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BRUCE DICKINSON Discusses The Dark Side Of Fame & The Power To Manipulate

"And that's a really scary moment, to realize that that power exists."

Bruce Dickinson
Photo by John McMurtrie

A new episode of the Psycho Schizo Espresso podcast, hosted by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson and Oxford University psychologist and renown author, Dr. Kevin Dutton, is now available on all YouTube. You can also check it out below.

Dickinson is currently on the road with Iron Maiden, and he and Dutton got to talking about relationships on the road. Dickinson said, "We toured with bands who were [involved with multiple partners on tour], and they'd look at us like we were just weird. Yeah, obviously, we all had girlfriends, and sometimes you had girlfriends who were temporary girlfriends. [Laughs] But I don't like it when there's this undercurrent of abuse. It was [The Who's] Pete Townshend, who knows a bit about abuse, I think, because he underwent quite a lot of it, and he said — and it clicked for me — he said, 'The big moment is when you realize that you can manipulate people because of who you are.' Because when you first start out, you don't have any realization that people might want to sleep with you because you're onstage. You think they want to sleep with you because they want to sleep with you, because it might be nice and because they like you. And often that's true — it's often that it's true… And yes, there are some people that want you as a notch on the bedpost, just as some guys have that [same thing] with women, and, yeah, we've all been guilty of it, no doubt."

Dickinson continued, "But there comes a point, which is incredibly corrupting and corrosive, in which you suddenly go, 'Hang on a minute. You can actually kind of click your fingers and make things happen.' And that's a really scary moment, to realize that that power exists. And that's why the Harvey Weinstein's and all the rest of it, and the whole Hollywood thing… So that awareness of that, that's when it becomes really corrupting. I mean, the guy… What's his name? R. Kelly, who's been indicted, been convicted, I think. It's the same thing for actors as well… And then when you throw in a bucket of mood-altering drugs into the equation, then the wheels really come off the bus."

Iron Maiden are currently on tour in North America through October, and you can see those dates below.

w/ Trivium
9/17 – Denver, CO, USA – Ball Arena [Tickets]
9/19 – Salt Lake City, UT, USA – USANA Amphitheatre [Tickets]
9/21 – Anaheim, CA, USA – Honda Center [Tickets]
9/25 – Chula Vista, CA, USA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre [Tickets]
9/27 – Concord, CA, USA – Concord Pavilion [Tickets]
9/29 – Seattle, WA, USA – Climate Pledge Arena [Tickets]
9/30 – Spokane, WA, USA – Spokane Arena [Tickets]

w/ Within Temptation

10/3 – Sioux Falls, SD, USA – Denny Sanford Premier Center [Tickets]
10/5 – Chicago, IL, USA – United Center [Tickets]
10/7 – Columbus, OH, USA – Nationwide Arena [Tickets]
10/9 – Detroit, MI, USA – Little Caesars Arena [Tickets]
10/11 – Toronto, ON, CANADA – Scotiabank Centre [Tickets]
10/12 – Hamilton, ON, CANADA – FirstOntario Centre [Tickets]
10/15 – Ottawa, ON, CANADA – Canadian Tire Centre [Tickets]
10/17 – Worcester, MA, USA – DCU Center [Tickets]
10/19 – Belmont Park, NY, USA – UBS Arena [Tickets]
10/21 – Newark, NJ, USA – Prudential Center [Tickets]
10/23 – Washington, DC, USA – Capital One Arena [Tickets]
10/25 – Greensboro, NC, USA – Greensboro Coliseum [Tickets]
10/27 – Tampa, FL, USA – Amalie Arena [Tickets]

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