On Wednesday evening, Ed Force One descended upon Leeds as heavy metal legends Iron Maiden arrived in West Yorkshire for the second show of the UK leg of The Future Past tour.
Many of the fans in attendance had travelled across the globe to be at the show. Those at the front proudly showed Iron Maiden flags representing their nationality. Some had come from as far afield as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand to be at the show.
On this tour, the metal Titans have chosen to feature songs not previously performed publicly from the band’s most recent studio album, Senjutsu. Whilst also representing a healthy dose of material from 1986’s iconic Somewhere in Time record.
With a capacity crowd in attendance, the unmistakable sounds of Iron Maiden’s intro music, Doctor Doctor by UFO, ushered the six-piece to the stage. The atmosphere inside the arena at show time was like no other.
Of course, picking a setlist for an Iron Maiden show must be like choosing your favourite family members. At the same time, it’s a nice dilemma to have, to be able to drop classics like Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Aces High in favour of newer songs and deeper cuts. The setlist showcased just how strong both the material is from Senjutsu along with the Maiden catalogue as a whole.
Iron Maiden kicked off the proceedings with Caught Somewhere in Time. With its up-tempo pace and galloping Steve Harris bass line, it was the perfect set opener. The track was quickly followed by the classic Stranger in a Strange Land. With two songs featuring from Somewhere in Time at the top of the show, it certainly set the tone for the night ahead.
Five tracks from Senjutsu featured during the evening including a Back To The Future-tinged airing of Time Machine. Dickinson explained that the data featured on the backdrop at the rear of the stage included the calculations to send a DeLorean to the future. And if you don’t believe him, ask Doc Brown.
A further highlight from Senjutsu came by way of Death of the Celts. With the stage bathed in emerald light and fog, it is a classic in the making. With Dickinson’s poetic lyricism and passionate delivery, the song’s Celtic-tinged melody proved to be a real earworm. Although, it didn’t go down so well at the band’s previous two shows in Scotland and Ireland for obvious reasons.
Iron Maiden’s trio of guitarists featuring Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers are a triple threat. The band’s charismatic high-flying frontman Bruce Dickinson led the charge all night long. Frequently hollering, “Scream for me Leeds” the audience obeyed his every command. Whilst the band’s legendary rhythm section featuring West Ham loving bass player Steve Harris and powerhouse drummer Nicko McBrain were the driving force behind the group.
The latter stages of the main set were nothing but back-to-back crowd pleasures. Can I Play with Madness, followed by Heaven Can Wait and a rare airing of Alexander the Great, was just the tip of the iceberg. Frequently, Harris, Murray, Smith and Gers came together up front. Whilst Bruce Dickinson could often be found roaming the upper tier of the stage.
The stage production throughout was exceptional. Each song in the set was accompanied by a backdrop featuring artwork either depicting or complimenting the track being played. There was even room for an onstage battle between Dickinson and Eddie.
The instantly recognisable sounds of 90s classic Fear of the Dark had the audience singing along at the tops of their voices before the band closed out their main set with an anthemic airing of Iron Maiden itself.
A three-song encore followed. A rather fitting pyro fuelled rendition of Hell on Earth resumed the show. Whilst a crowd-pleasing performance of The Trooper and fan favourite Wasted Years closed out the band’s incredible set.
In Leeds, Iron Maiden proved that the band are still going strong and showing no signs of slowing down.
Words and Photos by Adam Kennedy – All Rights Reserved.
