Watch Indian politician Conrad Sangma rip through guitar solo from Iron Maiden's Wasted Years

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Heavy metal-loving politician from India is a huge Iron Maiden fan – and he knows his way around a fretboard too

Indian politician Conrad Sangma
(Image credit: Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

A politician from India has been filmed performing a cover of Iron Maiden's Wasted Years – complete with a high-energy rendition of the track's guitar solo.

Conrad Sangma, 45, is the Chief Minister of Meghalaya in northeast India and a member of the National People's Party. He is also a huge heavy metal fan and an enthusiastic guitarist.

In a recent Instagram post, Sangma is seen playing with a live band and taking on Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith's solo from the band's 1986 single Wasted Years. The track was the first single from Iron Maiden's sixth album Somewhere In Time.

Sangma's caption reads: "Another rocking night ... Iron Maiden this time."

He's not the first politician to openly share his love for heavy metal.

British Member of Parliament for Leeds East, Richard Burgon, is a devout metalhead who has been a part of the scene in his hometown since the late 1990s.

He told Metal Hammer in 2016 that he balances his work life with his love of metal. He said: “I very rarely get recognised unless I’m in my suit. People don’t expect to see an MP in a Maiden shirt or a Slayer shirt and jeans, so when you’re not dressed in the ‘uniform’ of your job you can enjoy yourself and get truly immersed in it.

"Metal is the best form of music for escapism, especially when you look at some of the stageshows at Download festival – it’s like going to the theatre, isn’t it? No matter what issues or struggles people might be facing, metal festivals give you an opportunity for that all-encompassing escapism because fans are so tied to the music and the camaraderie amongst the audience."

And Tim Keller, the mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is often spotted repping his favourite metal bands. In 2022, he voted while wearing a Soulfly t-shirt.

In 2014, metalhead Joko Widodo was elected President of Indonesia.

A number of rock musicians have made or at least attempted the move into politics after a successful career in music.

Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and Queen guitarist Brian May are among those to have dipped their toes into politics.

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.