1. Howling Bells - Howling Bells
I was obsessed with this one for months, culminating in seeing them live. Most of the band used to be Waikiki and I read an article saying that one night on stage they just looked at each other and realised that they didn't want to play that kind of music anymore. So they dropped out, moved to London, changed their sound and spent a long time recording the perfect album. And it pretty much is.

It's textured, layered and haunting. In a way it's goth. But without all the make up and attitude. Kinda the way that Nick Cave is goth. Juanitas vocals are perhaps the most beautiful I've ever heard. It fully rocks in places (Low happening) and takes you to another world in others (ballad for the bleeding hearts). Every song is as good as the last. And I love the cover art - suits it perfectly and completes the package. I played it to death.

Seeing them live again in a couple of weeks - can't wait!

2. Arctic Monkeys- Whatever people say I am that's what I'm not
OK, so I know everyone says it, but I got into these guys before they were big here. A pommy mates family sent a copy over from the motherland and we were both instantly hooked. It made me want to shake my funky thing, and almost dance, something I'm not licensed to do in public. I couldn't get enough of the catchy riffs, the direct quirky story telling lyrics, and the accent. And I played it to death.

Hope they can follow it up with something amazing, and I hope I haven't played this one too much to care anymore.

3. Iron Maiden - a Matter of life and Death
I have been, and part of me still is, a metalhead. Like most of my kind then, I love the 80s Maiden stuff and think everything from 1990s No Prayer For the Dying onwards is largely shit. When Bruce Dickinson came back on vocal duties in 2000 for Brave New World I gave it go and ended up thinking it was amazing - as good as the 80s stuff. But then the follow-up, Dance of Death, sucked.

So with this background I tentatively downloaded the new one, more out of interest in a completist sense. And whaddya know, they nailed it again.

It's a darker album than most of theirs (yes, not surprisingly darker even than the limp 'Fear of the Dark') and even gets political in places ("Paying for my freedom with your lonely unmarked graves" from These Colours Don't Run). The vocals are gritty rather than overly operatic (as Bruce can be at times) and the songs are epic without seeming overblown. It never descends into an unintentional parody of their former work. I was having trouble putting my finger on the difference between their good and bad albums but I think that might be it.

Oh, and Steve Harris seems to have avoided overtly crap lyrics on this one (think 'the Loneliness Of the Long Distance Runner').

The cover artwork suits it precisely with the dark tones and the band as walking dead. There's another way you can tell if an Iron Maiden album is going to rock - the best ones have great covers.

4. Garden State soundtrack
My wife And I think Zach Braff is great in Scrubs, we heard he'd made a movie so we hired it. We loved it. And in the tradition of some of our other favourites (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, High fidelity) it had a great soundtrack that hit us immediately while watching it. Reading about it afterwards we found out that zach had assembled it himself which instantly increased our estimation of him and his movie.

A great collection of songs that all evoke different moods and feelings, but because of the subject matter of the film, none are crazy up beat, so there is a definite cohesive vibe. The main thing that gels them together, though, is that they are songs concerned about being songs - melody, lyrics, hooks, atmosphere.

As previously mentioned, it spawned obsessions with Colin Hay and The Shins, and who knows, perhaps others too when I get time to listen to more stuff from the other artists.

...more to come in part 2 - stay tuned.