Iron maiden entertainment centre adelaide, Sept 4, 2024

Scream for me Adelaide and that’s exactly what the massive crowd at the Entertainment Centre did for Iron Maiden. This was no ordinary show, this was an Epic Stadium show like no other. I hadn’t witnessed Iron Maiden’s last two visits to our shores but I did have 1985 and 1992 Australian to remember them by and was eagerly waiting to see what they had up their sleeve on the Future Past Tour.

The stage was set up like the inside a fortress with the wall around them and Nicko McBrain’s massive drum kit nestled in the middle of the back wall. There were 2 Live monitors one either side and a massive backdrop that would change during the course of the night in reference to the song the band were playing. The intro comes on with UFO’s Doctor Doctor proceeded by Blade Runner, lights are out and like a firing cannon the band rip into Caught Somewhere in Time and members come charging out like a bunch of Braveheart warriors. It takes a bit getting used to what’s happening as these 60-year-old men are running around like they are still in their 20s.

Boom, we are already into the second song, Stranger in a Strange Land and it’s still chaotic onstage, Bruce Dickinson is running around like a monkey just let out of his cage, Dave Murray is poised and playing such fine guitar riffs while Steve Harris is bouncing around and pointing his bass at the crowd in a gun like manner. Then out of nowhere the band’s mascot Eddie comes out and leans against the side of the fortress, looking like he just came out of a new version of the movie Westworld.

Like I said this was a stadium show like no other and this was also no Best Of tour either and it was mostly comprised of material from Senjutus and Somewhere in Time albums with some classics thrown in. Between the songs Bruce was very joyful and witty as he talked about people he knew in Adelaide (Kevin Dutton, a psychologist) as well as someone from Sydney and during the 2-hour set kept the crowd on their toes feeding them with his satire and being their conductor at same time. Just before The Time Machine comes on Bruce talks about woolly mammoths and extinct animals setting the scene for that song.

The lighting throughout the concert was spectacular but not overbearing and the fog came on at the right time and oozed its way on the stage. More banter from Bruce talking about England and that no one could kill a Celt before going into Death of the Celts. His voice still showing so much power with every song.

Out of all the songs that seemed a bit messy was Can I Play With Madness, can’t fully explain why but it just seemed off key or something. But they brought it all back in line with the frigging awesome Heaven Can Wait and Cyborg Eddie showed his face again pointing his gun at Bruce who quite loudly shouted, “Oi where’s your sword, oh you’ve got a gun, that’s not a gun, I’ll show you what a gun is” as he fires at Eddie from a bigger gun as they have a pyrotechnic shootout.

Alexander The Great was totally epic and such a mind-blowing song for most, but it was Fear of the Dark that had people roaring and going mental. Nicko’s drums thundered, the trio of Adrain Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers was insane and they had to compete with the crowd roaring like caged animals. This is an anthem song for sure. Janick swung his guitar like it was an extension of his body as we all waited to see if it was going to fly off. Straight after this the band ripped into Iron Maiden, a song I didn’t think they would play but was well worth it.

And if you thought this was the end of the road for the night you have another thing coming. Three more songs for the Encore starting with Hell On Earth with its epic pyrotechnic display of flames shooting in the air and over the stage. Then into The Trooper, what a frigging song and this even had a small mosh pit going on at the front. Iron Maiden finished off the night with Wasted Years and reminded us that they aren’t finished yet and still have a lot of life left in them. What a show, what a night!!!

Catch Iron Maiden on their remaining Australian dates of The Future Past Tour

Friday 6 & Saturday 7 September: MELBOURNE, Rod Laver Arena

Tuesday 10 September: BRISBANE, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Thursday 12 & Friday 13 September: SYDNEY, Qudos Bank Arena