Good job Jeff! This was Bruce Air - Flight 666!! I was on the Sweden trip. Expensive? Perhaps. Priceless? Most definitely!
The trip starts with meeting at the London Gatwick airport, checking in for flight 666. Man, there are some real diehard fans. Some wearing regular street clothes and some looking like Eddie (without the mask). But most had just the maiden t-shirt on. There were singles, couples, and groups of friends on the trip. I met people from all over the world - UK, Brazil, Australia, Czech Republic, France, USA. After checking in, I head over to board the plane (Boeing 757) with some 200+ maiden fans, f'n cool! Everybody received a "Goodie Bag" on their seat. It was a bitchen carry bag (like a computer bag) which has embroidered on it "Bruce Air Flight Crew - Flight 666" with an Eddie face on it. It was also filled with other miscellaneous stuff (pen, postcards, id tag, stickers, etc.). Once all boarded, Bruce walks out of the cockpit and talks to us on the intercom system. He mentioned that due to new flight rules, he had to lock the cabin door and could not come out and chat with the fans during the flight (something he was able to do on his last Bruce Air trip). No video's or music during the flight, but conversions with everybody around was the norm. Stories of maiden this or maiden that. It was great. Flight was an hour and a half or so and we're in Sweden. We board the buses waiting for us and head to the hotel which is attached to the concert arena, the Globe I think (it looks like a huge golfball). Very nice hotel. After checking in, many of us headed for the bar in the hotel to soak up on beer juice for an hour or so. We then had to meet for the group photo on stage. When we got inside the arena, I saw Michael Kenney on stage testing Steve's bass. The group was so big we had to break up into three groups (man that 757 holds a lot of people). I was in the third. They told us to not take any pictures of the tank (I don't know why) as we walked up onto the stage. I immediately went for the center position (so I can get a pic next to Bruce). This is when I got Bruce to sign some stuff for me (others as well). He was very cool. I had him sign a picture in one of the first maiden photo albums (approx 1991?). The picture is one from the very last show on the Somewhere In Time tour, taken from the back of the stage looking out into the fans. If any of you were at that show, you'd remember. It was at Irvine Meadows and Bruce stripped off all his clothes and threw them into the audience (thankfully he didn't show any private parts). So why that picture? Well, I was in the front row. I asked Bruce to sign this and mentioned that "You probably remember this, but I'm right here in the front" (pointing to where I am). He looks at me with a grinning smile and says "Sheeesh" as he rolls his eyes back. Almost like he's remembering his young crazy days. Priceless I tell you. I also had him sign my real Iron Maiden Red Shirt too! He was very cool and happy to do this for every body. As I walked off stage, I saw Michael Kenney again and chatted with him for a few minutes. After this we headed back to the bar to soak up more. With the wrist bands they gave us, we were allowed to enter the arena one hour before the public and get front row access. This was great, for the first time I didn't have to fight my way up. So, I positioned myself in front of Dave Murray's spot. I snapped 36 pictures from this spot, many turned out great. After the show it was back to the bar. It was great meeting and chatting with so many maiden fans. Next morning we had to check out, but before we did we had breakfast in the hotel on a top floor that has a view to inside the arena. Amazingly, but no surprise, the Iron Maiden stage set was gone and that's nights crew was already in setting up their stage. Interesting to see. We checked out, boarded the bus, got to the airport, checked in, and board the plane. Once again, flight 666! During the flight, Bruce would talk on the intercom to us. Then he'd ask us all for a big yell. Haha, that was funny. He'd always say that he could definitely hear us up there, even with the door closed and locked. Upon landing in London and getting off the plane, Bruce once again comes out to greet us all, sign some more autographs, take pictures, and say goodbye. I think Bruce was having just as much fun doing this Bruce Air as we were. It's Hella fun. If Bruce does this again (I hope and think he will), I'd highly recommend doing it if any of you are able to do it. Priceless.
