This was an unexpected opportunity. While we managed to snag a photo pass for Gavin (his pictures adorning this article) we weren’t sure we’d be able to get a review ticket… until in stepped a friend who had a spare. Because the friend she was meant to be going with had landed a free VIP pass! Thanks, Lisa!
Opening the show, and not their first time supporting Maiden, were The Raven Age. I’ve seen them a few times, the most recently being their opening slot for Apocalyptica at SWG3 where I was late and only caught the last song. This wasn’t deliberate, I didn’t even know they were playing that night! A little story: the first time I saw them was at the Cathouse on what I think was their first tour, opening for Delain. While we were sat around in the afternoon watching the band set up, I saw a roadie checking out the guitars. He looked so much like that guy from Iron Maiden. Steve someone?
Yes, now I know. I didn’t at the time. Historical facepalm moment.
A decade on and father and son are in the same venue again (as they will be at WinterStorm where both The Raven Age and Harris Sr.’s British Lion will be playing). Beauty before age was the order this evening as the younger cohort strode confidently on stage to warm up a welcoming crowd before their legendary elders. With a simple backdrop and some top notch musicianship they did just that.
The Hydro was filling slowly as the worked through their 7-song set, each one note perfect and performed by a band who exemplified their 15 years of honing their craft. Frontman Matt James Matt James is cocky (in all the right ways) and has a voice to back it up, and guitarist Tommy Gentry plays as flamboyantly as he looks. They and other members of the band had fun with their photographer, standing deliberately far too close to him or squatting over his lens – last gig of the tour japes!
Having said all that, The Raven Age have always been a bit vanilla for me. They’re good musicians, their music’s not bad, but… it doesn’t really hook me in. Closing song “Fleur de Lis” is the exception and they have definitely saved their best for last. Enjoyable enough, and many in the crowd obviously liked them, but for me they simply did their job of warming up the amps and a few voices in the audience.
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But now… the big moment. Iron Maiden‘s 50-year celebration at a packed (sold out? Looked it) Hydro. This wasn’t to be the incredible extravaganza that fans in London got recently, partly due to restrictions based purely on this being an indoor venue, but otherwise this was a belter.
The stage set was actually surprisingly basic given Maiden’s history, stripped back but very, very effective. A couple of gangways and some small turrets near the front made for the majority of the physical aspects, with a huge video screen at the back and some smaller ones mid-stage. I want the big screen. And a house big enough to hold it. The video quality was incredible. I don’t think I’ve seen definition and quality on that scale before.
There was a point at the end of “Powerslave” where Bruce was standing on a gangway at the back of the stage above the drums. Tuten-Eddie’s head is tilting forwards and I could have sworn that the chin was going to crush Bruce. It looked like it was popping out of the screen to the point I was looking at the other video screens to the side of the stage try and catch another angle to see if there was more than just this amazing video projection. Kudos to the graphics team for this and the rest of the immersive work which really showed what can be done with digital media. It’s a shame in a way to lose so much of the physical props that have been used over the years, but screens and so on are reusable, repurpose-able and doubtless easier to transport.
But the music! This was a great setlist, and one that I can’t believe I heard negative things about in the early stages of the tour. A couple of people were complaining about the length of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” making it unsuitable for a live outing. This despite it being a landmark track on Live After Death. “Seventh Son” isn’t exactly a quick fire number either, but neither song seemed unwelcome from what I could see. Hell, a pocket of lads were going mental not that far in front of me, bouncing around to “Rime” well past its halfway point.
So many other great tracks as well. “Number of the Beast”, “Wrathchild”, “2 Minutes to Midnight”, “Run To The Hills”, “The Trooper”… given the range of albums they were pulling from for this tour there really wasn’t any way they could have pulled a bad one out of the bag.
Harris Sr.’s bass was rumbling clearly throughout the set, and with three great guitarists up there to partner him the riffs were non-stop. Dave Murray must be one of the best guitarists still going, note perfect and seeming to be the lead-est of the three. Janick was his usual mental self, slinging his guitar everywhere and surprisingly managing not to brain anyone (or himself) whilst doing do.
Comment must be passed on the new boy, Simon Dawson. As Bruce pointed out, we could actually see him as historically Nico has been elevated above the stage and surrounded by more things to hit than Jackie Chan in an action sequence. The boy did well, though there were definitely a couple of moments where the timing or a rhythm was ever so slightly off. I know it wasn’t just me as I heard others mention this on the way out. To take up the mantle carried by the madman McBrain for so many years, though, and to take on songs that fans know so well… very few could have managed. Dawson did great, and he was the last person off the stage both before the encore and at the very end of the show, soaking up the well deserved applause.
Also credit to the crew managing the sound. I will routinely complain about the sound at the Hydro which can be variable at best. For those who compare based on location in the venue, I was slightly stage right about around 20-30 people back from the front. The sound was the best I’ve ever heard at the Hydro and makes me wonder why so many other bands have sounded like complete shit at the same venue. If Maiden can sound this good, so can anyone else.
With Bruce promising that the band will go for another fifty years, I’m pretty sure they’ll all look like Eddie by the time they decide to call it a day. Assuming they ever do!
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Photos by Gavin Lowrey
