I clearly remember sitting across the table from my future mother in law, explaining to her why I bought tickets for multiple dates of the Iron Maiden Legacy of the Beast tour. The confused look on her face became twice as extreme when I explained that they would indeed be playing the same set at every city. “Isn’t that the exact same concert three times? What’s the point?” I took her question very seriously when I sat down to start writing this blog post, and other than the obvious “Iron Maiden is my favorite band of all time,” I really do believe there are advantages to seeing the same tour a few different times. I was shown exactly what those advantages were this second time I saw Iron Maiden.
My most recent Iron Maiden experience, the second time I saw the Legacy of the Beast tour, took place on August 26th at the St. Paul Excel Energy Center. This time around, I had general admission floor passes. Several hours before the opening act even went on, I crammed myself into the sweaty depths of the crowd and stuck my flag in the ground, securing a spot that was no less than 15 feet from the actual stage. The crowd was similar to Tinley Park; everyone was swapping stories of glorious metal concerts from the days of old and bonding the way only metalheads can. The beer flowed and merchandise was purchased, which ensured everyone had a great time basking in the glory that was soon to be Iron Maiden live.
Precisely at 7:30 PM The Raven Age took the stage to perform their 9 song set. Though Google told me it was a 9 song set, to me it still sounded like one song for 60 minutes. I will say that even though I’m not a fan of theirs, it did help me get into the music a little more by seeing them up close. I could read the headstocks of their guitars, see where they placed their fingers, and even could the beads of sweat dripping from their noses. I did honestly enjoy them slightly more the second time around, but not enough to be considered a fan by any stretch of the imagination.
With that said, I won’t say that they’re a BAD band. That would be false on all accounts. They are a band that can play a professional show and rip through their tunes very tightly; by no means does that “suck” or deserved to be ridiculed (casually poking fun is still acceptable). Their brand of melodic metalcore simply does not appeal to me and that’s fine and diddly dandy.
After The Raven Age ended their set, I stood around with aching feet for another 30 minutes before the lights went down, the crowd roared, and Doctor Doctor began blasting over the loud systems. Everyone knew what was coming, and the entirety of the Excel Center jumped at once. Iron Maiden took the stage with ferocity and it was as beautiful of a sight to see as a man lost in the desert finding a stream. Much like I told my future mother in law: it was the exact same set.
Although the set was the same, I noticed how the guitar solos were different. Adrian, Dave, and Janick all spiced up their solos with different embellishments and ornaments. Of course the main melody lines were the same as the records, but a good amount of improvisation was utilized and to great effect. I loved seeing how guitarists deviate from the record so they can remain interested themselves. Often times the “studio” version can seem like the law, but live, a song can sound totally different and have new life; it’s incredibly rewarding to see things like that as a musician.
Seeing the concert in a different venue was also very interesting. The Tinley Park concert was in an amphitheater that was designed to carry sound, while the Excel Energy Center is a hockey arena where the Minnesota Wild play. I have to say, the Excel Energy Center had fantastic acoustics and thankfully Maiden was still able to have their elaborate stage show.
Differences were aplenty, but the similarities were great, too. Of course the setlist was good because it was the exact same as the last concert. Of course the stage show was amazing; it never changed. I really appreciated seeing the show again simply because I could expect what was coming next and honestly, it was still mega exciting. That goes to show how truly entertaining Iron Maiden is.
If you’re favorite band is going on tour, definitely go see it. If you have the means, see it twice, thrice, or stalk them until they know your name. Why? You’ll learn something. You’ll get a new perspective of your a band you love. You’ll support your favorite band. The metal crowd has always been top drawer when it comes to support bands, and I hope that trend continues down to the younger generation.
If this op-ed wasn’t enough of a clue, I still have tickets to one more Iron Maiden show this year.
