Iron Maiden - for the sixteenth time in the Czech Republic.
One of the most iconic metal bands, Iron Maiden, played their 16th concert in the Czech Republic on the penultimate day of May 2023 at the O2 Arena in Vysočany. Those who couldn't make it had the opportunity to come the next day at the same place. The announced interest in the Prague concert was so great that two dates were announced, both with the ambition to sell out.
Iron Maiden have gone through a series of personnel changes, departures, returns and firings in their existence (founder Steve Harris, London, 1975). The only constant is bassist Steve Harris. The current line-up includes, in addition to bass, three guitarists (Dave Murrey, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers), a drummer (Nicko McBrain) and a singer (Bruce Dickinson). Supporting the band on this year's tour, the ambiguously named The Future Past, is London-based Raven Age, featuring Steve's son, guitarist George Harris. This proven family connection in the form of support worked seven years ago, shortly after the release of Raven Age's debut Darkness Will Rise (2017). The relatively lukewarm reception from the audience can be attributed to a repertoire that is a thematic take off from Iron Maiden, as well as a somewhat illegible sound crushed by the thumping kick drum. Towards the end of the set the sound started to improve, but few responded to lead singer Matt James' repeated call to "Make some f***ing noise!". Raven Age may look good onstage, but the metal look (short hair, ponytail at most) and the interaction with the crowd has reserves.
Shortly before 9pm, the darkened arena filled with the sound of first a reproduction of Doctor Doctor (UFO, 1974), greeted with rapturous applause, and then Vangelis' Blade Runner (1982). The scene slowly lights up, and the fluorescent arrangement is reminiscent of an airplane emergency exit highlight system. A dense, sharp almost cutting sound and, in the first two tracks, a reminder of the eighties and the successful Somewhere in Time (1986). Two-thirds of the set is devoted to this album and the last Senjutsu ((2021) so far. Caught Somewhere in Time and Stranger in the Strange Land are followed by the trio from the double album Senjutsu. The audience is a little shyly humming The Writing on the Wall along with a slightly disappointed Dickinson and, for now, rather warming up and waiting for the bigger hits. With Days of Future Past and The Time Machine there are a few digital alarm clocks and counters on the main centre screen. The theme is time travel. On the sides of the wide stage are large screens that alternately offer close-ups of the musicians and front-row shots of the faces of enthusiastic fans. These light up even more during the opening of the hit The Prisoner (The Number of the Beast, 1982), which caters to Patrick McGoohan's famous recitative of spy numbers. "I am a Free Man" already sounds genuinely sincere and enthusiastic throughout the hall. Before Death of the Celts (Senjutsu, 2021), Dickinson recalls the charity football match scheduled for the next day between the Iron Maiden team and the team of legends from Slavia Prague, and hints at who is the favourite. Also of considerable resonance are Can I Play With Madness (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 1988) and Fear of the Dark (Fear of the Dark, 1980). The top projection offers a classic horror scene of a dark silhouette of a tree and a full moon. In front of the scene, on an elevated stage, stands a hooded Bruce Dickinson. The sixty-four-year-old frontman, who is also a Boeing 757 pilot and a former British fencing representative, handles the performance vocally and, essentially, musically. His basic onstage attire is a starched coat of indeterminate colour with a belted waist, jeans with an internal lampas and a sleeveless shirt. All the band members except the drummer have this. The last song of the basic set is Iron Maiden from the eponymous album (1980). Of the encores, apart from the spectacular bonfires in the opening Hell on Earth (Senjutsu, 2021), The Trooper (Piece of Mind, 1983) is the most successful. On the way home, visitors will hear Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python's Life of Brian, 1979) reproduced from the already faded stage.
The legendary Iron Maiden put on a compelling show with a good sound, featuring a variety of typical rhythm changes with lightning-fast solos played by all three guitarists. More than forty years of active heavy metal, thousands of concerts around the world and an average age of around seventy are evident in the band members. This is an ensemble that has gone on to have a huge career since opening for Judas Priest in 1980 and, with the help of Martin Birch (producer), has become one of the greatest metal bands of all time. So it is almost a must for every fan of hard music built on guitar riffs and vocals with long straight tones and typical tremolo to see the concert. But it's nothing more than a pleasant reminiscence.
"