Paul Di'Anno @ Brixton South Bay 2010-02-17 review
After many delays and cancelled tours due to Visa issues, original Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno is touring the U.S. for the first time since 1992. After last month's Michael Monroe press conference & mini-set, he was also at the top of the list of people I have never seen before. Iron Maiden has always been one of my favorite bands and though I have always enjoyed the current lineup, the first 2 albums had a certain rawness to them and are a bit more experimental in nature as they also had yet to perfect the formula they have stuck to almost ever since.
Unfortunately due to many club closures and uncertainties in Hollywood, the closest gig to me was in Redondo Beach which is a tough venue to get home from in the middle of the night. Thankfully I was able to reach a mutual agreement with my friend David, a ride in exchange for helping him sell stuff on Craigslist. He also digs Iron Maiden but seemed disappointed when I told him we wouldn't be hearing "Run To The Hills."
After a trip that was a bit longer than necessary we arrived at the pier where Brixton South Bay was located. Ran into Andrew Metalhead who took the bus from downtown LA, and hastily arranged a trade of his extra ticket to David's brother Alan in exchange for a ride home.
I was able to get a pair for $20 from opening act Ninth Circle. They were alright. I am not really much into newer metal bands but they were more than tolerable and they are cool guys. If you live in southern California I would recommend checking them out even just because they might soon have an opening slot and discount tickets for a show you want to go to.
However Icarus Witch was just awful. They were pulling double duty as both opener and Paul Di'Anno's backing band. I guess they can play Iron Maiden songs alright but their own music was a little difficult to endure. Probably the worst band I have seen this or even any year. Thankfully they were only onstage 30 mins and after an intermission of over an hour, the intro tape started to play and a bald and bulky figure hobbled on to the stage as the band started the tell-tale bass and drums intro of "Wrathchild."
I have to say I don't excite very easily. I go see the same bands over and over again and new ones often just out of habit. The second the music started, I felt the jolt and the chills and it was like I was sixteen all over again. I headbanging, jumping and singing along. I think I remember being being almost as excited for Wrathchild at my first Iron Maiden show at Long Beach Arena in 1991. Maybe if my companion that evening reads this she can refresh my memory. My neck hurt at least thru Sunday but it was totally worth it to feel that good for such a short period of time.
Unlike the current members of Iron Maiden who still look and sound the same as they always have, Paul Di'Anno bears all the scars of hard living. He was even asking for help from the crowd with the singing early on. But he possesses enough of the original spirit of the music within to convincingly belt out songs like "Killers" as he truly means it even though his voice was somewhat weakened due to laryngitis or more likely an intense touring schedule.
And by all accounts the man is truly psycho as the circumstances behind his previous failures to obtain a visa suggest, not some tea-sipping sissy playing a role. When he sings
"You walk through the subway, his eyes burn a hole in your back,
A footstep behind you, he lunges prepared for attack."
he really means it.
The set was split between Maiden songs from the first 2 albums and solo material which is a bit more straight ahead thrash. He warned the crowd that it wasn't going to be an Iron Maiden show even if for the most part that was what it was. He did refer to himself as a "punk singer" and the Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop" was on the printed setlist but not played. My only complaint is none of the slower Iron Maiden songs such as "Remember Tomorrow" or "Strange World" were included. Even if his voice couldn't really handle them I am sure I would have been singing along too loud to really notice.
By the time it was over, I was completely worn out, a little dizzy and I could barely speak. Have also been unable to listen to much of anything else the past week.
I hope he can tour the U.S. again soon and also play closer to Hollywood (which he insulted from the stage numerous times) or even the Redwood Bar & Grill downtown. I also think the next time Iron Maiden does a nostalgia tour perhaps they can lend the early material a bit more authenticity and invite him along for at least a few songs.
setlist
01. Wrathchild
02. Prowler
03. Marshal Lokjaw
04. Murders In The Rue Morgue
05. The Beast Arises
06. Children of Madness
07. Faith Healer (dedicated to Alex Harvey)
08. A Song For You
09. Ides Of March
10. Killers
11. Phantom Of The Opera
12. Running Free
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13. Transylvania
14. Iron Maiden
"Remember Tomorrow" from Brazil 2009
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