Iron Maiden: Flight 666 Page #2

Maiden!

The first time we played in lndia

was in Bangalore

and we were absolutely

knocked sideways by the reaction.

It's a 20.000-seat outdoor venue. and

there were 50.000 people wanting to get in.

It was reminiscent of 1 984.

when we played behind the lron Curtain

for the first time

and we were besieged.

This is the first major metal band

which has played in lndia.

The crowd are waiting here

from six o'clock in the morning.

More and more kids

get inspired by the metal scene.

They start getting into playing guitar.

drums and forming bands.

and something will come out of it

in years to come.

Bruce. you rock!

Best band in the world.

Always will be. Up the lrons.

- Nice one. mate.

- Painless sound check.

That worked nice. didn't it?

- It went really nice.

- I can really hear you well now.

I'll keep it. though.

cos it really is a fail-safe.

I'll turn it up if you like.

The first show was lndia.

What were your feelings going into that?

To be totally honest with you. I was

more frightened of getting up on that stage

than I was getting inside a 757

with a bunch of hooligans

and all our gear in the back.

We got to the venue

and the stage was built from wood.

The stage was lashed-together bamboo.

We were going round testing it

but it was really solid.

The backstage thing where everything's

like red carpets and great big tents.

it's almost like

being back in the Raj or something.

Maiden! Maiden! Maiden!

All right?

Can we switch the air conditioning off.

please?

Let's go.

I'll tell you what amazed me.

Madness went down a storm.

I know. I know. Which is unusual.

Beer!

Obviously got very good taste in music.

Five beers is not enough

for an hour journey.

I said to the tour manager. "Five beers for

five people for an hour journey isn't enough.

"It's pathetic."

- I'm sure we can afford it.

- Note to self.

I can't talk very well

'cause my mouth's so dry.

So bear with me.

Look. boys and girls.

this is what it's like after a gig in a van.

We post-mortem the gig for ten seconds.

make apologies to one another...

Then we argue.

And then we argue about ice cream vans

and stuff!

It was a little jagged tonight. Got through it.

I thought I might collapse halfway through.

I ran out of steam. I'm an old man.

Oh. dear. We've still got the police escort.

He's the only vehicle holding us up.

Oh. man.

Passengers travelling

on lron Maiden Flight AEU666

kindly board the aircraft

at gate number four. thank you.

That's what I'm saying. I don't...

..will be served in-flight.

Please observe the fasten seat belt signs

and no smoking signs...

You're sh*t and you know you are!

You're sh*t and you know you are!

You're sh*t and you know you are!

You're sh*t and you know you are!

I've got to slow down

'cause the arm's hanging off now.

It's like watching a rare wild animal.

Even in its sleep. it snarls and it growls.

unaware of the presence of the cameras.

Rod is the best rock and roll manager

in the world.

who is not just about the money

and the fame and the bullshit.

It's about integrity and. "We did it our way."

He's such a bombastic guy.

which is what you want as a manager.

Sometimes he's bombastic

with us as well at times.

We all moan about him

but we love him dearly.

and he's a very hard-edged person.

He's a Yorkshireman.

"Don't bloody talk about that! Come here!"

Bloody Roderick Smallwood!

He's brilliant when he bursts into the room.

I thought that was him.

And it's awake. We've woken it up.

Fat chance of sleeping.

Saxon's radar. good afternoon...

Could you sign this?

- Maiden! Maiden!

- All right?

So where are we?

We're at the Corner Hotel in Australia

for the lron Maiden Melbourne meet-up.

So why do you have

these pre-show events?

Just to get together. have fun. have

some drinks and enjoy the atmosphere.

'Cause we're all pumped for Maiden.

This is David from Melbourne.

mate. a real f***ing Maiden fan.

It's not so much about identity or whatever

social culture you think you fit into.

If you could see all these different types

of people that come along to gigs

and worship upon the altar

that is lron Maiden.

they have this ability to really hit your heart

and either that or it makes you want

to headbang and go f***ing wild.

How long have you been Maiden fans?

Since I was f***ing born. man!

F***ing day 666!

It's been 1 5 years

since we played Australia.

Everywhere we go.

the fans are so keen to have us back.

Some people never saw us.

some people saw us on earlier tours.

But absolutely incredible everywhere.

We're bigger than ever.

Our heyday was the mid-'80s.

which is what this tour is all about.

We're 24. 25 years older.

but we get up on stage and I look out

and I see the kids and they haven't aged.

It's really weird.

I go. "Look. They're the same kids that were

around in front of the stage 20 years ago."

Why is it that Maiden appeals

to Mom and Dad and all the kids?

Because they're cool.

Because they're f***ing awesome. man!

Come on!

I believe lron Maiden are playing here

tonight. Giddy the f*** up!

Steve's probably flat out in bed.

He's also down still?

Steve's down big-time.

Yeah. He's looking really ill.

We all picked up a little bug from lndia.

Steve and I probably more so.

I mean. we didn't eat for four days.

By the time we'd arrived in Australia

and we turned up at the sound check.

we'd start a song. someone would be off

to the bathroom. come back and we'd start.

and people were just off everywhere.

We're all pretty jet-lagged still.

That jet lag is a killer.

You've got to be ready for that concert

because those kids want a good show.

We've had buckets for both ends on stage

during some of the shows.

T en out of ten to the band for putting up

with that pressure and that illness.

and going out on stage

with those conditions.

There's always a shithouse

that you can sing in somewhere.

Scream for me. Melbourne!

I can't f***ing hear you!

Scream for me. Melbourne!

The ship is f***ing sinking.

Yeah. it's a bit better.

A bit better is better than worse.

None of the places you play

are designed for music

so you always have sound problems.

You have to just be prepared for the worst.

and if it sounds great. all the better.

but you can't let it throw you off.

People who've paid to see you don't

give a sh*t if it doesn't sound good on stage.

They want to have a good time. and that's

what you've got to try and put across.

Adrian has always been a stickler

for getting the tones right that he wants.

He's meticulous.

He's like that in his playing.

When you listen to his guitar solos.

they're very precise.

Adrian's guitar playing is the stitching.

it's the texture. the fabric

that covers all the structures.

Nothing Adrian does is aggressive. Iike...

Everything lopes.

He picks notes out of the air like that.

And how he does it. no one knows.

only Adrian. 'Cause nobody else can do it.

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