I had the honor of interviewing four of the six Iron Maiden people again in 2010. What Iron Maiden song have you always wanted to play live but have n’t yet done after all the necessary discussion about the new album was finished? was my favorite question to ask everyone. Over and over,” Alexander the Great” was mentioned.
A fan takes since its launch on 1986’s Somewhere in Time song, the eight-and-a-half-minute spectacular is a screenshot of peak-1980s Iron Maiden: part musical opus, part history lesson, it remains a rousing, liberal metal track by the American legends. However, as founder/bassist Steve Harris once said to me in between jokes, guitar Adrian Smith had a really hard time figuring out the thick instrumental portion of his guitar in the workshop. The big grin on Harris’s face as he recalled his bandmate’s problems said all that needed to be said. He did n’t want to give his long-time friend such humiliation night after night out out of concern Harris might pass away laughing.
When Iron Maiden launched their two-year Potential Past World Tour in the summer of 2023,” Alexander the Great” made its life comeback. The setlist was widely known among supporters by late October 2024. Just the stubbornest folks try their best to get surprised by what music will be played, but when the channel are selling” Alexander the Great” t-shirts at the present, it’s a harsh, essential tinge. Most people in attendance in the massive Bell Centre on an unseasonably warm Devil’s Night in Montreal knew what they would get and would not be disappointed.
One of Iron Maiden’s strongest markets since the early 1980s, Quebec, Canada, is rabid for all things Iron Maiden, and the atmosphere around the arena on this weekday night was electric, and even more so inside, which was packed to the gills and ready to take in the spectacle. The theme for the Future Past Tour is inspired, leaning heavily on two seemingly disparate albums: 2021’s sprawling Senjutsu album and the tight, energetic, wildly catchy sci-fi hijinks of Somewhere in Time. Considering the potential of Iron Maiden by honoring the past and reflecting on an album that was all about anticipating the future. That’s a good hook. Toss in a few appearances by beloved mascot Eddie, some wickedly cool LED lighting effects, fire and pyro, and Bob’s your uncle.
Iron Maiden are better than anyone else at working in an arena. The roar from the audience was sizable as soon as UFO’s” Doctor Doctor” was played on the PA and the stage was covered in neon green from the sleek lighting system as Hans Zimmer’s score from Blade Runner played for a while. The fans erupted even more as a third intro broke in, this time for the overture to” Somewhere in Time,” with the crowd’s fervor on the floor ebbing and exploding in excitement.
Iron Maiden burst onto the stage as the rampaging gallop of the track kicked into high gear as the huge Somewhere in Time album backdrop at the back of the stage was highlighted by cleverly angled black lights that cleverly angled black lights. Harris dominated the stage as he always does, while guitarists Smith and Dave Murray were their usual understated selves, and their stage left coworker Janick Gers danced and posed with the energy of a child the size of a child, who is two thirds his age. He also wielded his bass like a machine gun. With his distinctive, nimble fills, drummer Nicko McBrain propelled the song with his distinctive, nimble fills, which were barely visible behind his kit, aside from the sporadic glance of a foot on a hi-hat.
Coming off two hip replacements in 2021 and 2023, singer Bruce Dickinson looked great – his grown-out silver hair giving elder Rider of Rohan – and sounded even better, belting out the demanding, soaring vocal melodies with his trademark authority. Iron Maiden concentrated on three new songs as the Somewhere in Time theme continued as the wonderfully heavy and oddly underappreciated” Stranger in a Strange Land.” ” The Writing on the Wall” remains a standout track from Senjutsu, a great showcase for Smith’s versatility as a soloist, while” Days of Future Past” and” The Time Machine” more than held their own as worthy additions to the Iron Maiden canon, not to mention fitting perfectly with the tour’s theme. After 1982’s hard-charging” The Prisoner” – a guaranteed crowd-pleaser – the boys got more ambitious, launching into Senjutsu‘s ten-minute” Death of the Celts”, which was highlighted by the extended instrumental break midway through, which offered Smith, Murray, and Gers opportunities to exhibit their soloing skill.
The hilarious, explosive gunfight between Dickinson and the inimitable Eddie staple” Fear of the Dark” made for a massive set closer,” Iron Maiden,” which featured both a walking samurai Eddie onstage and a requisite gigantic inflatable Eddie head from behind Nicko’s kit, threatening to endanger Gers with his katana. Thankfully, lives were spared.
While” The Trooper” generated the biggest crowd pop of the night, the other two encore songs fittingly returned to the “future past” theme. Senjutsu’s” Hell on Earth” is a latter-day Iron Maiden classic, fully deserving of the live treatment, and the use of swirling flames helped accentuate Dickinson’s dramatic singing. Meanwhile, 1986’s beloved” Wasted Years”, Iron Maiden’s classic song about living in the present, served as a fitting final track, its contagious, celebratory melody brightening the mood of everyone.
But what about” Alexander the Great”, you might ask? The song was released late in the set before” Fear of the Dark,” which was a fitting place of honor for the big show-stopper. It was a rousing response. No one would have known that Dickinson commanded the stage as he belted out the story of the Macedon king while his teammates skillfully captured the song’s majestic musical arc. The scope and drama of the song are perfect for a large arena show. As for Smith? He handled himself just fine, and thousands of fans were euphoric.
Iron Maiden’s immediate future is set with the 2025-2026 Run For Your Lives 50th anniversary retrospective tour in the works, including a much-ballyhooed “home turf” show in London’s East End. Hopefully, some new music is also in the works because, for this restless and highly ambitious band, dwelling solely in the past is n’t exactly their style.