Iron Maiden frontman has an unconventional opinion about what turned the first edition of the festival into an absolute success
There are frequent debates about which would have been the best edition of the Rock in Rio. For a number of reasons, the most praised achievement was the first, in 1985. Attractions such as Queen, Iron Maiden, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, AC DC, yes, George Benson It is James Taylorjust to name a few, performed over the ten days of the event, gathering crowds on all dates.
vocalist of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson agreed with this idea — albeit for reasons a little different than expected. In a 2019 interview with the newspaper The State of S. Paulothe singer declared that the atmosphere of “a little bit of chaos” made the first Rock in Rio was better.
There were more people than I’ve ever seen in one place in my entire life. It was a bit of a chaotic atmosphere, maybe not as organized as most festivals, but that made it better.”
But why did this “bit” of lack of organization give the festival an extra charm? Dickinson replied: “Because everyone was so excited and so crazy that things were happening. It was a fantastic moment.”
A continent in one day
In the first edition of Rock in Rio, all artists would play two shows. The exceptions were Rita Lee and the own Iron Maiden. In the case of the British heavy metal band, the schedule did not allow it: they, who were at the height of their careers with the success of the album powerslave (1984) took a seven-day break from their US tour just to travel to Brazil and play on the opening day of the event, January 11, 1985. It was an exclusive show in all of South America, as they didn’t stretched to any other country.
In another interview, from 2020, to the English magazine Kerrang! (via website Igor Miranda), Bruce Dickinson pointed to having conquered “a continent in one day” on that occasion. This was said, in particular, because the maiden became an even more beloved band in the country.
“We conquered an entire continent overnight with that show. Having the reach and profile that we built in South America was simply extraordinary. North America we had already covered. Same thing with Eastern Europe—we still had Russia to go, but that would come later. We had been to Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Now we were a global band! It was a long way from Bologna, where my first concert with the band took place! I felt like the world had shrunk. We kind of conquered all the places. But it was hard work. […] O Rock in Rio it was just unbelievable.”
Iron Maiden and Rock in Rio
Over the years, the relationship between Iron Maiden as Rock in Rio it became even more special. In 2001, the band returned to the Rio de Janeiro festival for a legendary show that was recorded and released as an album and video. The title of the disc, released in 2002? Just Rock in Rio. After that, there were three more presentations at the event, in the years 2013, 2019 and 2022.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
