What a fun show! I got to hang out with my friend Michael Kenney (keyboard player for Iron Maiden as well as Steve's bass tech) afterwards and say "hello" to Steve. I was curious about the size of Steve's hands so I put my hand up to his and found that his hands aren't very big (compared to the hands of other bass players like Stanley Clarke for example). He sure gets around that bass well for not having large hands! What a great evening! I hope Maiden comes back into town again soon!
Maiden at Universal
- Thread starter Steph Harris
- Start date
raveballs
Ex-Mullet Head
Iron Maiden, Universal Amphitheatre, 1/30/04
I got a chance to see Iron Maiden, my favourite heavy metal band, perform for the second time in the last few months. Initially, I was supposed to go with Fred, my co-worker. (We did an in-person interview together with singer Bruce Dickinson last August.) But he had to drop out at the last minute to attend a Josh Groban show. So I was stuck with an extra ticket. I called everyone I knew that would be interested in going to see Maiden (it was a short list), but everyone must've been out already on their Friday night. When I got home from work, I took a short nap. I had recently caught a cold and was feeling tired and congested. If not for the concert, I wouldn't have even gone out that night. I had gone online earlier in the week and read that there were two opening bands. The concert started at 8:15 p.m., so I calculated that Maiden wouldn't take the stage before 10 p.m.
I arrived at the Amphitheatre by 9:30 p.m. "Plenty of time," I thought. I prepared my vanilla vodka and Red Bulls. One for the car and one for the walk there. It's quite a lengthy stroll through City Walk to get to the Amphitheatre and I was too cheap to pay the extra money to park closer to it. It was a cold night, so I wore my blue sweatjacket that Suzette had bought me over the holidays. I also wore my Iron Maiden "Killers" t-shirt under my Dickies shirt. I picked up my complimentary pair of tickets ($75 each), still wondering what I'd do with the extra one. It was just after 10 p.m. when I finally got the the venue. I asked the attendant if the band had taken the stage already. He responded that they'd already performed about five songs. "What?!" I thought. There must've been only ONE opening band. Iron Maiden songs average about six minutes, so they must've went onstage before 9:30 p.m. I hurried to find my seating section, but it was difficult in the darkness. The band started to perform a new song that I was unfamiliar with, so I decided I'd leave and try to find someone to give my extra ticket to.
As I left, the ticket attendant told me there was no re-entry. I told her I had an extra ticket and I'd just use that to get back in. I saw the KLOS van parked outside the venue. This was ironic because KLOS doesn't even play Iron Maiden. You hear "Run to the Hills" maybe once every six months or so. There was also a guy with a rickshaw outside. I talked to him for a minute and found out that he charged a few bucks for a taxi ride through City Walk. I continued my mission to get rid of my extra ticket. There were no stranglers waiting outside the venue, probably because 1) the band had taken the stage over 30 minutes ago and 2) the show wasn't quite sold out (Saturday was, however). But I pressed on, entering several stores I though might be able to help. The employees of Hot Topic, Sam Goody, and a neon-light party store must know someone who would want a free Maiden ticket. I was wrong. I ending up buying a pair of purple glowsticks for the show.
I walked back into the Amphitheatre (using my other ticket to get past the attendant), and found my seat. I was about 15 rows back, to the right of the stage. It was a shame that ticket went to waste. Most of the seats around me were empty. I saw one of the girls from the all-female tribute band I love, called The Iron Maidens. I talked to her for a bit and then saw that the other members were there also. But I was there to see a show. I stood in front of my seat and soaked in the band. The stage was partially obscured from where I was standing, but luckily there was a huge screen just to my left that had live images of the show projected onto it. The band was still in top form. I found out later that Bruce had an accident earlier in the show. During "Hallowed Be Thy Name," he slipped off the metal stairs and fell a few feet, landing on his side. He lay stunned for a few moments, but eventually got back up after the extending guitar break and finished the song, without missing any vocal parts. Some schmuck apparently threw ice onstage. Bruce reprimanded a fan later for doing the same thing.
They've been having a tough time in North America this month. First, another putz in New York threw his cup of beer off the mezzanine and it landed on the soundboard. It shorted it out and the band couldn't do any encores. Also in New York, a show was cancelled due to double-booking.
Classic songs the band performed that night were "Wrathchild," "Can I Play With Madness," "The Trooper," and "Iron Maiden.""Paschendale," a new song off their album "Dance of Dance," began with very loud explosions and sounds of war, in time with flashing flood lights. It was pretty impressive. For the encore, the band performed "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills." I was still feeling pretty buzzed at the time and proceded to use my glowsticks to play "air drums." I'm familiar with the songs and it was pure fun to pound away into the air above my shoulders. I didn't see anyone else with glowsticks, so I must've stood out. This might've been a bad thing.
Earlier in the show, I'd gotten hot and taken off my Dickie shirt and sweatjacket and laid it behind my chair. Then I walked just one row in front of me to talk to another fan who was also wearing a "Killers" t-shirt. Just when he started to talk, he started hacking and leaned away towards the aisle. I assumed he'd had too much to drink and was puking. He told me a minute later that he'd gotten a lemon seed stuck in his throat. Too funny! When the show ended, I glanced back and saw a guy running up the stairs off to the left of me. I didn't think much of it, but then double-checked my jacket. Lo and behold, it was gone! I looked upstairs and saw the same guy walking towards the center. He looked like he was pregnant. He must've seen me watching him and darted off upstairs. I hustled upstairs to try to catch him, but by the time I got outside the doors, it was a sea of people. The thief had blended into the crowd. I walked outside to look around, but everyone had a dark jacket they had draped over their arm. Suzette had bought me both those items, and I had grown attached to each of them. Besides that, it was now lightly raining, and I had a cold, was wearing just my Maiden t-shirt, and had a ten minute walk. Lovely. I could hardly believe it. Who the hell would steal a sweatjacket?! And why?! They don't let you LIVE anymore!
With a bad taste left in my mouth, I walked back inside. I saw a few of The Iron Maidens and showed Jojo and Wanda my photos of me and Bruce together. They both laughed at the one with Bruce making the devil's horns. I told Jojo that I had more fun at their concerts than the real Iron Maiden because they played all the classic tunes I wanted to hear, and the venues were smaller. They were whisked away by management to meet the band backstage. I tagged along to see if I could get in. Initially, I was supposed to go backstage for a short interview with the band, but apparently, that had been cancelled at the last moment. That's probably why there were so many empty seats in my section. I found out the next day that I was supposed to have special passes that let me backstage to a press room where, sometimes, the band wandered in. I wish I had known about that earlier! The band and I got to stage left, but a roadie was guarding the door. You needed VIP passes to go backstage, and I didn't have one. The girls were lucky to meet their heroes again.
So, tail between my legs, I chalked up my losses and decided to call it a night. The ten minute walk in the cold, rainy night was an adventure. I still couldn't believe some asshole stole my clothes. I counted my blessings. There wasn't anything in the pockets and the clothes weren't that valuable (more sentimental value, really). I knew Suzette would be upset, also. My friend Charles told me that next time, I'd have to booby-trap my clothes somehow. I enjoyed the concert, what I saw of it. Maiden is still my favourite band of the 1980s. I can't wait to see the tribute band again. They have a new lead singer and will be playing in the springtime at Tarzana's "Paladino's" and Hollywood's "Q-topia" (where I go dancing). I'm sure those will be better experiences.
I got a chance to see Iron Maiden, my favourite heavy metal band, perform for the second time in the last few months. Initially, I was supposed to go with Fred, my co-worker. (We did an in-person interview together with singer Bruce Dickinson last August.) But he had to drop out at the last minute to attend a Josh Groban show. So I was stuck with an extra ticket. I called everyone I knew that would be interested in going to see Maiden (it was a short list), but everyone must've been out already on their Friday night. When I got home from work, I took a short nap. I had recently caught a cold and was feeling tired and congested. If not for the concert, I wouldn't have even gone out that night. I had gone online earlier in the week and read that there were two opening bands. The concert started at 8:15 p.m., so I calculated that Maiden wouldn't take the stage before 10 p.m.
I arrived at the Amphitheatre by 9:30 p.m. "Plenty of time," I thought. I prepared my vanilla vodka and Red Bulls. One for the car and one for the walk there. It's quite a lengthy stroll through City Walk to get to the Amphitheatre and I was too cheap to pay the extra money to park closer to it. It was a cold night, so I wore my blue sweatjacket that Suzette had bought me over the holidays. I also wore my Iron Maiden "Killers" t-shirt under my Dickies shirt. I picked up my complimentary pair of tickets ($75 each), still wondering what I'd do with the extra one. It was just after 10 p.m. when I finally got the the venue. I asked the attendant if the band had taken the stage already. He responded that they'd already performed about five songs. "What?!" I thought. There must've been only ONE opening band. Iron Maiden songs average about six minutes, so they must've went onstage before 9:30 p.m. I hurried to find my seating section, but it was difficult in the darkness. The band started to perform a new song that I was unfamiliar with, so I decided I'd leave and try to find someone to give my extra ticket to.
As I left, the ticket attendant told me there was no re-entry. I told her I had an extra ticket and I'd just use that to get back in. I saw the KLOS van parked outside the venue. This was ironic because KLOS doesn't even play Iron Maiden. You hear "Run to the Hills" maybe once every six months or so. There was also a guy with a rickshaw outside. I talked to him for a minute and found out that he charged a few bucks for a taxi ride through City Walk. I continued my mission to get rid of my extra ticket. There were no stranglers waiting outside the venue, probably because 1) the band had taken the stage over 30 minutes ago and 2) the show wasn't quite sold out (Saturday was, however). But I pressed on, entering several stores I though might be able to help. The employees of Hot Topic, Sam Goody, and a neon-light party store must know someone who would want a free Maiden ticket. I was wrong. I ending up buying a pair of purple glowsticks for the show.
I walked back into the Amphitheatre (using my other ticket to get past the attendant), and found my seat. I was about 15 rows back, to the right of the stage. It was a shame that ticket went to waste. Most of the seats around me were empty. I saw one of the girls from the all-female tribute band I love, called The Iron Maidens. I talked to her for a bit and then saw that the other members were there also. But I was there to see a show. I stood in front of my seat and soaked in the band. The stage was partially obscured from where I was standing, but luckily there was a huge screen just to my left that had live images of the show projected onto it. The band was still in top form. I found out later that Bruce had an accident earlier in the show. During "Hallowed Be Thy Name," he slipped off the metal stairs and fell a few feet, landing on his side. He lay stunned for a few moments, but eventually got back up after the extending guitar break and finished the song, without missing any vocal parts. Some schmuck apparently threw ice onstage. Bruce reprimanded a fan later for doing the same thing.
They've been having a tough time in North America this month. First, another putz in New York threw his cup of beer off the mezzanine and it landed on the soundboard. It shorted it out and the band couldn't do any encores. Also in New York, a show was cancelled due to double-booking.
Classic songs the band performed that night were "Wrathchild," "Can I Play With Madness," "The Trooper," and "Iron Maiden.""Paschendale," a new song off their album "Dance of Dance," began with very loud explosions and sounds of war, in time with flashing flood lights. It was pretty impressive. For the encore, the band performed "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills." I was still feeling pretty buzzed at the time and proceded to use my glowsticks to play "air drums." I'm familiar with the songs and it was pure fun to pound away into the air above my shoulders. I didn't see anyone else with glowsticks, so I must've stood out. This might've been a bad thing.
Earlier in the show, I'd gotten hot and taken off my Dickie shirt and sweatjacket and laid it behind my chair. Then I walked just one row in front of me to talk to another fan who was also wearing a "Killers" t-shirt. Just when he started to talk, he started hacking and leaned away towards the aisle. I assumed he'd had too much to drink and was puking. He told me a minute later that he'd gotten a lemon seed stuck in his throat. Too funny! When the show ended, I glanced back and saw a guy running up the stairs off to the left of me. I didn't think much of it, but then double-checked my jacket. Lo and behold, it was gone! I looked upstairs and saw the same guy walking towards the center. He looked like he was pregnant. He must've seen me watching him and darted off upstairs. I hustled upstairs to try to catch him, but by the time I got outside the doors, it was a sea of people. The thief had blended into the crowd. I walked outside to look around, but everyone had a dark jacket they had draped over their arm. Suzette had bought me both those items, and I had grown attached to each of them. Besides that, it was now lightly raining, and I had a cold, was wearing just my Maiden t-shirt, and had a ten minute walk. Lovely. I could hardly believe it. Who the hell would steal a sweatjacket?! And why?! They don't let you LIVE anymore!
With a bad taste left in my mouth, I walked back inside. I saw a few of The Iron Maidens and showed Jojo and Wanda my photos of me and Bruce together. They both laughed at the one with Bruce making the devil's horns. I told Jojo that I had more fun at their concerts than the real Iron Maiden because they played all the classic tunes I wanted to hear, and the venues were smaller. They were whisked away by management to meet the band backstage. I tagged along to see if I could get in. Initially, I was supposed to go backstage for a short interview with the band, but apparently, that had been cancelled at the last moment. That's probably why there were so many empty seats in my section. I found out the next day that I was supposed to have special passes that let me backstage to a press room where, sometimes, the band wandered in. I wish I had known about that earlier! The band and I got to stage left, but a roadie was guarding the door. You needed VIP passes to go backstage, and I didn't have one. The girls were lucky to meet their heroes again.
So, tail between my legs, I chalked up my losses and decided to call it a night. The ten minute walk in the cold, rainy night was an adventure. I still couldn't believe some asshole stole my clothes. I counted my blessings. There wasn't anything in the pockets and the clothes weren't that valuable (more sentimental value, really). I knew Suzette would be upset, also. My friend Charles told me that next time, I'd have to booby-trap my clothes somehow. I enjoyed the concert, what I saw of it. Maiden is still my favourite band of the 1980s. I can't wait to see the tribute band again. They have a new lead singer and will be playing in the springtime at Tarzana's "Paladino's" and Hollywood's "Q-topia" (where I go dancing). I'm sure those will be better experiences.
I know how you feel Raveballs. I bought a DOD t-shirt that evening and lost it. I thought that perhaps I could buy another online...but no luck. Looks like you can only buy these at the shows. Oh well...
Keyser Soze
Anti-Social Socialist
you'll find some on ebay, I'm sure...
The special Japanese T-shirt is online... very nice indeed...
There's a poster for the Japanese shows I'll be giving away on The Metal Hall... keep yer eyeballs peeled
The special Japanese T-shirt is online... very nice indeed...
There's a poster for the Japanese shows I'll be giving away on The Metal Hall... keep yer eyeballs peeled
Doodoobubbachuck
Maidens' drums
Keyser Soze
Anti-Social Socialist
Asterothe
Member
It was maybe the best 2 shows on my life.
And I saw them many times.
I wrote a loong review in ironmaiden BB. Like
ppl would care Maiden is always #1.
UP THE IRONS FOREVER
And I saw them many times.
I wrote a loong review in ironmaiden BB. Like
ppl would care
Maiden is always #1.UP THE IRONS FOREVER
Why don't you post a link here to your review?Asterothe said:It was maybe the best 2 shows on my life.
And I saw them many times.
I wrote a loong review in ironmaiden BB. Like
ppl would care
UP THE IRONS FOREVER
CrankYanker
Member
Went to the show on Saturday, my only complaint was that it was too short- when is Maiden gonna give us the killer 3 hr show with that song catalog? Yeah yeah... wishful thinking. The setlist was great however, they picked most of the songs off DOD that I wanted to hear. No More Lies and DOD were good, but Paschendale was the bomb!
Nice pics on the website ladies! Happy to see you were able to meet up with the boys again! Rock ON!
(hey... when ya playin again? )
when is Maiden gonna give us the killer 3 hr show with that song catalog? Yeah yeah... wishful thinking. The setlist was great however, they picked most of the songs off DOD that I wanted to hear. No More Lies and DOD were good, but Paschendale was the bomb! Nice pics on the website ladies! Happy to see you were able to meet up with the boys again! Rock ON!
(hey... when ya playin again?
)
Keyser Soze
Anti-Social Socialist
CrankYanker
Member
For starters... I'd try to get them to play all of Iron Maiden and most of Killers...Keyser Soze said:
Doodoobubbachuck
Maidens' drums
:hotjump: :hotjump: :hotjump: That's an exciting thought!!!!!!CrankYanker said:For starters... I'd try to get them to play all of Iron Maiden and most of Killers...
Keyser Soze
Anti-Social Socialist
Maiden would be linched if they didn't play NOTB, Hallowed and The Trooper... so those are automatics....
I'd love to hear ALEXANDER THE GREAT!!!!
I'd love to hear ALEXANDER THE GREAT!!!!
