Iron Maiden in Brisbane, May 2016 / Photo: Rebecca Reid

Iron Maiden – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 4/05/16

May 5, 2016

“SCREAM FOR ME BRISBANE!!!”

Seeing Iron Maiden live was a bit of a bucket list event for me. I’m not a through and through metal fan, but I believe you should see the best of pretty much any genre of music live.

So Slayer had been crossed off, as had Judas Priest, Anthrax, Overkill, the list goes on.

Walking into Boondall tonight it was obvious that there was going to be at least three generations of fans at the show. The building was packed, Maiden tee shirts aplenty, Battle Jackets out in force.

And the band didn’t disappoint. The three pronged guitar attack of Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers matched the rhythm section of Nicko McBrain and Steve Harris flawlessly. For me, the whole show was about Bruce Dickinson. Larger than life, (somewhat increased again by thoughts of him winning fencing championships and piloting Ed Force One) he managed to make me feel he was an old friend who was just belting out tunes for me.

Obvious highlights like The Trooper were accompanied with costume changes for Bruce, waving massive Union Jacks overhead.

It must be a fantastical place to live, the world of Iron Maiden, with huge monsters coming to life on stage, from the eternally present Eddie prowling around, through to Spinal Tap-esque gigantic inflatable devils and skulls, inferno-like flames belting towards the sky and plenty of dry ice providing mystical smoke across the stage.

Thankfully, no tiny Stonehenges were lowered and the show went off without a hitch.

At one point Bruce made light of their age, as a band and also I think as individuals. Claiming not to be playing a lot of “old songs” tonight, but “legacy tracks”. It must be hard to come out onstage every night knowing the audience wants songs that you have played literally thousands of times, whilst politely but noticeably less enthusiastically throwing up the horns during your newer numbers.

High point of the night for me was The Number of The Beast which made me feel like I was 14 years old again, hearing it for the first time.

All in all, 9 devil horns out of 10! Thank you Gents. Up The Irons!

Photos by Rebecca Reid