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Last Saturday night, Acer Arena had its friggin’ roof virtually blown off by Iron Maiden during their first Sydney show in sixteen years.
I went to the show in 1992 with a bunch of mates and as good as it was, it could have been better. Then, they were touring on a fairly lacklustre album and as venues go, the Hordern Pavillion isn’t exactly the a scale a band like this is used to.
This time, however, everything was different.
The entire theme of the Maiden’s Somewhere Back in Time Tour is the 80′s – their heyday. The era that birthed their seminal album Powerslave, the record breaking World Slavery Tour that followed and what is widely considered to be the finest live album ever recorded – Live After Death.
The latter being the template for the shows the band are playing on this tour. They’re even starting with the same recording of a speech by Winston Churchill they used to start the shows from the World Slavery Tour. Gave me chills, I tells ya.
The show was incredible. Beyond incredible. Completely devoid of credibility in it’s awesomeness. Bruce apologised for the long wait between drinks and promised that it changes now. That they’ll be back sooner and more often. I had earlier heard a rumour in line at the merch tent that they are already planning to tour next year.
The setlist:
Intro – Churchills Speech
1. Aces High
2. 2 minutes to midnight
3. Revelations
4. The Trooper
5. Wasted Years
6. Number of the Beast
7. Can I Play with madness
8. Rime of the ancient mariner
9. Powerslave
10. Heaven can wait
11. Run to the hills
12. Fear of the Dark
13. Iron Maiden
Encore
14. Moonchild
15. Clairvoyant
16. Hallowed be thy name
Over two hours, the band proved that they are in no way beyond their days of hey and they can still kick massive amount of ass while keeping their senses of humour.
Bruce, as always, had the audience in the palm of his hand. So much so, that during a break where, he later explained, he usually has to crap on for a minute or so while the band swaps guitars, the crowd were screaming such an ovation that all he had to do was stand there. Of course, his standing there regarding the crowd just made the cheering louder and longer.
“That”, I turned to my mate and said, “is power.”
