- Dec 3, 2005
- 435
- 0
- 16
1
- Hello Tommy! You are well known for many Eddie’s readers right now, but please give what you'll consider a brief exhausting description of you.
Lets see....I was born in San Antonio, Texas here in the USA on November 23rd, 1965 (same birthday as Boris Karloff !!!) and have lived here ever since. I've been drawing I guess from as early as I can remember. I had hopes of being a pro football player but didnt meet the height requirement(that comes into play years later with the NFL artwork)...lol...I grew up being a big fan of comicbooks( Werewolf By Night, Eerie and Creepy were some of my favourites) and old Black & White horror movies...I really love the first Creature From The Black Lagoon and later films like An American Werewolf In London....great stuff. I was always a big music fan even as a kid. While most of my friends had "Sing along with Disney" records, at the age of 6 I was listening to my Brothers copies of Black Sabbath Paranoid, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.The first concert I ever saw was KISS back in the 70's as well as Alice Cooper and Rush....then in 1980, I found Iron Maidens Sanctuary single at the flea Market and have been a big fan ever since.
2- You are in the biz from a while now. What kind of commissioned work you did for the music and what for the rest?
What work have I done in the music biz? Well, the most well known work to date would ahve to be the Album covers for the band Dangerous Toys...that evil clown stuff. I've done everything they've put out since 1988 though I'm not happy with any of the covers except maybe for the Live CD that I did a few years ago. I went from messing about with Black & White ink drawings to a full blown full colour cover practically overnight ! The thing was, I never painted much so it was a big UH OH !!!...lol... I better grab some Goauche and start learning how to paint.... so basically, I was learning as I went along...Still am . I think as soon as you become complacent with your work you stop growing as an artist. I'm currently doing a cover for their 20th anniversary release called "XX"that should be out sometime this Summer. I've also done work for Testament (T-shirts and the "Return To The Apocalyptic City" CD cover) as well as work for Ronnie James Dio . Back in the mid/late 90's , I did the covers for a number of Tribute CD's (KISS, AC/DC, Queen, Alice Cooper and Ozzy) and others that I might of forgotten about. I just got finished doing the cover for the new "The Iron Maidens CD/DVD that should hopefully be seen someplace in this issue. I also did some work for Gene $immon$ during the reunion tour, in which he ripped me off bigtime, but we won't get into that.
3- How did it happen that you start being involved with NFL?
Well, growing up in America back in the 70's, we were only exposed to Pro Football, Basketball and Baseball...maybe people farther north can add Hockey, but in Texas, it was about as foreign as Soccer, Rugby or the World Cup....lol. I've never understood the people that love Baseball. Its the most boring sport in the world and the players are WAY overpaid. Anyway, the 70's....yeah...I used to get an elecrtic football set for Christmas every couple of years. I would handpaint the little 1" tall players of all my favourite teams. It was around 1975 that I became a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I've been a one ever since. About 5-6 years ago, I was asked to paint a few full size NFL helmets with the portrait of my favourite all time player, Jack Lambert. It kind of melded two of my favourite things (Artwork and Football) into a steady paying gig. I had no idea that there was a market for that kind of thing here so they got me pretty cheap. After my work was starting to be seen, my prices went up considerably. I really enjoy doing the Helmets. Footballs and Jerseys(The jerseys being the toughest) but its alot of work and takes alot out of me each time I finish a piece. There's alot of prep work involved before the paintbrush even hits the surface. I heard that Jack Lambert's agent said after seeing one of my pieces was that "Jack hates everything, but he really, really liked your work"....Thats the best compliment really....next to people stealing my work of course, but thats another story.
4- When did you start drawing and painting Eddie?
Shortly after buying the Sanctuary 12" single when it came out !!!...lol...I think I sketched an Eddie on everyones book covers at school back then...I even remember doing a drawing of Eddie with a machine gun waiting outside Loverboys dressing room (I HATED that band!). Around 1983, I did a watercolour painting of Steve with the first LP's Eddie in the background which I got signed around the Piece Of Mind tour. Unfortunately, a few years ago, alot of my personal items that were in storage at the time were thrown out or dissappeared somehow. I lost ALL of my artwork from when I was about 12yrs old through to about when I was in my early 20's....I try not to think about it. I also lost a lot of comicbooks and most of my Original Maiden collection, such as live photos of the Band from the Killers tour, various tour shirts and the thing that really hurt was my pair of Steve Harris wristbands that he gave me in '87.
5- Is Eddie a key part of the iconographic side of Maiden according to you? You worked for some important artists so far, what do you consider the Iron Maiden specificity from an iconographic point of view?
Oh yeah, I think Eddie, at the beginning, was very important to the identity of the band from the start. He was a brilliant selling point marketing-wise and also a great mascot for a great metal band. I can't really think of anyone at that time that did that other than maybe Molly Hatchet using Frank Frazetta paintings on each Album sleeve or Rush with the Starman.Eddie has become readily recongizable to musicfans all over the world... I think later on Eddie become a staple of sorts. If he stopped showing up on covers, alot of fans would of been really dissappointed.
Iron Maiden to me, and I'm not saying this because theyre one of my all time favourite bands, is a group thats been a prime example of what a good manager, proper Record company support and brilliant song writing can achieve. Theyve pretty much left every other metal band in their dust with the exception of a few like AC/DC and Judas Priest. Still, Maiden has always done things their way and never catered to any trends or fads...I think thats always kept them honest from the start and you really have to respect that. When its all said and done, In My Opinon, I think Maiden will be thought of on the scale of Led Zeppelin, The Who and the Stones.
6- When compared to other artists it seems that you decided to keep a strong traditional approach in your illustration technique? Do you think this is true or it is just that you show to others only a few of you works?
Well, I grew up a big fan of the American cartoon "Jonny Quest" which was done by the late great Doug Wildey. He was one of the kindest, down to earth people I've ever met and I was devastated when I learned that he had died back in 93-94. Another big factor in feeding my imagination at that time was the animated movie Wizards. Other influences include Fantasy artists like Frank Frazetta, Bernie Wrightson, Mike Ploog, Barry Windsor Smith, Alex Toth and Russ Heath .Those guys were major... Later I added other artists like Wendy Pini who did the comicbook series Elfquest, Moebius and Derek Riggs into the mix as well as some of the masters like Alma Tadema, Bouguereau and John Waterhouse. I've wanted to work in oils but I don't deal with the chemicals well, but I'm going to give them another try soon. I'm most comfortable doing work in Acrylics and also brush/ink pieces. I've always preferred a traditional, realistic feel to my work with a bit of an classic animated look thrown into the mix. I've always felt that proper anatomy and composition is important in ones work and that its a lifelong process achieving any resemblence of perfection . I've never been really interested in doing anything outside the box really. The most important thing is to have fun with your art. If its not enjoyable, its not worth doing.Working in abstract or in other styles doesnt really interest me, although I would love to do some sculpture in the future...maybe I'll give it a try when I'm old and grey !
f7- You are known very well among Iron Maiden fans for the fantastic artworks you are delivering from a while? Many people are suggesting you should have a chance to draw a Maiden album cover. Any contact on that side?
Fantastic works? Wow...thanks !
Doing the Eddies is a fun way to keep myself fresh in between all the NFL work and I really enjoy getting a chance painted him. I was surprised on the emails and complimets I got on my first pieces that I had done in years (particularly the first one I did on Eddies). It's great when evryone was saying that I should have a shot at doing something "Official", but I've never been contacted by anyone with Maiden themselves. I thought it was because they preferred sticking with U.K artists like Riggs or Grant but then they hired that Bradstreet guy, (whom I'm not a big fan of to put it politely), so that theory went right out the window ! Maybe if I keep doing these Eddies covers, I'll eventually get noticed or I could just try bribery....anyone have Smallwoods home address and phone number?....lol.
8- I also know you had the chance to meet the band some years ago. How did it happen?
I first met Steve waaay back on the Killers tour after the show, then met them again at an In Store autograph signing during the NOTB tour. After that I had worked at a record store where I use to do the window displays of new Album releases. Thats when I made this big paper meche Eddie head bursting out of a collage of S.I.T. promo posters and flats. Around that Time I made some connections in the music business that allowed me to fly up to the northeast where I spent about a week on the S.I.T. tour helping a friend that was a regional guy for Capitol/EMI . That was definitely an experience ! I got to watch the whole stage go up each day as well as watching the guy get into the cyborg Eddie outfit. I use to have some great photos of it laying in pieces backstage but those dissappeared along with all my artwork that I mentioned earlier. Everyone with Maiden were really really nice to both of us and after a while the band themselves got use to me hanging around. Bruce even gave me an impromptu fencing lesson, although he's a lefty and I'm right handed. I really enjoyed being "on the road" and I hated to go home.
9- Assuming that you are a Maiden fan, which are your favourite Maiden albums and which are your favourite bands excluding Maiden?
ASSUMING??? This interview is OVER !!!!
Lol....j/k....I have to go with the original LP as well as Killers...I wore those out when they came out way back when. After those, I think NOTB and Powerslave are my faves. It took a while for 7th Son to grow on me but it ranks up there with my faves. I've found myself listening to AMOLAD alot lately. I think its the best CD theyve put out in a long time....I just wish they had someone else other than Bradstreet do the actual cover...ugh....woops, sorry...I said I would be polite....lol.
Some of other favourite bands/ musicians are Led Zeppelin, RUSH, Motorhead, Jethro Tull, The Who, Yes and Kate Bush( she's really madly in love with me...the only problem is that she hasnt met me...yet!...lol.).
10- Which kind of attitude did you use to approach the creation of a new Eddie incarnation and which is your favourite among your artworks?
It goes back to having a decent idea and then making sure that the overall compostion works. Usually, I start with dozens of small thumbnails and if it works I flesh it out a bit more till I decide that it'll make a cool illustration. I then work up a few pencil roughs before transferring it to some gessoed illustration board, then I pour myself a coke, put on a DVD, sit down at the drawing board start figuring out the right colour balance and tweaking areas that need refining. I prefer the look of the old school Eddies that Derek did in the early 80's like the NOTB single and a few others. Which one of my Eddie paintings are my favoruite? hmmmm...I really enjoyed doing the Powerslave Eddie that was used on a previous Eddies, the Christmas card designs I did (that didnt win) and the S.I.T./Alien one done for this issue. I have a AMOLAD piece that I've had some problems with that I hope will see the light of day. I have a really cool Halloween piece that I hope will make the October issue of Eddies as well as ideas for 12 or so more paintings that I'd like to finish this year, so ask me again in 6-8 months and maybe I'll have a more defintive answer...lol.
11- On the technical side, which are the tools of the job for Tommy Pons? (software, devices, media, colours...)
I'm not a big fan of photoshop or digital art.Another favourite artist of mine Jeffrey Jones once said that he needed to touch,smell and feel his artwork.
Digital seems too impersonal and lacks soul, so 99.9% of my work is done traditionally...pencils, paintbrushes...stuff like that.
I've become pretty comfortable with what supplies I use. Strathmore 500 series illustration board and also Crescents watercolour board is the most comfortable. I like to add a few coats of Gesso to the surface, sand it smooth before I start a painting. I prefer working in Acrylics. I like the Golden brand as well as others made by Holbein and Turner. I've been messing with the idea of doing some work in oils so maybe we'll see an Eddie in that medium one day. I like using Loew/Cornell and Windsor & Newton Cotman brushes. I also have an Iwata airbrush that I like to use for shading or certain effects. I try not to use it too much except for backgrounds because alot of airbrushed stuff looks a bit cheesy. It should be used as a tool and not a crutch.
12- What are you working on at the moment? Which are your current projects? (Eddie and non-Eddie related)
I recently painted this 80 lb, 10 foot long Gibson Les Paul that messed my back up real good...nobody should paint hunched over for 7 days straight ! I'm about 95% back to normal. Other than that I spend most of my time doing my NFL work as well as some custom painting on Harley Davidson motorcycles in between doing all these Eddie pieces...lol....I have a comicbook idea that I'm trying to get off the ground thats peaked some interests from investors, so we'll see what happens with that. By last count, I have ideas for another 12-15 Eddie pieces so I'm sure they'll be seen here...keep a look-out !
13- Great, Tommy, the mike is to you for a final message to all the Italian Maiden maniacs. When will we see you in Italy?
Well I appreciate the emails that I recieved from a few Italian Maiden fans. Its great getting all the positive feedback because it helps making each piece something to be proud of. I've never been to Italy and would love to go one day. Maybe, with a little luck I'll get to do something official for Maiden in the future and have the funds to be able to fly over to see a show....If not, maybe some cute female Maiden fan can adopt me and buy me a plane ticket...lol.
Scream for me Italy !!!
Lets see....I was born in San Antonio, Texas here in the USA on November 23rd, 1965 (same birthday as Boris Karloff !!!) and have lived here ever since. I've been drawing I guess from as early as I can remember. I had hopes of being a pro football player but didnt meet the height requirement(that comes into play years later with the NFL artwork)...lol...I grew up being a big fan of comicbooks( Werewolf By Night, Eerie and Creepy were some of my favourites) and old Black & White horror movies...I really love the first Creature From The Black Lagoon and later films like An American Werewolf In London....great stuff. I was always a big music fan even as a kid. While most of my friends had "Sing along with Disney" records, at the age of 6 I was listening to my Brothers copies of Black Sabbath Paranoid, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.The first concert I ever saw was KISS back in the 70's as well as Alice Cooper and Rush....then in 1980, I found Iron Maidens Sanctuary single at the flea Market and have been a big fan ever since.
2- You are in the biz from a while now. What kind of commissioned work you did for the music and what for the rest?
What work have I done in the music biz? Well, the most well known work to date would ahve to be the Album covers for the band Dangerous Toys...that evil clown stuff. I've done everything they've put out since 1988 though I'm not happy with any of the covers except maybe for the Live CD that I did a few years ago. I went from messing about with Black & White ink drawings to a full blown full colour cover practically overnight ! The thing was, I never painted much so it was a big UH OH !!!...lol... I better grab some Goauche and start learning how to paint.... so basically, I was learning as I went along...Still am . I think as soon as you become complacent with your work you stop growing as an artist. I'm currently doing a cover for their 20th anniversary release called "XX"that should be out sometime this Summer. I've also done work for Testament (T-shirts and the "Return To The Apocalyptic City" CD cover) as well as work for Ronnie James Dio . Back in the mid/late 90's , I did the covers for a number of Tribute CD's (KISS, AC/DC, Queen, Alice Cooper and Ozzy) and others that I might of forgotten about. I just got finished doing the cover for the new "The Iron Maidens CD/DVD that should hopefully be seen someplace in this issue. I also did some work for Gene $immon$ during the reunion tour, in which he ripped me off bigtime, but we won't get into that.
3- How did it happen that you start being involved with NFL?
Well, growing up in America back in the 70's, we were only exposed to Pro Football, Basketball and Baseball...maybe people farther north can add Hockey, but in Texas, it was about as foreign as Soccer, Rugby or the World Cup....lol. I've never understood the people that love Baseball. Its the most boring sport in the world and the players are WAY overpaid. Anyway, the 70's....yeah...I used to get an elecrtic football set for Christmas every couple of years. I would handpaint the little 1" tall players of all my favourite teams. It was around 1975 that I became a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I've been a one ever since. About 5-6 years ago, I was asked to paint a few full size NFL helmets with the portrait of my favourite all time player, Jack Lambert. It kind of melded two of my favourite things (Artwork and Football) into a steady paying gig. I had no idea that there was a market for that kind of thing here so they got me pretty cheap. After my work was starting to be seen, my prices went up considerably. I really enjoy doing the Helmets. Footballs and Jerseys(The jerseys being the toughest) but its alot of work and takes alot out of me each time I finish a piece. There's alot of prep work involved before the paintbrush even hits the surface. I heard that Jack Lambert's agent said after seeing one of my pieces was that "Jack hates everything, but he really, really liked your work"....Thats the best compliment really....next to people stealing my work of course, but thats another story.
4- When did you start drawing and painting Eddie?
Shortly after buying the Sanctuary 12" single when it came out !!!...lol...I think I sketched an Eddie on everyones book covers at school back then...I even remember doing a drawing of Eddie with a machine gun waiting outside Loverboys dressing room (I HATED that band!). Around 1983, I did a watercolour painting of Steve with the first LP's Eddie in the background which I got signed around the Piece Of Mind tour. Unfortunately, a few years ago, alot of my personal items that were in storage at the time were thrown out or dissappeared somehow. I lost ALL of my artwork from when I was about 12yrs old through to about when I was in my early 20's....I try not to think about it. I also lost a lot of comicbooks and most of my Original Maiden collection, such as live photos of the Band from the Killers tour, various tour shirts and the thing that really hurt was my pair of Steve Harris wristbands that he gave me in '87.
5- Is Eddie a key part of the iconographic side of Maiden according to you? You worked for some important artists so far, what do you consider the Iron Maiden specificity from an iconographic point of view?
Oh yeah, I think Eddie, at the beginning, was very important to the identity of the band from the start. He was a brilliant selling point marketing-wise and also a great mascot for a great metal band. I can't really think of anyone at that time that did that other than maybe Molly Hatchet using Frank Frazetta paintings on each Album sleeve or Rush with the Starman.Eddie has become readily recongizable to musicfans all over the world... I think later on Eddie become a staple of sorts. If he stopped showing up on covers, alot of fans would of been really dissappointed.
Iron Maiden to me, and I'm not saying this because theyre one of my all time favourite bands, is a group thats been a prime example of what a good manager, proper Record company support and brilliant song writing can achieve. Theyve pretty much left every other metal band in their dust with the exception of a few like AC/DC and Judas Priest. Still, Maiden has always done things their way and never catered to any trends or fads...I think thats always kept them honest from the start and you really have to respect that. When its all said and done, In My Opinon, I think Maiden will be thought of on the scale of Led Zeppelin, The Who and the Stones.
6- When compared to other artists it seems that you decided to keep a strong traditional approach in your illustration technique? Do you think this is true or it is just that you show to others only a few of you works?
Well, I grew up a big fan of the American cartoon "Jonny Quest" which was done by the late great Doug Wildey. He was one of the kindest, down to earth people I've ever met and I was devastated when I learned that he had died back in 93-94. Another big factor in feeding my imagination at that time was the animated movie Wizards. Other influences include Fantasy artists like Frank Frazetta, Bernie Wrightson, Mike Ploog, Barry Windsor Smith, Alex Toth and Russ Heath .Those guys were major... Later I added other artists like Wendy Pini who did the comicbook series Elfquest, Moebius and Derek Riggs into the mix as well as some of the masters like Alma Tadema, Bouguereau and John Waterhouse. I've wanted to work in oils but I don't deal with the chemicals well, but I'm going to give them another try soon. I'm most comfortable doing work in Acrylics and also brush/ink pieces. I've always preferred a traditional, realistic feel to my work with a bit of an classic animated look thrown into the mix. I've always felt that proper anatomy and composition is important in ones work and that its a lifelong process achieving any resemblence of perfection . I've never been really interested in doing anything outside the box really. The most important thing is to have fun with your art. If its not enjoyable, its not worth doing.Working in abstract or in other styles doesnt really interest me, although I would love to do some sculpture in the future...maybe I'll give it a try when I'm old and grey !
f7- You are known very well among Iron Maiden fans for the fantastic artworks you are delivering from a while? Many people are suggesting you should have a chance to draw a Maiden album cover. Any contact on that side?
Fantastic works? Wow...thanks !
Doing the Eddies is a fun way to keep myself fresh in between all the NFL work and I really enjoy getting a chance painted him. I was surprised on the emails and complimets I got on my first pieces that I had done in years (particularly the first one I did on Eddies). It's great when evryone was saying that I should have a shot at doing something "Official", but I've never been contacted by anyone with Maiden themselves. I thought it was because they preferred sticking with U.K artists like Riggs or Grant but then they hired that Bradstreet guy, (whom I'm not a big fan of to put it politely), so that theory went right out the window ! Maybe if I keep doing these Eddies covers, I'll eventually get noticed or I could just try bribery....anyone have Smallwoods home address and phone number?....lol.
8- I also know you had the chance to meet the band some years ago. How did it happen?
I first met Steve waaay back on the Killers tour after the show, then met them again at an In Store autograph signing during the NOTB tour. After that I had worked at a record store where I use to do the window displays of new Album releases. Thats when I made this big paper meche Eddie head bursting out of a collage of S.I.T. promo posters and flats. Around that Time I made some connections in the music business that allowed me to fly up to the northeast where I spent about a week on the S.I.T. tour helping a friend that was a regional guy for Capitol/EMI . That was definitely an experience ! I got to watch the whole stage go up each day as well as watching the guy get into the cyborg Eddie outfit. I use to have some great photos of it laying in pieces backstage but those dissappeared along with all my artwork that I mentioned earlier. Everyone with Maiden were really really nice to both of us and after a while the band themselves got use to me hanging around. Bruce even gave me an impromptu fencing lesson, although he's a lefty and I'm right handed. I really enjoyed being "on the road" and I hated to go home.
9- Assuming that you are a Maiden fan, which are your favourite Maiden albums and which are your favourite bands excluding Maiden?
ASSUMING??? This interview is OVER !!!!
Lol....j/k....I have to go with the original LP as well as Killers...I wore those out when they came out way back when. After those, I think NOTB and Powerslave are my faves. It took a while for 7th Son to grow on me but it ranks up there with my faves. I've found myself listening to AMOLAD alot lately. I think its the best CD theyve put out in a long time....I just wish they had someone else other than Bradstreet do the actual cover...ugh....woops, sorry...I said I would be polite....lol.
Some of other favourite bands/ musicians are Led Zeppelin, RUSH, Motorhead, Jethro Tull, The Who, Yes and Kate Bush( she's really madly in love with me...the only problem is that she hasnt met me...yet!...lol.).
10- Which kind of attitude did you use to approach the creation of a new Eddie incarnation and which is your favourite among your artworks?
It goes back to having a decent idea and then making sure that the overall compostion works. Usually, I start with dozens of small thumbnails and if it works I flesh it out a bit more till I decide that it'll make a cool illustration. I then work up a few pencil roughs before transferring it to some gessoed illustration board, then I pour myself a coke, put on a DVD, sit down at the drawing board start figuring out the right colour balance and tweaking areas that need refining. I prefer the look of the old school Eddies that Derek did in the early 80's like the NOTB single and a few others. Which one of my Eddie paintings are my favoruite? hmmmm...I really enjoyed doing the Powerslave Eddie that was used on a previous Eddies, the Christmas card designs I did (that didnt win) and the S.I.T./Alien one done for this issue. I have a AMOLAD piece that I've had some problems with that I hope will see the light of day. I have a really cool Halloween piece that I hope will make the October issue of Eddies as well as ideas for 12 or so more paintings that I'd like to finish this year, so ask me again in 6-8 months and maybe I'll have a more defintive answer...lol.
11- On the technical side, which are the tools of the job for Tommy Pons? (software, devices, media, colours...)
I'm not a big fan of photoshop or digital art.Another favourite artist of mine Jeffrey Jones once said that he needed to touch,smell and feel his artwork.
Digital seems too impersonal and lacks soul, so 99.9% of my work is done traditionally...pencils, paintbrushes...stuff like that.
I've become pretty comfortable with what supplies I use. Strathmore 500 series illustration board and also Crescents watercolour board is the most comfortable. I like to add a few coats of Gesso to the surface, sand it smooth before I start a painting. I prefer working in Acrylics. I like the Golden brand as well as others made by Holbein and Turner. I've been messing with the idea of doing some work in oils so maybe we'll see an Eddie in that medium one day. I like using Loew/Cornell and Windsor & Newton Cotman brushes. I also have an Iwata airbrush that I like to use for shading or certain effects. I try not to use it too much except for backgrounds because alot of airbrushed stuff looks a bit cheesy. It should be used as a tool and not a crutch.
12- What are you working on at the moment? Which are your current projects? (Eddie and non-Eddie related)
I recently painted this 80 lb, 10 foot long Gibson Les Paul that messed my back up real good...nobody should paint hunched over for 7 days straight ! I'm about 95% back to normal. Other than that I spend most of my time doing my NFL work as well as some custom painting on Harley Davidson motorcycles in between doing all these Eddie pieces...lol....I have a comicbook idea that I'm trying to get off the ground thats peaked some interests from investors, so we'll see what happens with that. By last count, I have ideas for another 12-15 Eddie pieces so I'm sure they'll be seen here...keep a look-out !
13- Great, Tommy, the mike is to you for a final message to all the Italian Maiden maniacs. When will we see you in Italy?
Well I appreciate the emails that I recieved from a few Italian Maiden fans. Its great getting all the positive feedback because it helps making each piece something to be proud of. I've never been to Italy and would love to go one day. Maybe, with a little luck I'll get to do something official for Maiden in the future and have the funds to be able to fly over to see a show....If not, maybe some cute female Maiden fan can adopt me and buy me a plane ticket...lol.
Scream for me Italy !!!
