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Review By: Steve Shyu

Artist: Iron Maiden

Date: Monday 16th September 2024

Venue: Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand

British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden need very little introduction. But here’s a quick run-down.

Even if you've never listened to their music, there's a high chance you would know the name, seen their iconic logo font, or their mascot Eddie on shirts down at the pub. To say they're influential is a deep understatement.

Having chalked up a career of forty-five plus years, more than 2000 live performances in over sixty countries, Iron Maiden march on. Today’s stopover is their only New Zealand show of the tour, right here at Spark Arena, in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland.

With no thanks to Covid, the hard-rockers were forced to postpone their 2020 Legacy of the Beast tour, at long last, to many Kiwi fans' delight, the group have fulfilled their promise to return to Aotearoa. The latest tour would not only include support for their seventeenth album, Senjutsu, but also to celebrate their much-revered 1986 record Somewhere in Time. Aptly titled the Future Past Tour, there'll no doubt be some modern Maiden, with some of their timeless classics.

And bonus cherry on top; were still able to bring Massachusetts' Killswitch Engage as previously billed in 2020 as openers!

Thunderstorms were forecast for the night ahead, but no amount of rain could ere deter this eager crowd. There was plenty of excited chatter on the floor amid the sea of black tees and varying shades of Iron Maiden logos emblazoned on the front. Circles of mates raised cups of beer, and two chaps even brought a flag of Chile and asked a member of security to take their photo. All walks of life were present at Spark Arena,  it was heartwarming to see.

The last time Killswitch Engage graced an Aotearoa stage was in 2017, the lineup remains unchanged. With little warning, the quartet stormed through like the torrential rain outside Spark Arena and jumped right in with their 2006 smash hit My Curse as opener. 

Frontman Jesse Leach was expressive as ever, gesticulating with every line he sings. The passion he exudes as he performs is always deeply palpable.

No-nonsense drummer Justin Foley and the equally serious-looking guitarist Joel Stroetzel locked down the muscle and bones of every song, nailing the frenetic and thrashy, to the heartfelt and sweeping.

Axe-wielder and backing vocalist Adam Dutkiewicz has always been the most amusing to watch, and tonight was no exception. In between handling duties on his six-string, he also shrieked and growled in an echo with his frontman. And occasionally, danced like he was in an 80's aerobics video.

Being their final performance of this Oceania leg, Jesse clearly gave the show his all, boasting a mildly hoarse voice halfway through the one-hour set. “Who here has been on tour before?”, he asked. A surprising number of hands went up. “Do you know that feeling at the end of a tour, where you’re homesick but you also don’t wanna go home?” Another surprising number of sympathetic hoots and claps rang out.

Just about every one of their top singles were brought out: Rose of Sharyn, In Due Time, End of Heartache, Hate by Design, to name a few. The one song that gained the most enthusiastic audience participation was right at the end, Killswitchs’ famous rendition of Holy Diver, originally by the late, great Dio. The crowd around me knew every word, screamed along beat by beat. If that didn’t get fists pumping or put smiles on dials, then I don’t know what would.

Though I had previously witnessed Iron Maiden twice, there's always a special kind of excitement leading up to the concert. One knows there'll be plenty of see, hear, marvel at, sing with and move along to. Kind of like opening a present even though you already have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting.

As has been done for multiple world tours now, Maiden's cover of UFO's Doctor Doctor on the arena speakers signals the beginning of the set. Suddenly, the stage dimmed to nothing except aqua-coloured neon lights, evoking a retro feel presumably in a nod to this theme of futuristic past.

Stagelights up, full. Caught Somewhere in Time begins, and the stars of the evening emerge the crowd in front and around me exploded.

As is typical of many Iron Maiden live shows the stage is decorated with great detail with a mixture of LED screens, canvas backdrops, meters-high platforms, all adorned with space-age, Jules Verne-esque flourishes.

Soaring vocals is one of many Maiden trademarks and there was plenty of it. Bruce Dickinson has still got it which is impressive considering only a few years ago he overcame throat cancer and surgeries! There was also plenty of the frontman's usual kind of banter. From acknowledging Hobbits  tangata whenua Maori, to telling tall tales of a likely-fictitious fling with a mystery woman named Agnes, the frontman balances the casual with some serious topics.

As a lead-in to Death of the Celts, taken from their most recent LP, Bruce explains the idea behind the song, stating that genocides may occur, but "you can’t kill culture, or kill a language, and you can’t kill family". Bit of a heavy topic for a Monday night out but it's relevant!

The rhythmic core of Maiden’s music has always been handled by drumming maestro Nicko McBrain, and bass guitar legend Steve Harris. Tonight, classics like Fear of the Dark and The Prisoner, as well as newer hits Days of Future Past and The Time Machine, all exemplified this. The galloping groove in the basslines matched with the snappiness and tenacity of the drums has; for decades, been one of the most game-changing aspects, and continues to influence musicians around the world. And tonight it was Tamaki Makaurau Auckland’s turn to see how it’s done.

The iconic guitar-wielding trio that is Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers once again given Tamaki Makaurau their all, powering through solos, leads and sprinting riffs and making it look so easy. Special mention must go to Janick, whose silver locks, Reebok Classic Hi-Top sneakers and his carefree attitude when performing is just fantastic to behold. His wild, youthful energy peaked during the band’s namesake song Iron Maiden. How he can skip about, swing a guitar whilst holding down those speedy riffs is beyond me but it's genuinely inspiring.

As a final treat, Maiden bestowed upon us fans a twenty minute long encore consisting of the incredibly epic and emotive Hell on Earth, and two classic live staples, The Trooper and Wasted Years to the audience’s delight.

Before exiting the stage for good, Bruce exclaimed, “What day is it? Is it Monday?” He thanked the entire audience one last time for attending, before adding “This is Auckland on a Monday! Next time we’ll come back on a Saturday and tear this place apart!”

We’ll hold you to that, Bruce. Catch you and team Maiden back here in the near future.