Live Review : Bruce Dickinson + Black Smoke Trigger @ Academy, Manchester on May 19th 2024

These days Bruce Dickinson is irrevocably tied to Iron Maiden. His air-raid siren shrills and cries of "Scream for me (enter name of town)” are as synonymous to the band as is their gargantuan mascot Eddie. However, for the vast majority of the 90’s he was AWOL, jumping ship in 1993 citing a combination of burnout, musical differences, and inter-band tensions. As the ubiquitous hyperactive kid at the back of the class who always has 16 different projects on the go, Bruce was never one to let the grass grow under his feet. During his six-year sabbatical from, arguably, heavy metal's biggest band he managed to produce four rather spiffing solo efforts (his debut effort, Tattooed Millionaire had appeared pre-split in 1990 and very likely hastened his exit.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas21 May 2024Manchester AcademyBruce DIckinson, Iron Maiden, Black Smoke Trigger, Academy, Manchester, 2024, Live Review, Stewart Lucas, Darren BirchComment

Live Review : Iron Maiden + Lord Of The Lost @ AO Arena, Manchester on June 30th 2023

You are unlikely to find “Somewhere in Time" in any list of the greatest albums of all time, in fact it would struggle to make any best heavy metal records countdown. However, it manages to hold a very special place in the hearts of Iron Maiden fans across the globe. For many of a certain age (including myself) it was our entry point, it was where we came in.

"Number of the Beast" may well have been the album that plunged them into the public perception and "Powerslave” may well have cemented them as an international commodity, but it was with "Somewhere in Time” that they became a household name.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas2 July 2023AO ArenaIron Maiden, Lord Of The Lost, AO Arena, Manchester, 2023, Live Review, Stewart Lucas, Ryan HicksonComment