Over the years, the band’s setlists have become the subject of debate among fans; bassist explains his point of view
The bigger the band and the longer their discography, the more frequent are the discussions around the repertoires put together for their shows. O Iron Maiden is a perfect example: the giant heavy metal group has 17 studio albums released and a series of songs that fans would like to hear live, but didn’t have the opportunity because, of course, there are a limited number of songs to play in a presentation live.
To give you an idea, the current tour of maiden, The Future Past Tourfulfilled the dream of several admirers by having the performance of a song that was released in 1986, but never played live: “Alexander the Great”. The 8 and a half minute epic wasn’t even part of the setlist of the tour that promoted the album it’s part of, Somewhere in Time.
In an interview with metal hammerthe bassist and leader of Maiden, Steve Harris, revealed the criteria for creating a setlist for his band. The bassist made it clear that he and his bandmates cater to their own desires, not those of their fans.
“That might sound a little blunt and even brutal, but we don’t do this for the public. We do this for our own interest first.”
As the musician explains his point of view, you can better understand that, at the end of the day, they want to deliver something real to the audience. Therefore, they need to be comfortable with the choices.
“We have to feel comfortable with what we’re playing and enjoy it, and then hopefully the fans will enjoy it. This has always been our stance throughout our entire career. We don’t do a census like: ‘oh, does everyone like this or that?’. Or anything else. We don’t do that.”
Iron Maiden’s current tour
Started in May in Slovenia, the The Future Past Tour bring the Iron Maiden honoring one of their most renegade albums: Somewhere in Time. Although adored by fans, the record was not as remembered by the band on later tours. Only now, 37 years after the work was released, is the material receiving some attention on stage, with performances by the aforementioned “Alexander the Great”, “Caught Somewhere in Time” (which had not been played live in 36 years), “Stranger in a Strange Land” (out of setlists for 24 years), “Heaven Can Wait” (deprecated 15 years ago) and “Wasted Years” (deleted 6 years ago).
At the same time, the group released their most recent album, senjutsureleased in 2021. Five songs from the new work are present: “Days of Future Past”, “Death of the Celts”, “Hell on Earth”, “The Time Machine” and “The Writing on the Wall” – the latter, present in the previous show, Legacy of the Beast.The songs “Iron Maiden”, “The Trooper”, “Can I Play With Madness” and “The Prisoner”.
So far, The Future Past Tour has dates booked only in Europe and Canada. The expectation is that the show will be brought to Brazil in 2024.
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.
