Iron Maiden's mammoth European Legacy Of The Beast tour is currently finishing up in the UK. In the latest issue of Hammer we talk to the band themselves about how the show came together, what it means for them, and why it might just be the greatest Iron Maiden show of all time.
But they're not alone on this jaunt, they're supported by the mighty Killswitch Engage! We had a quick chat to guitarist Adam D about the opportunity and whether touring with Maiden is all it's cracked up to be.
Killswitch were picked to support Iron Maiden on this tour. Did you ever think you’d hear that sentence?
“Of course not. This band is like a lifestyle, one of the biggest metal acts out there, so to be a part of it is incredible. Here we are: just this stupid hardcore-metal band from the North East, and now we’re opening for Iron Maiden. That’s pretty insane, man. We can tell our grandchildren that we did this.”
What’s it like being on tour with Maiden, then?
“The shocking thing was how incredibly pleasant everyone is, right from day one. It’s a well-oiled machine, a group of very nice individuals. Even Bruce stopped in the first day just to say hi. We were like, ‘You don’t need to fucking do that!’”
Have you hung out with any of the other Maiden guys?
“Yeah, I’ve chatted with Steve a bit, and Nicko [McBrain, drums] came in on the first day as well. Everybody’s so chilled, it’s awesome! You never know what to expect with people; everybody’s different, so it’s refreshing to see that they’re all lovely individuals.”
How have Maiden’s crowds taken to you so far?
“It’s exactly what I expected. There are a couple of sour faces down in the front, people who are like, ‘Will you hurry the fuck up? I wanna see Maiden!’ But there’s been a few nights where there are pockets of people that are happy to see us, so that makes all the difference. Also, playing Holy Diver is our one sweet move at the end to win them over. It’s like, ‘Hey, we enjoy classic metal as well!’”
Now that you’ve seen all this up close, are you tempted to add some pyro and props to a Killswitch show?
“I would love it! Unfortunately, our wallets would not. Ha ha ha! We’d probably owe money at the end of the tour if we started doing shit like Maiden do…”
Iron Maiden and Killswitch Engage UK tour dates
Aug 02: Belfast SSE Arena, UK
Aug 04: Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre, UK
Aug 06: Manchester Arena, UK
Aug 07: Birmingham Genting Arena, UK
Aug 10: London O2 Arena, UK
