Best Maiden Concert opener

[phlogiston]

Kinda related to Spiff "Best single" thread, but not. And it's not gonna be a poll, 'cos I can't be stuffed.

For my money, the best song Maiden have ever opened with is "Be Quick or Be Dead". I mean, it's almost perfect to open with. You're sitting in the crowd (OK, maybe not us, but just imagine), nice an' quiet like and then it's "tatatatatatatatatata BOOM" and you're into it and rocking, and they're all up there and you're screaming and all that good stuff.

With the Wickerman, and just about everything else I can think of at the moment the song kinda builds up, and takes a bit to get to the good stuff.

Note here I'm not talking about the best song, I'm talking about the best opener. There's a difference.

 

[Spiff]

I'd go with "Where Eagles Dare", because they used the score from the film before it and it just went on and on and on for a few minutes, and then suddenly Nicko kicks in and the whole place goes off

 

[spawn]

Id go with Be Quick Or Be Dead too

 

[Sydo]

Aces High - especially combined with Churchill speech.. It just starts with a real epic vibe, then suddenly turns into an flat-out rocker.

 

[Sydo]

Originally posted by Spiff
I'd go with "Where Eagles Dare",

I looovvveeee that song! In fact, I might just go lsiten to it now while I go for a drive to buy Star Wars novels.

 

[Lord Tim]

Aces High!! I like big intros!

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Originally posted by Sydo
Aces High - especially combined with Churchill speech.. It just starts with a real epic vibe, then suddenly turns into an flat-out rocker.

Thats almost exactly what I was going to say!

...Aces High

 

[Los4words]

Sorry Phloggy you cometh 3rd :

Aces High - best ever...
Where Eagles Dare - listen to the crowd go psycho on '83 bootlegs.
Be Quick or be Dead - yawn.. no really... yawn that songs bores me (cringes awaiting backlash)...

Okay Maiden head's where the ONLY place in the WHOLE WORLD maiden HASN'T played an ENCORE during a standard gig ?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

BQOBD is a great song.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Anyone else notice they open their shows with the first track of the album they are touring for? I'm just stating the obvious here but I feel smart hahha.

Anyway....
1. Caught Somewhere In Time
2. Aces High with Churchill Speech
3. Where Eagles Dare

CSIT wins because I think the best concert openers are songs with a slowish start that build, and you can't really see the band yet... then it kicks into that groove suddenly where you can have the pyro exploding as the song kicks into gear and the lights suddenly come on and the band runs around everywhere.. etc. hehehe.

I've always thought Wild Child would be a great concert opener for W.A.S.P. but I don't think they've ever opened with it. Imagine that riff with spotlights going around, then when the beat kicks in, the stage lights come up on full and pyro goes off, etc hehe.

Kiss concerts have the best openings, with the curtain over the stage, the spotlights going around.... then the big booming voice, then the riff from say "Duece" or "Detroit Rock City" or perhaps the drum intro of "Creatures.." then suddenly BOOM! Curtain falls, pyro, lights, band.... amazing! Give you a chill when that voice echoes with the spotlight!

 

[Goreripper]

I've always thought

"The cable car's the only way in
It's really impossible to climb"

is among the stupidest lyric in rock.

 

[Joe Salami]

Aces High rocked in 1985, and so I have to go with that.

The bootlegs of World Piece Tour and Somewhere On Tour also prove how great Where Eagles Dare and Caught Somewhere In Time worked, as well. I'd love to have seen it.

I'd liked to have seen them when they opened with The Wicker Man, too. Sadly (sigh) that was not to be...

 

[Vim Fuego]

The Ides of March! I love the old "Iron Maiden" video with Paul Di'Anno on vocals.

 

[Vim Fuego]

Originally posted by Vim Fuego
The Ides of March! I love the old "Iron Maiden" video with Paul Di'Anno on vocals.

Er, hang on, or was it Genghis Khan? Whichever it was, I've just made an utter tit of myself...

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I think "Ides of March" would be awesome. I love that track.