https://x.com/i/status/2017266955980333413
30 years ago I saw Maiden for the first time in Mansfield Leisure centre in Belfast with an audience of a couple of hundred. (Think Dublin was the next day)
Bit of a downturn in the Maiden timeline but I felt the crowd was quite eustatic for the show.
I didn't see them in Dublin that time, but I saw Blaze without Maiden doing all of The X-Factor last year at KIT and I'd say I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have enjoyed seeing Maiden back then. It must be said, though, those songs come across far better live than they do on the album.
Who supported on these dates lads?
A band called Dirty Deeds. Hard to search for anywhere cause you just get links to the acdc song and album.
Didn't think that through, lads.
It was Maysfield Leisure Centre and despite being a massive Maiden fan I just hung around outside with a carry out after drinking in the bar all day to see who'd turn up when.. after everyone had gone I was woken up by someone who worked in the place saying are you the one looking into the gig who showed me through an emergency exit at the side of the venue. So ended up seeing it yeah about 300 people. Wasn't bad to be fair, it just wasn't Maiden epic. I remember drunkenly seeing McKeegan out of Therapy? head nodding in the audience and going yeoow it's Patrick Keilty. I also remember Baggy from War Iron/LessHelp getting up for the woah bit in 'Heaven Can wait'.
Nice thread. Gas to see how Maiden bounced back to be massive again. Blaze touring Ireland this week too. Well worth catching live I reckon.
Yeah Blaze well worth seeing. I do like the X-Factor but the production is awful - I mean track one Vocals Out of Tune on chorus of Sign of The Cross, Blaze can do it, so how did that get past the big chief?
The X Factor songs sounded great at the gigs last year and to be fair when maiden do them with Bruce they sound great too.
Although when Blaze sang The Trooper, it sounded off. But his own stuff was good and I believe his voice suited afraid to shoot strangers