Iron Maiden review: ‘A fine wine that continues to get better’

Unlike ‘The Future Past World Tour’, which focused on tracks from the band’s 17th studio album ‘Senjutsu’ and 1986’s release ‘Somewhere in Time’, the ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour setlist is composed of tracks from the band’s first nine studio albums. Maiden are a band who know how to evolve and keep their live performances fresh, and that’s what makes each and every Iron Maiden tour special – just knowing you are going to get something different but with the same masterful musicianship that everyone has grown up loving. As a collective, the band is like a fine wine that continues to get better with every passing year.

As the six-piece prepared to step onto the Co-Op Live stage, CGI-generated point-of-view visuals of someone walking down several East London backstreets played on the big screens behind the stage before the band launched into a stirring rendition of ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’ complete with duelling solos, explosive drum fills from Simon Dawson and, as always, the relentless energy from frontman Bruce Dickinson, who is undoubtedly one of the most complete frontmen in the history of music.

Following a rendition of ‘Killers’, which saw the band’s mascot Eddie arrive on stage wielding an axe, Dickinson joked, “Hopefully you are not going to forget us because it has been 50 years. I’m not sure we are going to be around for another 50.” and added, “This is the closest you’ll ever get to a greatest hits show,” fittingly leading into the Maiden classic ‘Phantom of the Opera’, which saw the frontman temporarily depart to allow the rest of the band to take centre stage for an extended jam.

As ever, Dickinson remains a magnetic presence on stage thanks to his impeccable “air-raid siren” voice, which still possesses tremendous power and range, his boundless charisma and energy and love of theatrical elements. Whether it was racing across an elevated platform in a mask that resembled a blend of Jeff Hardy’s mask from his Willow gimmick and Kalisto’s mask during a rendition of ‘Powerslave’ or donning a British uniform from the Napoleonic Wars whilst waving a British flag during the fan-favourite ‘The Trooper’, which saw Eddie yield a sword on stage, it was impossible not to be in awe.

A performance of ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ saw the frontman sing the track whilst incarcerated in a shark cage and later escaping the grim reaper in an epic visual on the big screen, offering a theatrical layer as guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers harmonised melodies, leaving the audience utterly mesmerised. While a rendition of ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ provided a scenic detour with the track played out to a backdrop of a doomed ship sailing at sea, a moment which was utterly enthralling and added to a spectacle of a show that is must-see by all.

As the night came to a close, a rendition of ‘Ace High’ was performed with striking visuals of skeletons piloting warplanes played out on the big screen, with the intricate guitar work from Murray, Gers and Smith and Steve Harris’ driving bass line particularly eye-catching during the band’s extended jam. ‘Fear of the Dark’ brought another moment of theatrical heaven as a sea of white smoke filled the stage and Dickinson emerged donning a hat, wearing a trench coat and holding a nightlamp before the vocalist turned conductor and encouraged a singalong from the Manchester faithful, setting the tone for an enthralling rendition of ‘Wasted Years’ to close out the night in red-hot fashion.