“Nobody has ever played this song, apart from on the record”: Bruce Dickinson just played a 41-year-old Iron Maiden deep cut live for the first time ever

Bruce Dickinson surprised fans at the opening date of his North American tour by playing a classic Iron Maiden deep cut live for the very first time.

The Maiden singer kicked off the tour in support of his 2024 solo album The Mandrake Project at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California on Friday August 22, 2025.

While the 15-song setlist largely focussed on his solo albums, he unexpectedly dropped in a cover of Iron Maiden’s Flash Of The Blade, a song that originally appeared on 1984’s Powerslave album and has never been played live before by Maiden or Bruce.

Introducing the song, he said  “Nobody has ever played this song, apart from on the record, of course, but nobody has ever played this song. And it's a song that I wrote.

“So I don't know whether any of you have got any clue what song it might be. But like usual, it's a conundrum. I shall not tell you. You will just have to figure it out. It probably won't take long…

“You’ll die as you lived in a flash of the blade.”

The rest of the set featured songs from Dickinson’s solo albums Balls To Picasso (1994), Accident Of Birth (1997), The Chemical Wedding (1998), Tyranny Of Souls (2005) and The Mandrake Project. He also played a cover of Edgar Winter’s 1972 instrumental hit Frankenstein.

Bruce Dickinson " Flash Of The Blade " Iron Maiden Cover First Time Live Anaheim 8-22-2025 - YouTube

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Dicksinson recently revealed to Metal Hammer that he plans to begin recording the follow-up to The Mandrake Project in early 2026..

He said that he has written and demoed 18 songs for the album, with the songs running the gamut from “bone-crushingly heavy” songs as well as moments that “are just like tugging at the heartstrings”.

“If it’s heavy, it’s heavy,” he adds, “but if it just happens to be acoustic, it’s acoustic. That’s the deal, you know?

“It’s whatever the song dictates, whatever the story is you’re trying to tell, but it’s really exciting. I’m so stoked about these tracks. I played the demos to a few people in the record label and stuff, and everybody is like, ‘Wow!’”

He added that Maiden bassist Steve Harris has heard some of the songs.

“I was playing the demos to the team, the management, because I’ve got it on a little tablet,” Dickinson remembers. “So I said, ‘You want to hear some new stuff?’

“I didn’t realise Steve was having his physio in the room next door. And he came out and he went, ‘Is that your new stuff?’ I went, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘That’s the best stuff you’ve ever done. That’s the best stuff I’ve ever heard from you!’ I went, ‘Well, thank you very much, boss!’”

Dickinson recently reissued his second solo album Balls To Picasso, now retitled More Balls To Picasso. The reissue features remixed overhauls of the original recordings, as well as live-in-the-studio takes of the songs God Of War and Shoot All The Clowns. Listen below.

Meanwhile, Maiden recently wrapped up the European leg of their 50th-anniversary tour, Run For Your Lives. The trek is expected to extend into 2026, but no upcoming dates have been revealed at time of publication.

Bruce Dickinson setlist, House Of Blues, Anaheim, California Friday August 22, 2025

Accident Of Birth
Abduction
Laughing In The Hiding Bush
Shadow Of The Gods
Chemical Wedding
Flash Of The Blade
Resurrection Men
Rain On The Graves
Frankenstein
The Alchemist
Book Of Thel
Road To Hell
Tears Of The Dragon
Gods Of War
Starchildren