This past Saturday, I headed to Brooklyn, NY's Barclay's Center to see Iron Maiden on their "Legacy of the Beast" tour, a tour that promises a collection of Iron Maiden classics to be played. If you have tickets to see this tour, I assure you, you will get your money's worth.
First off, it was incredible to see the surrounding area of the arena absolutely flooded with Iron Maiden shirts. The English legends sold out their first night at Barclay's pretty quickly, so they added a second night, which is the one I attended. I imagined the venue would be half empty, but it was quite the opposite. I barely saw an empty seat in the house. Iron Maiden basically sold out two straight nights in New York City in 2019.
And, with the type of show they delivered, it's easy to see why. Putting music aside for a moment, the production was top of the line. If you were in the mosh pit, or seated in the nosebleeds at the opposite side of the arena, you still were able to get engulfed in the show. My seat was in the 200s towards the back and it was still such an immersive experience because of how welcoming Maiden seem to their fans, and just how much is going on stage at any given point.
Bruce Dickinson is sixty years old, and he was running around nonstop for two hours straight, and his voice sounded exactly like you would hear on the record. I can barely do 30 minutes of cardio a day without wanting to end it all. All the members of the band delivered, as the music itself sounded virtually identical to how you remember it on the album, sometimes even faster.
It really did put some other "legacy" metal acts that are a decade younger than Maiden to shame, showing just how much these true legends can still bring it.
The set list was everything a Maiden fan could want (although, selfishly, I wished they also played "Wasted Years" but I was still satisfied.) It was a bit surprising that they played "The Wicker Man" from their 2000 album Brave New World. Although, it's definitely a jam. They also played "For the Greater Good of God" from A Matter of Life and Death. 2006 is classic era now? It was 13 years ago! Jeez, I feel old. The age range was kids to grandparents. It was a great moment for heavy metal and proof we're still out there and when Maiden comes, we all gather and sing "Run to the Hills" and "The Trooper" together.
Here's the setlist and some awesome photos from Rodrigo Fredes.
Aces High
Where Eagles Dare
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Clansman
The Trooper
Revelations
For the Greater Good of God
The Wicker Man
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
The Number of the Beast
Iron MaidenEncore:
The Evil That Men Do
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Run to the Hills
