What can be said about Iron Maiden that hasn’t already been said? Personally, I’d say that they are one of the most beloved bands of all time, and not just within heavy metal circles. To this day, Maiden still draws a crowd whenever and wherever they play. Wherever is an important point with Maiden; they are truly an international band. Yes, we love them in North America, but if you want to see true Maiden madness, I think you’d have to catch a show in South America, Europe, or the Middle East.
Tonight we’re showing you Iron Maiden’s 1983 performance at the Rock Pop Festival in Dortmund, Destfallenhalle, Germany, where they headlined a lineup that included Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, Judas Priest, Krokus, and The Michael Schenker Group. It’s a short 35-minute set, but it’s phenomenal. With one track from Maiden’s debut album, the remaining set list included three songs from The Number of the Beast (1982) and three from Piece of Mind (1983). Iron Maiden was four albums deep, two of which were with Bruce Dickinson on vocal duty, and it’s clear from this performance that the band was already a machine of excellence. Great songs, great performances, great sound, great audience interaction — it’s no wonder Iron Maiden is legend today.
One has to wonder if Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Steve Harris, and Nicko McBrain thought they’d still be performing to rabid fans at sold-out arenas 30 years later. Possibly not since it looks like they play every show like it was their last.
The reason behind the good audio and video quality of this Rock Pop Festival is because it was televised. This was also Iron Maiden’s closing performance to their World Piece Tour, in support of their incredibly well-received, both critically and commercially, Piece of Mind album.
Iron Maiden’s Rock Pop Festival set list:
1. Sanctuary
2. The Trooper
3. Revelations
4. Flight Of Icarus
5. 22 Acacia Avenue
6. The Number Of The Beast
7. Run To The Hills
Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.
Rock Hard \m/
