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Budapest is absolutely swarming with Iron Maiden shirts. Seriously, you can’t move for Eddies; a bemused American tourist even stops Hammer on our way to the Sports Arena to point at our Legacy Of The Beast tee and ask why he keeps seeing that grinning undead face everywhere. Maiden coming to town is always an event, but there’s something extra special in the air today. New tour, new setlist, new stage show and, for the first time in 35 years, even a brand new member (more on that later).
After the eras-mashing fun of the Future Past tour, which leaned heavily into Maiden’s 1986 sci fi epic Somewhere In Time and most recent studio album, 2021’s Senjutsu, this latest trek, titled Run For Your Lives, is all-guns-blazing nostalgia, promising cuts exclusively from the band’s first decade-and-a-bit. For old school fans, it’s pure heavy metal mana. For younger acolytes, it’s a chance to witness some songs they may well have resigned themselves to never seeing live.
Before all that, it falls to Halestorm to take on the famously unenviable task of warming up an Iron Maiden crowd - a task they ace pretty effortlessly, in fairness. Decades in and arena headliners themselves at this point, the Pennsylvania rockers also have the ace in the hole that is Lzzy Hale, whose screams, croons, cries and shrieks reaffirm her status as one of the best singers of her generation. Half of their support set is comprised of tracks from imminent album Everest, and you can understand why they’re feeling confident about it: the new material sounds excellent.
Following a Doctor Doctor that already has Budapest bouncing, the arena is bathed in a hazy yellow light as a big, fuck-off LCD screen sparks into life on stage, giving us a quick, immersive tour of the grimy backstreets of East London. It looks state-of-the-art; Maiden have flirted with screens before, but this is a whole different beast, reminiscent of the eye-singeing set-up that Ghost brought to arenas just last month.
And then, out of nowhere, metal’s favourite six-piece are on stage and launching into Murders In The Rue Morgue, a frenetic Killers cut not seen in twenty years, swiftly followed by Wrathchild (not played for almost a decade), Killers (first play since '99) and Phantom Of The Opera (back after 11 years). A quartet of rare, Paul Di’Anno-era tracks backed by those sparkling new visuals is a real rug-pull. This already feels like a Maiden gig quite unlike any other we’ve seen (although we do get an early, Killers-inspired Eddie appearance, striding around on stage and threatening to swing his hatchet right at poor Janick Gers’ head.)
“The whole fucking world is watching this show,” beams Bruce Dickinson, hair pulled tightly back, donning a biker jacket. “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” He isn’t kidding. The Number Of The Beast is dished out early, flanked by Nosferatu-style black-and-white horror footage.
Then it’s a quick dip into the Seventh Son… era for a dusting off of The Clairvoyant, before Maiden's snazzy new backdrop is transformed into a stunningly rendered take on their iconic Powerslave set. The reveal is goosebump-inducing, as is a rollocking run through the album's title track, 2 Minutes To Midnight and fan favourite epic Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, backed by visuals every bit as grandiose as the song's sea-faring, Coleridge-indebted subject matter.
At this point it becomes clear just how savvy a pick Simon Dawson was to step behind the drum kit and into the shoes of Nicko McBrain, who retired from touring last year. Passing your first test with flying colours is no mean feat when said test includes keeping the ship steady during a near-14-minute prog metal epic that your bandmates haven't played in over 15 years, and the rave applause that greets him when Dickinson throws praise his way is well-earned.
As for Dickinson himself? He still sounds fantastic, but more pressingly, Hammer is certain that if we attempted whatever his cardio routine is, we'd shit ourselves. His stage attire is every bit as nostalgic as the setlist, a proper fancy dress greatest hits. Following the biker jacket, he moves through outfits including but not limited to: his classic Powerslave get-up (feathery mask, battle vest); Seventh Son... trenchcoat; The Trooper military gear (and flag, natch); Aces High Biggles cap; Fear Of The Dark victorian garb and accompanying lantern.
He's even stuck in a cage for Hallowed Be Thy Name, a moment which leads to him utilising that giant screen for one of the best visual gimmicks this writer's seen at a metal show, equal parts Hammer Horror and Monty Python and oh-so-very Iron Maiden. We won't spoil it here, but it really is fun.
A revised way of doing the traditional Giant Eddie may sit oddly with some fans, but it undeniably looks impressive and certainly fits with this new-look stage show. As an anthemic Wasted Years brings us home courtesy of another banger of a digital set, it seems Iron Maiden have pulled off a rare trick: celebrating the past by stepping into a bold new future.
Iron Maiden's Run For Your Lives tour continues through Europe and the UK this summer
Iron Maiden setlist: Papp László Sportaréna, Budapest, Hungary
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Wrathchild
Killers
Phantom of the Opera
The Number of the Beast
The Clairvoyant
Powerslave
2 Minutes to Midnight
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Run to the Hills
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Trooper
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden
Encore
Aces High
Fear of the Dark
Wasted Years
