Bruce Dickinson: Music is more powerful than any political slogan

Bruce Dickinson said that he believes music is "far more powerful than any political slogan".

Speaking to Metal Hammer writer Dom Lawson in the below video, the Iron Maiden frontman shares his thoughts on the power of music.

Believing it's "daft" when musicians start to preach to fans about "the blindingly obvious," he believes it's the emotional power of music that sticks with fans for the rest of their lives.

Citing examples of being at school, and remembering the emotions of being hit with a ruler or lusting after the girl in the second row, Bruce says that music has the power to take "people right to the state they were in when they heard the music and that’s far more powerful than any political slogan or anything like that.

"If you want to preach to people either be a preacher or be a politician."

The documentary Scream for Me Sarajevo – telling the story of Bruce Dickinson's solo show in warring Sarajevo in 1994 – is out June 29.

Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.