Raise Thy Fists And Exhort Loudly Because......

KKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG.

Sounds kinda whimpy now though.

well, anyway, have fun, guys...

Are the tickets even on sale yet? If any of my wussy ass friends would be willing to go, I'd totally go. I have to convince someone.My friends are so totally weak though. I should hold out my cards until something really, really, REALLY amazing comes to town and force them to go to that.

Couldn't you?

You're both enthusiastic about it. You have
semi-similar interests. You're both intelligent.
You both wear glasses. You joke around sometimes.
He felt comfortable talking about hurting you.
And it was all in fun. You could make it into
a silly, romantic thing.

I hope I don't ruin it by this.

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Not that I'm against the idea of an ILM Iron Maiden lurv connection. It sounds great in theory. But I do suspect the 3Dshroom up there has been sampling his own wares a little too often lately.

I think he was thinking you were someone else, Alex. Someone with glasses who threatened me. Quite possibly my ex-fiance, actually. I really don't see the resemblance between the two of you, but maybe I'm missing something?

Motorhead is playing with High on Fire and the Dwarves

When are Hawkwind with Lemmy on bass playing at MSG?

Anyone else going? If so, I'll be the jerk in the Killing Joke t-shirt (naturally).

No! You wanted the fuckin' things, now you can get out there and feed them and brush them - and you clean their cage out while you're at it too, 'cos it's starting to fuckin' stink!

Next up? Dio, apparently, prompting my friend Rob & m'self to furiously scurry out of the auditorium not only to secure beers for ourselves, but as a pointed sign of disrespect to the diminutive b-list'er hobgoblin. I didn't mind the odd Ronnie James Dio-era Sabbath track (notably "Mob Rules"), but his solo career is fraught with so many moments of pompous ridiculousity that I well up with shame knowing I was in attendance for this performance. We stayed out in the corridors downing many expensive beers and fraternizing with the
metal congniscenti for the entirety of Dio's set, and that was no accident. The hightliht of this portion: right during "Rainbow in the Dark" (there's no mistaking that irritating synth riff), some Garden Security Gents employed some severely entertaining "uneccesary roughness" on some hapless, pie-eyed rowdyboy in a tye-dye shirt. Salut!

Next up? The main event! Maiden take the stage like wolfpack of Gestapo after snorting a swastika of high grade cocaine off Eva Braun's comely buttocks. "Woe to you oh earth and sea....." and the place fucking explodes. Steve Harris shoving the business end of his bass at us like barrell of an M-16, Bruce Dickinson leaping about like some fleet-footed hobbit on an apparently very hot floor. All three guitarists noodling away (Why oh Why is Janick Geers still in the picture? His ceaseless gymnastics really don't fit the proceedings at all). Adrian Smith seems to be boasting a large Freemasons patch on his leather waistcoat. Curious, that.

Basically a greatest hits set (with only a solitary new track played,
mercifully). "Number of the Beast," "The Trooper," "Die With Your Boots On," "Hallowed Be The Name", "Revelations", "The Clansmen", "The Clairvoyant", "Iron Maiden," "Two Minutes to Midnight" and the inevitable "Run To the Hills". I'm sure I'm forgetting one track or another, but you get the picture. No big omissions (though I'd quite like to have heard "Sanctuary," "Running Free", "Aces High" and "Wasted Years", personally).

Multiple backdrops depicting various Derek Riggs covers of Eddie in all his grim finery make the rounds. During "Iron Maiden," a hilarious giant Eddie emerges, giggling maniacally as his head pops open and brain is lowered in full, gloriously over the top Spinal Tap stylee.

Anyway, there you have a it. A splendid time had by all.

I wasn't that displeased with Dio's set, except for the fucking drum solo. He played the four songs I wanted to hear, and a few other songs I don't care about.

Motorhead were painfully loud, and a little sloppy to start, but generally as great as always. I saw them last year on that tour with REO Speedealer and whoever else, and they were just as good in the arena as in the club.

Had this same discussion last night with my friend Rob. Maiden played "The Clansman" the last time around as well (2000?). I think the prevailing argument is that whomever's out front, at the end of the day it's Steve Harris' band, not Dickinson's (nor Blaze's nor Paul Di'Anno's, etc.). Thus, since Steve wrote it, in the set list it goes...I could live without it as well, but better "The Clansman" than "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" any day.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1475142/20030731/iron_maiden.jhtml?headlines=true

The downside of the evening was that due to the massive crush of people getting in we missed all of Motorhead (and worse, we could hear the damn set as we were stuck outside!) but were treated to all of Dio. His keyboardist was a tool and having both a drum solo *and* a synth/guitar solo was a crime, but he's still not hiding the thinning up top so points there, and for all the prancing was reasonably low key and schticky for his song intros, like an old uncle hosting a family reunion.

Agreed. And the guitar he is currently using should be confiscated from him and then used to bludgeon him into non-twirly-dancing submission.

f you're going to go insanely all out, Somewhere in Time or nothing

Wha???? Derek Riggs' lamest hour. My nine year old nephew could've done a finer cover. If I were dim enough to get an entire Maiden cover as a tattoo, it would invariably be Live After Death (Eddie rises from the grave) or Powerslave (Eddie as Abu Simbel).

Yeah, but I'm talking in tattoo terms. All that hyperdetail would show that you are truly insane to want THAT on your back.

Eddies finest hour.