Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026) Movie Script

1
CROWD: Maiden! Maiden!
Maiden! Maiden! Maiden!
BRUCE DICKINSON:
It doesn't matter
whether you're male, female,
Muslim, Christian, Catholic,
Jewish. It doesn't matter.
If you're a Maiden fan,
you're an Iron Maiden fan.
You're part
of one fucking world
and one family, my friends.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
(THE TROOPER
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
You'll take my life
but I'll take yours too
You'll fire your musket
but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting
for the next attack
You'd better stand
there's no turning back
The bugle sounds
the charge begins
But on this battlefield
no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke
and horse's breath
As I plunge on
into certain death
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
oh, oh, oh, oh
Hey, come on!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
oh, oh, oh, oh
(GUITAR SOLO PLAYING)
CROWD: (CHEERING)
(SONG ENDS)
Yeah!
CROWD: (CHEERING)
It was always about the fans.
Always.
BRUCE: Thank you. Good night.
When you play in a country
for the first time
or a city for the first time,
you're going in there not
really knowing what to expect.
But the intensity
of the reaction is amazing.
Thank you! (LAUGHING)
WOMAN: (SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
Er, thank you.
The whole thing was
just like a dream.
It was like slow motion.
MAN: (LAUGHS)
BRUCE: Surrounded by
hundreds of fans...
twenty-four seven.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
STEVE:
Any long careers,
you're gonna have ups
and downs.
There's no two ways about that.
And you just kind of
ride with it.
But the hardcore fans
were just with you
through thick and thin.
You know, it's quite amazing
to live and go through that.
At the end of the day,
I'd rather spend time with
the fans than anything else.
CROWD 1 : Maiden! Maiden!
CROWD 2 : Maiden! Maiden!
MAN 1: It's about
a sense of belonging,
belonging to
the Iron Maiden family.
MAN 2: In that sort of
community, that bond,
where we've connected on
a shared love
of the same music,
the same melodies,
they touch us in the same way
with different backgrounds.
I do accounting work.
I'm a psychiatrist.
(IN SPANISH)
In the army.
I work in the bomb squad.
I'm a musician.
A lecturer in war studies
at King's College, London.
Play in a heavy metal band.
I'm a partner of the largest
Latin-American investment bank.
I'm the CEO of
Metal Blade Records.
I'm a retired New York City
police sergeant.
And I'm a music journalist.
TOM MORELLO: It feels like
you're part of
a exclusive club,
but the only price of admission
is loving the band.
Like, whenever I see a Maiden
shirt out in the wild,
you can kind of give 'em like
a bro nod
and go like, "Right on,"
like, throw you the horns.
TOM: (LAUGHS)
CROWD: (CHANTING)
JAVIER: Through all
the years, I've been going
to hundreds and hundreds
of concerts.
And I've been on the pit.
I've been on the first line.
I've been there giving it all.
Now I'm older, I'm in the back.
But still, I jump and I scream.
BRIAN SLAGEL:
You could feel this was legit.
Like, this was music being made
by people that loved this music
and cared about this music
just as much as we did,
even in those early days.
STEVE: There's no way
I'd go on stage
and play what I didn't
wanna play. You know?
Even other... some... you know,
some other forms of rock music.
I wouldn't... wouldn't do it.
You know... I would rather
sweep the streets.
- And I did in fact for a while.
- (CHUCKLES)
I'm not interested in doing
sessions just for money.
TOM: It's no secret that
Steve Harris is the one sort of
steering the uncompromising
nature of Iron Maiden.
When you say Steve Harris,
we just say The Boss.
Because he is the mastermind.
CHOP PITMAN: He was
an East Ender, just like us.
He was a road sweeper.
But he looked the coolest
road sweeper in all the world.
He had the hair. He had the bags
coming out of his belt.
I just knew that
he was gonna make it
because he had that way
about him, that determination.
LARS ULRICH: The Iron Maiden
and the new wave
of British heavy metal
really was an answer
to everything that was happening
at that time in England.
NEWSREADER 1:
Are we going to have
another winter of discontent
as some politicians
have claimed?
NEWSREADER 2:
For many areas of Britain,
chronic inflation
and unemployment
was taking its toll.
STEVE: I mean,
we didn't have a lot.
But then, no one did.
You know, we didn't think,
"Oh, we ain't got anything."
It was just the same
for everyone.
So it was just pretty normal.
At the time, all you've worried
about
is getting a new amp
that sounds all right
and some speakers
that ain't blown
and you wanna just get out
and do some gigs.
DAVE BEAZLEY: Steve said to me,
"We've got some gigs.
"Would you like to do
a bit of roadie-ing?"
And I said, "Yeah, of course."
I said, "Oh, I'll make you
some lightboxes up."
Back then, we used to break
into old warehouses
and we'd get a big pram
and we'd load it all up,
anything I could get
my hands on
and turn into lighting
of some description.
And it just
progressed from there.
STEVE: Even like
the first few gigs we did,
we were picking up fans
straight away,
and the reason being was
'cause we were playing
our own material.
I mean, we were already
playing locally
around the East End of London.
But it started to
really snowball for us.
CROWD: (CHANTING, CLAPPING)
Maiden! Maiden! Maiden!
(THE IDES OF MARCH
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
Maiden! Maiden!
REPORTER:
Friday night at The Marquee,
and East End rock band
Iron Maiden
are playing the second of
three nights at the club.
These gigs, at the end of
a gruelling
concert hall tour
covering forty venues,
are by way of a thank you
to their delirious fans.
I mean, it's... So, like,
what is it, ten to eight
and you can't get
in The Marquee?
If I had a pound for every time
I've seen Iron Maiden
I'd be a rich man by now.
REPORTER: If the heavy metal
boom
is being taken seriously
by the fans,
it's certainly causing a stir
in the offices of
the record companies.
But when Iron Maiden formed,
punk was what was selling.
And when the band were
first offered a recording deal
they were told punk was
what they had to play.
I didn't wanna play punk
or new wave.
I... I didn't wanna have
spiky hair
and dress in, you know,
stupid clothes.
You know what I mean?
(CHUCKLES)
I wanted to play rock music.
STEVE: Labels tried to make us
more marketable, I suppose,
'cause punk was the thing
that was happening,
so they wanted to
take us down that road.
Next thing would obviously be
for us to get our hair cut.
That would've been, "Fuck off."
(LAUGHS)
Luckily enough, Rod come along
at a time
when it was just badly needed.
And of course Andy
come along a few years later
with all
the business side of stuff.
They'd both go and bat away
a lot of the issues that
we didn't wanna deal with.
But Rod's the bombastic
Yorkshireman.
He'll just take no prisoners
with the way he does things.
I put a barbed-wire fence
around the band creatively.
No one gets within that fence.
They do exactly
what they wanna do
with whoever they wanna
do it with and that's it.
(PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
PAUL:
Keep your distance, walk away
Don't take his bait
Don't you stray
Don't fade away
Yeah, come on!
Watch your step
He's out to get you
Come what may
Don't you stray
From the narrow way
We didn't get any radio play
back in the day.
We didn't get any radio play
for many, many years actually.
(GUITAR SOLO PLAYING)
The industry didn't know
what to make of us.
They didn't know
what the appeal was.
But it's just made everybody,
the fans included,
just more tight
and, you know, just more
standing against it all.
So we were a bit
of the underdog
in the music scene,
but we were the underdog
at just
about everything really.
(GUITAR SOLO CONTINUES)
STEVE: I've never really liked
being in front of a camera,
especially these days.
So we thought this time round
it's much more interesting
to be
looking at some other visuals
than us while we're talking.
Because we're not
as good looking as Eddie.
(LAUGHS)
We weren't very familiar with
who these band members were.
We didn't know
any of their names
because you had the album cover
and there's Eddie.
CHRIS DECHIARA:
He's face of the band.
He's on every album cover.
It's just one of those things
that draws you in,
even without knowing the music.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
WOMAN: I remember seeing Eddie
when I was a kid
and just being like,
"What is that?"
MAN: It kinda scared
the shit out of you.
The origins of Eddie
really came from the fact that
the guys in the band
were actually quite shy.
And I just dug the idea of
having a character
to put across
the vibe of the band.
So I was with EMI
having a meeting
and I noticed some artwork on
the wall by Derek Riggs.
I had Derek come round
with samples of his artwork.
In the middle of all that
was the first album sleeve.
And we knew that
we'd found our guy.
Well, Eddie can be
whatever you want him to be,
that's the good thing about it
and that's one of the reasons
why we've always had him
on the covers.
It means we ain't gotta be
on there for a start.
MOLLY CAPOBIANCO:
Eddie is so cute.
(GIGGLES) I love him.
You know, he's the mascot
but he also is like the diva.
You know, Eddie's the star.
JAVIER BARDEM:
He's a creature that
has been disguised
so many times
in so many forms and shapes
through all the years
that you feel that
he's immortal.
He's had so many experiences
in so many civilisations
that you see him
as a wise figure,
as a wise figure of metal.
MAN: He was a Mayan mummy
He was a monster
coming out of a grave.
(CROWS CAWING)
Eddie can be anything.
MAN: (SCREAMING)
NINA SAEIDI: Eddie is like
a really great example
that you can be ugly and angry
and it doesn't really matter
and you can express yourself
and be authentic.
(KILLERS
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
PAUL: Oh, yeah! Yeah!
Oh, yeah!
Ooh, look out!
Scream for mercy
He laughs as he's
watching you bleed
Killer behind you
My blood lust defies
all my needs
(GUN CLICKS)
Ooh, look out
I'm coming for you
Aha, ha, ha, ha!
Oh! Oh!
But Eddie to me is
the greatest marketing tool
in heavy metal history.
This group created
its own universe.
You didn't necessarily
have to hear the record.
Their artwork captured me
before I even heard a sound.
'Cause it's not just
a sonic thing.
It's sight, sound,
story and style.
SCOTT IAN:
I was 16 at the time.
I saw the album cover.
I saw Eddie staring at me.
I bought the record.
We went back to my house,
literally putting the needle
on the record
and the intro, the first
guitar chords of Prowler...
(PROWLER
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
I was like,
"This is the greatest
heavy metal record ever made."
PAUL:
Walking through the city
Looking oh so pretty
I've just got to find my way
See the ladies flashing
All their legs and lashes
I've just got to find my way
Well, you see me crawling
through the bushes
With it open wide
What you seeing, girl?
MAN: Paul Di'Anno was
the first singer of the band.
And Paul was a singer
who could wail.
Can't you believe your eyes?
It's the real thing, girl
Got me feeling myself
And reelin' around
DOM:
He really brought, you know,
the passion and the energy,
this sort of slight
air of menace,
you know, all of these things
that came across.
You know, he was a badass.
I really felt
we'd achieved something
because, you know,
we'd paid our dues and that,
going around all the clubs
and sweaty places.
And when that first album
came out,
I was really proud of it,
you know?
Yeah, with the first album,
it really went well for us.
You know, it went straight
into the charts at number four
and done really well
and we haven't really
looked back since then.
We literally made history,
'cause no one sounded like us.
The fans and that every night,
it was completely packed out,
it was absolutely fantastic
'cause it was going
absolutely berserk.
It seems that they'll do
anything, you know?
And because they do that,
then we'll go and do
anything for them.
I'm a bit taken aback.
You know, I'm still sort of
trying to take it all in
at the moment.
(PROWLER
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
...round, yeah!
MAN: But Paul was having,
you know,
a little bit too much fun
on the road.
DOM: It's well documented
that he used to piss it up
quite a lot and was a bit
of a naughty boy.
He was not somebody
who was known
for leading
a choirboy's lifestyle.
Getting off his head
most nights,
coming on stage hungover.
BRIAN:
And I guess that they had
had to cancel a few shows
and that was definitely not
something that any band
wants to do,
let alone a band
like Iron Maiden,
who was starting to really
make an impact.
ROSS HALFIN:
Steve had this vision
of what they were
and you didn't interfere
with that vision.
If you interfered
with that vision
you were not gonna
stay with this band.
STEVE: I've been called
Sergeant Major,
Ayatollah, Headmaster.
I've been called most things.
But the problem with Paul
was that
he wasn't really looking after
himself health-wise.
It was real tough work
with him.
So we sort of thought, "Well,
we can't let him pull us down."
The voice is such a, you know,
massive part of the sound,
and I was very worried
that it might be
the end of our career.
BEAZLEY: He liked his drink.
He liked his substances.
And then we toured basically
four, five shows a week,
and I don't think that helped
his voice at all either.
I think it was the pressure
that was getting to me.
You find other distractions
like cocaine
and shit like that,
and, yeah, I had a problem.
I... I must admit,
I did have a problem.
We missed gigs.
And then we had to cancel
the whole German tour.
I mean, he just had to go.
It was a no-brainer in the end.
We thought, "We... We're just
gonna have to change."
And as sad as it was,
that's Paul, you know?
He's a lovable rogue.
I wouldn't have been able
to give 100%
or 1,000% to Iron Maiden.
And that's not fair.
You let the band down,
you let yourself down,
you let the fans down.
And so I thought, "Best to go."
SCOTT: I was
very depressed about it.
It was a bummer. You know,
the singer's leaving.
When I heard that
Paul was out of the band
I thought, "Oh, no,
my band is dead."
I was in a band called Samson
and we were on the bill
at Reading Festival.
Steve and Rod were in
the audience, checking me out.
Now, Rod was absolutely dead
against having me in the band.
Steve was like,
"Just go and have a look
at him as a singer."
So they did, obviously,
saw my performance,
and then Rod decided that
he would have a chat with me.
(PHONE RINGING)
(RECEIVER RATTLES)
Hello there.
That's right, it's Bruce.
BRUCE: He said,
Are you interested in the job?
I went, "Of course
I'm interested in the job.
"Don't be daft!"
(LAUGHS)
So he, er, chopped out
a big line of coke
and said, "Do you want some?"
I went, "No,
I don't do that stuff."
He went, "Oh.
You don't mind if I do then?"
So, erm, I'm sitting there
and he said, er, right,
he goes, "I'm offering you
the chance
"to audition for Iron Maiden."
And I said, "Look, Rod,
"let's just put cards
on the table here.
"You know I'll get the job.
"But the question is not
"whether or not
I'll get the job.
"The question for me is,
"Do you want
the pain in the arse
"that's going to appear
in your life?
"'Cause I'm not gonna be
like your existing singer."
Steve totally found somebody
who was as ambitious
as him in Bruce.
Bruce is totally professional,
totally, er, into fitness,
looks after his voice,
looks after himself,
wants to go out there
and be the best and, erm,
that's all you can ask
from any frontman really.
When it happened,
it was about 50-50
between people like, "Oh, no,
I liked Paul way better.
"I don't like... I don't
like Iron Maiden with Bruce."
50-50.
KATON: Bruce had it
tough enough as it was
because Paul Di'Anno
was beloved.
Paul Di'Anno is still beloved
by guys like me.
It was a little bit strange,
but this is me,
this is what I do
and you're either gonna
get used to it or not.
And some people
absolutely hated it.
Somebody said,
"This is horrible.
"It was like listening
to my favourite songs
"being sung in a cement mixer
by an air-raid siren."
To which Rod immediately went,
"Bloody great. A human
air-raid siren. I love it!"
DOM: They wanted
somebody who was gonna be
capable of leading
from the front
as they took over the world,
and obviously
they found that guy.
Never has anybody been
better equipped
for, er, world domination
than Bruce Dickinson
in his mid-twenties.
You know, like,
it's just absurd.
(MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
I remember it as plain as day
Although it happened
in the dark of night
I was strolling through
the streets of Paris
It was cold
It was starting to rain
And then I heard
an ear-piercing scream
And I rushed
to the scene of the crime
But all I found was
the butchered remains
Of two girls who lay
side by side
Yeah, murders
in the Rue Morgue
Never gonna find me
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Running from the arms
of the law
SCOTT: Bruce took them to
a new level with his range,
with his presentation on stage.
It's not just
his vocal prowess,
it's like you're watching
Broadway.
MOLLY CAPOBIANCO:
He has this intense stamina
and it's infectious,
and when he, you know,
gets the crowd going.
Bruce, you only joined
a few months ago, didn't you?
Yeah, just after, er...
after August last year.
no, September last year.
I know Iron Maiden have had
a few line-up changes
but there had been sort of
fairly settled with the line-up.
Was it quite difficult
for you, er,
going in and joining
an established band line-up?
Not... Not really 'cause we've
sort of known each other
for quite a long while
through my sort of...
from my last band I was in.
So, I mean, it, er...
it all fitted in
really well, really.
I mean, we like
the same sort of music
- so it's no real problem.
- WOMAN: Yeah, yeah.
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Never gonna find me
Murders in the Rue Morgue
When we first started
touring together,
when I'm singing
the lead vocals
I stand in the middle
of the stage.
And suddenly I've got, like,
you know,
Steve's bass in my ear.
You know, grrr,
and he's like...
and he's like shoving me.
There he was in my face and
was cursing and swearing
and you know, stuff like that,
and this got quite heated
after a while.
And it came to a head,
Newcastle City Hall.
Steve was hopping mad.
He was saying that
I was getting in the way
and everything.
I was like, "Well,
when I'm singing, mate,
"I stand in the f...
in the middle of the stage.
"Not you, me."
I said, "Then when
I'm done singing,
"you can stand in the middle of
the stage whenever you want."
And we... we were...
we were gonna go outside and...
and, you know, have a...
have a fistfight.
And Rod came in. He was like,
"Break it up!
Break it up, you two! Stop it!"
And, er, Steve...
Steve was like,
"He's gotta go! He's gotta go!
He's gotta go!"
And Rod's said,
"He's not going!"
(LAUGHS)
And I think that was
the beginning of us
starting to understand
each other...
(CHUCKLING) ...a bit better
in a weird way.
It took so long and...
DOM: They were a better band
when Bruce joined.
They were more powerful.
They had more charisma.
They had more visible
sort of intensity.
But Bruce was just
a piece of the puzzle.
I'm never going home!
The most fundamental
thing really
was the strength
of the material they made,
were badass musicians.
(GUITAR SOLO PLAYING)
GENE SIMMONS: Undeniably,
the sound of Maiden for us
was always about the guitars.
That's the first thing
that comes to your mind,
those twin harmonic guitars
going on,
and the push,
the power behind it.
DOM LAWSON: No guitar
partnership has ever had
quite the same chemistry
as Adrian and Dave.
Two lead guitarists which make
men of a certain age
and... and ladies too I'm sure,
erm, go a bit weak at the knees.
Dave and I
have always gotten on.
We've been mates since
we were kids, you know?
So on a personal level,
there was no problem.
And that translated into work.
We grew up in East London
and we lived a couple of
streets away from each other.
I think 'cause we're good
friends and we have a laugh,
we can play
the subtle harmonies,
subtle nuances,
things that have to be correct.
GABRIELA GUADALUPE ROJAS DOULA:
(IN SPANISH)
(SANCTUARY
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
DOM: Every element
of it was perfect.
Playing with this
astonishing bass player,
the things Steve can do
on a bass still blows my mind.
TOM: The galloping bass
was front and centre
and his particular style
of playing the bass
differentiated Maiden
from all other metal.
SIMON GALLUP:
Steve uses a lot of chords.
You know, he'd be doing
the galloping thing
and then he'll
suddenly put in a chord.
And you think, that sonically
adds so much to it.
Clive Burr,
the drummer with Maiden
for the first three records...
He was a fabulous drummer.
I really admired his drumming.
BRUCE: Sanctuary from the law
STEVE: Clive was great and,
erm, we got on really well.
BRUCE: Sanctuary from the law
You love me tonight
Tonight!
DOM: You had an astonishing
drummer in Clive Burr,
God rest his soul.
But when he left,
they got Nicko.
And just everyone's like,
"What the fuck is this bloke?
"Where the fuck
did he come from?"
- TV PRESENTER: Nicko?
- NICKO: Matthew?
How would you like us lot
to be your backing group?
I thought you'd never ask.
(UPBEAT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING)
He's a funny bloke and he's
a big ray of sunshine, Nicko.
I just spat on your lens.
Every... (LAUGHS)
JAVIER: The way he plays drums,
you can tell, it's something
that is beyond his control.
It's a gift from
the Gods of metal,
that was given to him
and he's just the tool.
The entity of Maiden was strong
with Clive and Paul Di'Anno.
There was a magic
that was set there
way back in the early days.
But when I came in,
it seemed to be natural.
Although I did, like,
four or five songs rattled off,
that was my audition.
But, you know, we bonded.
There was an unwritten bond,
if you like.
Yeah, it was pretty instant.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
The '80s were incredible.
Every album kept getting
bigger and bigger.
And we knew
we were on the verge
of something really special.
BARRY CLAYTON:
Woe to you, O earth and sea,
For the Devil...
BARRY AND CROWD:
...sends the beast with wrath,
because he knows
that time is short
Let him who hath understanding
reckon the number of the beast
for it is a human number.
Its number is six hundred
and sixty-six.
CROWD: CHEERING
(NUMBER OF THE BEASBY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
BRUCE: I left alone
My mind was blank
I needed time to think
To get the memories
from my mind
What did I see?
Can I believe?
That what I saw that night
was real and not just fantasy?
'Cause in my dreams
It's always there
The evil face
that twists my mind
Brings me to despair
(SCREAMS)
Night was black
was no use holding back
'Cause I just had to see
was someone watching me?
Sing it!
- Six...
- CROWD: six, six
The number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight
DOM: You could tell
this band are gonna be massive.
Zero to heroes, you know,
like, in no time.
(GUITAR SOLO PLAYING)
I'd never left the UK before.
It was just exciting, you know?
There was all these, er,
new experience
that just kept evolving.
And you didn't really have time
to think about much of it,
you just...
you just rolled with it.
BRUCE: ...towards
the chanting hordes
REPORTER: Iron Maiden are
one of the leading exponents
of the UK heavy metal scene.
Fans here for their concert
at the music hall,
their debut concert
here in Canada,
have been lined up
for a couple of hours.
And fans is part of
what makes Iron Maiden work.
Getting to where they were
without major radio play
was a big deal back then.
The band had so much respect
among heavy metal fans.
REPORTER: What is it,
do you think makes them
more special than anybody else?
They're different, you know?
They come out of England so
they're different. They love it.
Well, I think that it's the best
music that I can hear.
- REPORTER: Yeah?
- Yeah,
'cause I love heavy metal
and I love
your kind of music very much.
(SONG ENDS)
CROWD: (CHEERING)
It was the beginning
of what I described as
a non-stop roller coaster
that never ever
got to the bottom.
It just
carried on accelerating.
We just achieved
terminal velocity
and stayed there
for five fucking years.
ANDY COPPING: In that period,
the Iron Maiden logo,
Eddie stood out way beyond
any other band
that was out there.
I mean, it was r...
this really dynamic logo.
LARS: It's hard for me
to think of a more
recognisable mascot
or imagery associated
with a hard rock band
than Eddie and Iron Maiden.
You know, it was just
such an incredible creation.
Eddie had a huge thing to do
with the success
of Iron Maiden.
because here is an image
of this character or creature,
whatever it is, that people
could somehow kinda relate to.
The thing about Eddie is
he transcends generations.
'Cause you always can lure a
young head in with a character.
Eddie is a monument.
I give credit to Maiden.
They understood
the flag-bearing thing.
It connects with the fans,
the nationhood of it.
BEAZLEY: Eddie just
progressed every year.
Came up with
the ground-support system,
the moving rig
that no one else had.
So every year I...
I actually bettered
what I'd done the year before.
We created a monster, basically.
(LAUGHS)
A Scarborough family court
heard today
that a young offender who
gunned down
a wealthy East End gambler,
his wife
and young daughter last April,
was heavily influenced
by the skeletal mascot
of a heavy metal rock group
and by literature on Satan.
There are numerous reports
of Satanic activities
throughout central Texas.
This music is nothing more
than songs of Satan.
- Satanism.
- Satan.
REPORTER: That is what
ten thousand dollars' worth
of burning records looks like.
MAN: Well, we feel
that many of the songs are, er,
of the occult nature.
They sing about witchy women,
the daughter of the devil,
sleeping in her bed.
We think it's definitely having
an influence on young people
to go the opposite direction of
what the Bible would teach.
NEWSREADER: New York's
John Cardinal O'Connor
claimed this type of music
was guilty of leading listeners
to Satan's camp.
NEWSREADER:
Groups like Iron Maiden
feature death's-heads,
monsters
and Satanic pentagrams.
NEWSREADER:
The PMRC wants ratings
on all records
with explicit lyrics.
STEVE: It strikes me as being a
little bit of religious mania.
You know,
there's all kinds of ways
that people can use their...
Their talents and energies
to better people's lot
in the world
besides spending their time
having law suits.
It seems a waste of time
and money.
KATON W. DE PENA:
The word had gotten out
so the Jesus freaks
were scared.
It was great.
You're a kid. It's like the
coolest thing to be part of.
Like, you love this band
and there's people protesting
about this band.
Like, you're only making us
love 'em more, dummies.
Can anybody take seriously
a man in a red suit
with a long, red, floppy tail
and two plastic horns
with a little light bulb
that light up
on the end of his trident?
I mean, if that's
devil worship, I'm sorry,
I must be in the wrong century.
JAVIER: I was born in a very
strong Catholic country,
and if you don't
follow the rules
you're gonna be burned in Hell.
And then all of a sudden
here's Eddie
and here is
"The Number of the Beast"
with the evil in it
and Hell is fun.
Hell is not that dangerous.
Hell is some place where, fuck,
these musicians
come back and forth.
And I go, "Maybe there's not
such a thing as Hell and Heaven.
"Maybe it's more about
us as people
"rather than who's up there
telling who's bad and good."
(HALLOWED BE THY NAME
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
BRUCE: Yeah, yeah, yeah
Hallowed be thy name
MAN: The panic of Satanism
and Iron Maiden proves
that these people
don't actually read
what these songs are about.
And what they all
don't understand
is these are stories.
REPORTER:
What do you think about
the importance of the text
of the songs, the beginning?
STEVE: Oh, the lyrics.
REPORTER: In the text of the...
- Yeah, in the lyrics.
- STEVE: Yeah.
I think, erm, because a lot of
the earlier rock bands
sort of were, well, coming from
the blues and stuff,
blues used to
sing about being on the road
and, you know,
being in love with their woman,
and, er, I think there's
a lot more things
you can write about these days.
You don't have to write about
my baby doesn't love me any more
and all this sort of rubbish,
you know?
It seems crazy to write songs
about...
about drinking and...
and screwing women
and, erm, smoking, erm,
strange substances
and going out and partying
and all the rest of it,
when these are all things
that are much more fun...
It's much more fun doing it
than it is listening
to a song about it.
So, I mean,
anybody can go and do it
- at the end of the day anyway.
- (LAUGHING)
You know? I mean,
we prefer to write songs about
things that people
don't do very often, like death.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
As you might know,
we've got a new album
wandering around at the moment.
The album is called
Powerslave, all right?
CROWD: (CHEERING)
We did a song on this album
that's about 13 minutes long,
all right?
This little track that we'll do
for you.
The Rime
of the Ancient Mariner!
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(THE RIME OF THE ANCIENMARINER BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
DR SAMIR PURI: If you compose
very intricate 11,
12 minute songs,
you probably want a powerful,
weighty theme
to go with that music.
Why would you compose 12 minutes
and have a song
about something very trivial?
Hear the rime
of the Ancient Mariner
See his eye
as he stops one of three
Mesmerises one
of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen
to the nightmares of the sea
And the music plays on
back to the North
Through the fog and ice
and the albatross follows on
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah
NINA: Thing about Maiden
is they have
a quite narrative way
of storytelling in their music.
So you've got these
epically long songs,
like "Rime of the Ancient
Mariner" for example,
where they're
telling you a story.
There's all this like literary
inspiration, poetic inspiration,
a lot of songs about
the historical battles
and Alexander the Great
and people being trapped
in ice.
Stranger in a strange land
Land of ice and snow
Trapped here in this prison
Yeah
Lost and far from home
NINA: I grew up thinking that
I was sort of out of place,
a stranger in a strange land.
And I think the exploration
of different worlds,
you get to be a stranger
in a strange land,
but with everybody else
in the same way.
You... You get to access
that same world
with each other when you're
listening to that song.
DR PURI: Part of the fun
of being an Iron Maiden fan
is everyone else writes it off
as this kind of comic-book,
childhood, sort of nonsense,
but you know actually
the themes are quite serious.
They're quite weighty.
They're quite intellectual.
Even the take on them
is not a superficial one.
It's not a whimsical one.
It actually tries to depict
through the music
what Coleridge was thinking
when he wrote
Rime of the Ancient Mariner,
what the experience
of the Battle of Passchendaele
was like.
INTERVIEWER: What do people
say when they come along
the video of Run to the Hills
and they're suddenly seeing you
being like, civil war, er,
mercenaries, er,
killing all the Indians?
Oh, no, well, that's an...
I mean, that's an anti...
that's an
anti-Indian-killing song.
I mean, the whole thing about it
is it's saying,
"Well, look,
this is what happened
"and it's not like
the cowboy movies."
(RUN TO THE HILLS
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
White man came across the sea
He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes
He killed our creed
Took our game
for his own need
JAVIER: (READING)
ROBERT KLOCZKOWSKI: Even though
Maiden lyrics can...
tells very, like sad stories
about war, death, suffering,
in the end there is like
this message of hope.
I think that's important
and you can relate to this,
that even if you go through
some difficult times,
Maiden music can help you out
and guide you.
CHRIS PYZIK:
By the time they'd hit '84
they'd already toured
the world.
They even went behind
the Iron Curtain,
a place that
not many bands ever go.
LESZEK GNOINSKI: (IN POLISH)
In those times in Poland
there were no record stores.
If someone was lucky enough
to have, er,
family in Germany or in,
er, England
he could like record
a few copies for...
for his friends
on the cassette tapes.
So when someone told us
that Iron Maiden decided to
come here and to perform,
it put some fresh air
into our country.
CROWD: (CHANTING)
Iron Maiden! Iron Maiden!
Iron Maiden! Iron Maiden!
KENNY FEUERMAN:
We stepped off the plane
and the scene was
very, very much
like the images you see
of The Beatles
when they first came
to New York City.
When we first turned up
on the bus
and they were just all
outside jumping up and down,
chanting, "Maiden"
and all that,
it was just unbelievable.
I mean, this was
a different type of emotion.
It was just pure joy
for the fact that
we were just even there.
Basically, groups
don't come to Poland much
because there's not
a tremendous
amount of money here
and they don't sell
any records here.
But that doesn't really matter.
There either comes a point
when money,
you know, doesn't...
doesn't have any
real importance.
I mean, what's it worth
to make 35,000 people... happy?
LESZEK: (IN POLISH)
strange, surreal experience
because you knew these people
were under this suppression.
We were told, "You mustn't get
involved with it
"'cause you're being watched."
This was still, like,
this KGB vibe
and there was always a military
and police presence at shows
and they would line up
in front of the stage,
looking at the audience.
There was this
underlying fear
that it could just explode.
CROWD: (CHANTING)
Iron! Iron! Iron!
ROBERT: The Maiden was the
first band that brought,
like, the full stage production
into Poland.
So they didn't just play,
you know,
with a plain black backdrop.
They put in the whole show
with Eddie, with pyro.
And people understood how
spectacular rock shows can be.
(ACES HIGH
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
There goes the siren
that warns of the air raid
Then comes the sound
of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble
we've got to get airborne
Got to get up
for the coming attack
Jump in the cockpit
start up the engine
Move all the wheel blocks
there's no time to wait
Gathering speed
head down the runway
Got to get airborne
before it's too late
Running, scrambling, flying
KENNY: I think one
of the things that
was very impressive to me
was the reaction
of the Polish kids.
It was very visceral.
BRUCE: Scrambling, flying,
Rolling...
It's like somebody opened up
a magic box
and there was light came in
and they had been
in the darkness all this time.
They just really
had been waiting, like,
with a thirst and a hunger
to let out their emotions
and let out their feelings
and scream,
you know, and bang their heads.
(CHUCKLES)
BRUCE: Live to fly
Fly to live
Aces high
(YELLS)
(SONG ENDS)
- CROWD: (CHEERING)
- BRUCE: Yeah!
Them Polish people
were amazing.
And there was a line
of military police
along the front of the stage.
Initially they had their backs
to the band.
But, you know,
after a few songs,
they were turning round,
getting more into it.
And then by the end they were
taking their hats off
and chucking their hats
on stage.
You know, it was amazing.
- Na zdrowie!
- Na zdrowie!
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Now, we're gonna
smash the glasses together.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NICKO: Well, last night
had to be absolutely furious.
We played at a Polish wedding.
MAN: How did it come about?
NICKO: We went to a bar
in the hotel
and it was really naff, right?
So we ended up
going down this...
It was supposed to have been
a disco, weren't it?
And it ended up being a sort
of a... a converted ballroom.
So there was this wedding
going on at the time,
about 300 people dancing
the waltz as we walked in.
So we got severely...
Sort of, into the bottle
of booze, see, didn't we?
Then these people
in the club said,
"Would you like to have a jam?"
"Yes," we said, didn't we?
- DAVE: Yeah. We did.
- And we did.
(SMOKE ON THE WATER
BY DEEP PURPLE PLAYING)
We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
I think we all got
a bit inebriated that night,
and so we just got up
and did a Deep Purple song.
I don't think most of them
probably didn't know
who we were.
I remember looking at
a couple of older people
and they were like,
"Who are these guys?"
You know, "What are they doing
at our mate's wedding?"
But they went nuts.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
BRUCE: Yeah, yeah, yeah
All right!
FAN:
Yeah...
FAN:
Ah, you can't play
heavy metal with synthesisers.
FAN: Yeah.
No, it doesn't sound right.
AREK: They knew
they were doing something good.
It was not only
the rock concert.
It was like something more.
Something more, more important.
I'm running free, yeah
CROWD: I'm running free, yeah
BRUCE: I'm running free, yeah
CROWD: I'm running free
- BRUCE: Everybody!
- CROWD: (CHEERING)
BRUCE: Thank you all!
RUDY CHILD: Beyond that wall
were guys that were
just like us.
And I thought it was
so great that Iron Maiden
was able to pull down
that curtain
and go beyond that wall.
CROWD: (CHANTING)
Maiden! Maiden! Maiden!
You know,
this country wants to tell you
that country and we're gonna
fight against each other?
Hell no.
Let's all rock 'n' roll.
(POWERSLAVE
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
Tell me why
I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die
I'm a god, why can't I live on?
When the life giver dies
all around is laid waste
And in my last hour
I'm a slave
to the power of death
ROBERT:
I think for many Polish people,
especially in, you know, 1980s,
when they hear songs
like "Powerslave"
they could really refer this
to their own situation
and the country's situation.
NEWSREADER: In Gdansk, some
muted shouts of Solidarity,
but enough police to ensure
there was no trouble.
I think anybody
who's in a situation
where they're oppressed,
music is an outlet for people
to get them through hard times.
It's fantastic if you feel that
you've helped people
in that way.
We're not political.
We do it through the lyrics
of the music.
And that breaks down
the totalitarian barriers
around the world.
BRUCE: Tell me why
I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die
I'm a god, why can't I live on?
DR LINA KHATIB:
I first encountered Iron Maiden
when I was a teenager
in Lebanon.
In the early '90s, Lebanon had
just come out of civil war
and I had just discovered
heavy metal.
So I went to my local
bootleg record store
'cause that's all you had
in Lebanon at the time.
And I said, "I want the most
metal thing you have."
And he gave me... It was 1992,
he gave me Fear of the Dark.
And it was as if the album
was talking to me.
I mean, I was a teenager,
I'd just lived through war
in a country that was
still very turbulent,
and of course, like all art,
the interpretation
is very subjective
to the person
encountering that art.
And so for me
listening to that album,
I just cast all kinds of
interpretations that had to do
with my own life
in war-time Lebanon.
And I felt this album
is basically commenting
on my life.
And that for me was very special
and it remains still today a...
a chilling experience
whenever I listen to it.
REPORTER: This is Mijalic
and these are the men
who come to burn it.
The Serbs call it
ethnic cleansing
and Mijalic's Muslims have fled.
SENAD SABOVIC: In the '90s,
the situation in Kosovo,
it was really bad.
You know, former Yugoslavia
and the ethno-nationalist wars
that... that ended it
was exactly the context of
me getting into Iron Maiden.
During the war there was
this community exchanging tapes.
These exchanges built
a community.
You know, you would just stay
friends with these people.
Through Iron Maiden I found
a community that is like-minded
and that bonded us further
together and kind of helped us
throughout the times
of hardship.
ROB FESTA: On September 11th,
we ended up responding
down to the site
at ground zero.
Saw the second one come down.
And that...
You know, again,
seeing that come down,
and even prior to that,
people jumping,
I needed an escape.
So, you can drink,
you could do things
that aren't good for you,
or you could find something that
you enjoy
that takes you to a different
place, to a better place.
For me, that was music.
For me, that was
Iron Maiden's music.
DR KHATIB: People want to
feel that they belong somewhere
and so metal becomes
this feeling of belonging
to something where everyone
is equal,
where you are free to express
yourself, and crucially,
where you are defying
the system.
Tell me why I had to be
a Powerslave
I don't wanna die
I'm a god, why can't I live on?
When the life giver dies
all around is laid waste
And in my last hour
I'm a slave
to the power of death
Slave to the power of death
Slave to the power of death
(SONG ENDS)
RADIO DJ: Still ahead in
the new music,
more from Rio de Janeiro,
including Iron Maiden,
Al Jarreau, Rod Stewart
and more.
RADIO STATION JINGLE:
Rock in Rio
GIUSEPPE AMADO DE OLIVEIRA:
(IN PORTUGUESE)
CROWD: Maiden! Maiden!
Maiden! Maiden!
GABRIELA: (IN SPANISH)
CROWD: (CHEERING)
Rock in Rio was
the biggest show
Maiden had ever played.
Everything was a bit chaotic.
But now we were
a platinum-selling band.
So then the pressure is on.
Can you, while the pressure
is on you,
continue to be the best band
in the world for the fans?
CROWD: (CHEERING)
BRUCE: At the time,
we were just in it.
So we had no time to step back.
We were just
on the roller coaster.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
BRUCE: Amigos! Rock in Rio!
Scream for me, Brazil!
CROWD: (CHEERS)
Scream for me, Brazil!
CROWD: (CHEERS)
(REVELATIONS
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
Brazil, come on!
Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
oh, yeah
Oh, God of earth and altar
It was just incredible,
incredible to play
to, like,
three hundred thousand.
There was people as far as
the eye could see.
Absolutely amazing.
And it was broadcast all over
South America.
(ACES HIGH
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
(GUITAR SOLO PLAYING)
We were, of course,
excited about the show.
It's exciting.
But when I'm on stage,
I find it exhausting.
(REVELATIONS
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
EDUARDO DUTRA MAIA:
(IN PORTUGUESE)
CROWD: Yeah!
CROWD: Yeah! Yeah!
I then go off to the back
and I'm trying to mop up
the blood
'cause it's a head wound.
It bleeds like crazy.
And a roadie comes up and goes,
"No, no, no, no, no!
"Message from Rod. He says,
'Can you squeeze it a little
bit more
"and make it bleed.
'It looks amazing
on the monitors!'"
And I pointed to a camera
with a red light on and said,
"Just go over there
and stick your face into it."
Just a babe in a black abyss
No reason
for a place like this
Walls are cold
Souls cry out in pain
An easy way
for the blind to go
A clever path
for the fools who know
The secret of the Hanged Man
The smile on his lips
CROWD: Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
You have so much
emotional energy to expend...
it will eat you alive
in the end. It will eat you up.
CROWD: Yeah! Yeah!
CROWD: (CHANTING)
Maiden! Maiden!
BRUCE: We wrote, recorded,
released,
and toured five albums
in six years.
It just kept getting bigger
and bigger.
It was the world's biggest
roller coaster.
(CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)
BRUCE: It just took us to new
heights round the world.
But we were working ourselves
to the bone.
You get on the treadmill
of tour,
album, tour, more touring.
(CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)
MAN: I took one look
at the band
and my first thought was,
"They look tired.
They look stressed."
The concerts were great,
you know? People were great,
but everything else
was horrible.
- (CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
It wasn't just a 13-month tour.
It was the ten-month tour
before that
and it was the eight-month tour
before that.
So cumulatively,
it was five years.
Five years of the golden cage.
PHIL RODRIGUEZ: You can tell
they had the mileage,
that they'd put in the hours.
And Iron Maiden at the beginning
were just brutal tours.
Everyone was fried.
Bruce more than anyone else.
And I think we didn't realise
just what a toll it would take.
- CROWD: (CHEERING)
- (SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
BRUCE: Good night! Thank you!
Good night!
LARS: You know,
Maiden's rise was so quick
and so meteoric,
and I think that
when you're in your twenties
and into your early thirties,
you're so hungry
and you're so wanting-it-all
that you don't
even realise that
you actually have a say
and, "Wait a minute.
Like, we should take a break."
BRUCE: I... I looked
at the tour schedule
and there was one point
where we were doing
seven shows in a row,
then there was one day,
then there was six shows
in a row...
(CHUCKLING) ...and there
was one day,
and there was five shows
in a row.
Bruce, before you catch a cold,
just what's the...
I caught one already.
- It's too bloody late now.
- (LAUGHS)
- Er, what's...
- My manager.
Look, look, he's doing his job.
- I pay him 20% for this.
- Yes. I'm pretty sure...
BRUCE: I said to Rod,
"Erm, you realise that you're
dealing with human beings here?
"And that I'm the singer,
"and you can't
re-string a voice.
"So, if you want me to last
longer than five minutes,
"maybe we should consider
building in, like,
"a period of rest."
We were doing so many shows
that Nicko got blisters
all over his hands
and then they broke
and then he got blisters
under the blisters
and they broke
and then he got an infection.
There were plenty of casualties
from the '80s...
SECURITY GUARD: I want to see
the back of your robe.
BRUCE: ...you know, littering
the sidewalks of Los Angeles
and various other cities,
and I thought,
"I just do not want to be
one of those casualties."
No more!
We just did
the previous two albums
which was, er, "Somewhere
in Time" and "Seventh Son,"
which I was really proud of
production-wise, song-wise.
I thought they were really...
really a step on, you know?
And it seemed to me like
we were going backwards
doing it,
just going in
and bashing it out
in Steve's barn, you know?
We were getting ready to work
on "No Prayer for the Dying."
I desperately wanted it
to be a great album.
I had what they call
writer's block.
I desperately wanted to write,
I just didn't have anything.
And I think they sensed that
I... I wasn't happy with it.
It was time for a change.
For me and for them, really.
And so I left the band.
BRUCE: Adrian leaving was...
was a big thing for me.
And I didn't know what to do.
It's difficult to take it in.
STEVE: I just felt that
with Adrian, he wasn't happy
and the morale of the band
wasn't good.
You know, people have paid
their money
to come and see you,
you gotta give them a good
performance, the best you can.
JANICK GERS: I got a phone
call from, er, the boys
after Adrian Smith had left.
Erm, I think Adrian felt that
he wanted to continue
in a different direction.
(DRUMMING)
They asked me to go down there
and play these songs.
I wasn't quite aware
what was going on with Adrian.
Nobody told me.
I wasn't happy,
'cause his gear was there
and they wanted me to
play through his gear.
It felt wrong to me
that he wasn't there.
And in the end they just said,
"Listen, he's gone."
CAMERAMAN: In the dark,
Mr Janick Gers.
We've... We've locked him
into a very tight space,
so there'll be
no swinging around.
JANICK: No swinging,
no movement, no dancing.
JANICK: So we did a couple
of songs
and then we did "Trooper."
And it just...
I mean, I looked over at Dave
when we started playing.
It was just so powerful.
And when it finished
you were tingling.
The energy levels
were just beyond.
Oh, you are naughty,
but I love you.
JANICK: And then they asked me
to join.
INTERVIEWER: You've introduced
a new member to the band,
erm, Janick there.
Erm, how did he come
into the picture?
Well, basically, we just, erm...
(LAUGHING)
We just fucked him up.
We just...
After Adrian left the band
we just phoned him up and said,
"Look, can you learn four songs
by tomorrow?"
That phone box out there.
- And, er...
- (LAUGHS)
"Come down tomorrow
and try 'em out, you know?"
INTERVIEWER: How do you think
the new material's
gonna come across live?
It's gonna come across
amazingly, hopefully.
What do you think, Bruce?
(LAUGHING)
You, calm down! You, calm down!
No, it's gonna be amazing,
you know?
It's so... It's full of energy.
- Pass the buck, hey?
- Yeah, look here!
No, it's full of energy. It's...
We've just been rehearsing.
It's gonna be great.
BRUCE: No, it's gonna be mega.
(2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHBY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
The killer's breed
or the demon's seed
The glamour, the fortune
the pain
Halfway through the next tour
Bruce told me, "I'm leaving
the band, all right?"
And we still had, like,
two months of touring to do.
So I'm sitting on stage behind
him every fucking night
looking at his sorry arse,
knowing he don't wanna be
in Iron Maiden.
I took it as an affront to
the fans that he was up there
knowing full well
he didn't wanna be there.
No, I was really, really
fucking angry at him.
ROSS: They were playing
Wembley Arena
and Bruce was singing like...
(INAUDIBLE)
...and nothing was coming out.
And I remember Harris
looking at the monitor guy
and the sound guy, going...
(INAUDIBLE)
You know? And there's nothing
coming out.
And then it slowly dawned
on Steve
that Bruce wasn't singing.
And that's when I realised
things were not good.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
Thank you! Good night
from Iron Maiden!
It has been
a very good ten years.
We will all see you soon...
I hope.
Good night.
TOM: When you're in that,
kind of,
chosen family of a band,
it's often brutal.
Sometimes it's difficult
and the pieces don't fit.
And for your own sanity you need
to be away from it.
- (BANGING)
- (INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
(DISTANT LAUGHTER)
(INDISTINCT VOICE ON PA)
I thought of packing it in...
completely.
I thought, "Is all this
worth it, this madness?"
I was ready for
the funny farm... genuinely.
(DIE WITH YOUR BOOTS ON
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
BRUCE: Die!
NEWSREADER:
Iron Maiden couldn't be
at Donington this year.
Their current world tour
finishes in two weeks' time
and then the search is on
for a new lead singer.
Bruce Dickinson is leaving
the group
to pursue his solo career.
So, Bruce, why are you leaving
Iron Maiden?
Erm, in a short...
A short answer,
to do something different.
INTERVIEWER:
And what would that be?
Erm...
a different kind of music.
(SHOOT ALL THE CLOWNS
BY BRUCE DICKINSON PLAYING)
I've been down
at the crazy house
I've been playing
with the cat and the mouse
The bombshell hit
when Bruce decided
to fuck off from Maiden.
If he doesn't wanna be
here then, "See you later."
JAVIER: When I heard
Bruce was leaving I was like,
"No, he cannot leave."
It was definitely, for me,
shocking.
It's not something
you wanna hear
about your...
your favourite band.
He'd already left
when I found out.
And I was kinda like,
"Oh my God,
"what the fuck just happened?"
NAVID RASHID: We sort of hold
our heroes to this standard
that they just have to continue
to be what we want them to be
and what we expect them to be,
but that doesn't really allow
for an artist to grow,
and he is, you know,
a consummate artist
and I'm sure he needed it.
So, Steve, what are you gonna do
for a singer?
You know, we've been listening
to tapes.
We've got, like, about...
I don't know.
about five suitcases, er,
full of tapes to listen to.
And, er, you know,
hopefully we'll find somebody
who's, er, reasonably unknown,
but maybe played
on a club circuit somewhere,
had a bit of experience
with audiences.
Erm, but I think it will be
exciting to find somebody
who hasn't really, you know,
made it or whatever, you know?
Now this lot haven't been on
since the year '81.
They're good heavy rockers,
just here to have fun.
They're called Iron Maiden,
with new man Blaze Bayley.
The freeway is jammed
and it's backed up for miles
The car is an oven
and baking us wild
Nothing is ever
the way it should be
What we deserve
we just don't get, you see
RORY MCGUCKIN: Blaze coming in,
he brought a different sound
to Maiden.
And I love his voice.
And, like, Blaze is a very
accomplished metal singer.
JAMES TUCKER: I'm almost
shocked that he took the job.
I'm sure it was amazing
to hear,
"Yeah, we want you for
the band."
I'm sure he was partying
that night.
But I'm sure when he woke up
the next day he was thinking,
"Oh shit."
Steve Harris said to me,
"What we do, we do together.
"And I don't care who writes
the music,
"who writes the songs,
"as long as it's great."
But still, it's a massive job.
I was very surprised
that they selected me.
I've met a lot of fans
and, er, generally the...
the reaction has been,
to their credit, they've just
said, "Well, good luck."
You know? And I think they just
wanna see the band do well.
And, erm, I'm looking forward
to going on tour.
But the... the main thing is,
I can't replace Bruce Dickinson.
DR PURI: Blaze Bayley,
he was an up-and-coming
British vocalist,
but he didn't have the range
that Bruce has.
SCOTT: It was such a hard spot,
I think, for that guy.
And he sounded so different too.
It wasn't like they got a guy
who could at least sing what...
the way Bruce sang
on those songs.
Roll of the dice
Take a spin of the wheel
NAVID:
Many of us sort of wonder why
they didn't do more to work
with his natural ability.
But, you know,
he brought his own spin
to the Iron Maiden sound.
(THE TROOPER
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
DOM: I thought Blaze did
an absolutely brilliant job,
particularly live.
You know, I think he was...
You know, I don't think
you could fault him
for his contribution
to Iron Maiden.
Some fans were screaming,
"Fuck Blaze,"
during the shows
and I think that's quite unfair.
TOMINA FLORENCIA RAMAZZOTTI:
(IN SPANISH)
I fucking told you!
I fucking told ya!
Right, I fucking told ya!
Can you see? Can you see
who it fucking is?
Get it! Fucking get it!
DOM: There was a time
in the early days of punk
in the late '70s when,
er, spitting was something
that fans did
to show their appreciation.
That never sort of transferred
to the metal scene at all.
You know, spitting at
a metal show is insane.
Any human being would object
thoroughly to being spat on.
Fucking had it!
TOMINA: (IN SPANISH)
The Blaze era of Maiden,
- there was great moments.
- BLAZE: I'll fucking kill you!
NICKO: But there were many
that weren't.
DOM: I don't think
any of the commercial decline
was Blaze's fault.
That was just circumstance.
- Anyone else?
- BLAZE: The mainstream
heavy metal rock press
were saying,
- "Maiden are dead."
- BLAZE: Fuckin' had it!
"Maiden are over.
"We have Nirvana.
"We have grunge.
"That is the future.
"That is what's coming."
Everyone that wasn't grunge,
more or less,
were considered like...
like a old reptile or whatever,
you know?
They... They just looked at you
like you were
an idiot or something.
Heavy metal
wasn't cool any more.
The '90s was crap.
Everything was just like...
too big clothes and ugly shit.
(CHUCKLING) You know?
The grungy scene was happening.
I think the Seattle bands were
coming in.
I think, actually,
we asked Nirvana
if they want to support us
and they said, "No,
we're too old for them."
(LAUGHS)
ROB: During the Blaze years,
I saw them go towards
small clubs,
probably 2,000-seat venues,
and it was just...
It was intimate,
is how I would describe it.
I saw them on The X Factor tour,
erm, in Philadelphia
at this small place called
the Electric Factory.
I think it fits a thousand,
1,500 people.
There weren't even
500 in the arena.
Now, instead of playing
in, you know, arenas
and big venues,
we were back doing clubs again.
That kind of really put
a few chinks in the armour
of the band as a whole.
Yeah, we had... we had a bit of
a rough time in America.
The fans seemed
to desert us there.
Er, but the rest of the world,
we... we still did fine.
Not the same, admittedly,
but we did okay.
I think Steve had been
beaten up
mentally, emotionally,
by a bruising few years
when it hadn't quite worked out
the way he thought it was
gonna work out.
It was a challenging time
'cause Bruce left
and then I went through
a divorce as well,
so there was all that going on
as well.
But I'm really proud of
that period, really,
because we were just
up against it.
We were fighting, you know,
and I like that.
That's a challenge.
And all the hardcore fans
were still there.
RORY: It's important to
really understand the Blaze era
and respect the Blaze era
and him
and what he brought to the band.
And I think the two albums
are fantastic.
They're so dark.
They're so different.
But they're great albums.
We all have, er, er,
a lot of respect for Blaze.
But I guess I'm not gonna
surprise anybody if I say that,
you know, Bruce is the voice
of Iron Maiden.
And, you know,
that's what we grew up with.
That's what we want. (CHUCKLES)
I remember saying to Steve,
you know,
I heard Bruce would like to
come back into the band again,
and he was, like, a little bit
shocked, I think, you know?
And, and I was trying to
convince him that it might...
this is a good thing to do.
I think we accept we weren't
a world-class band any more.
Like Maiden,
Bruce is struggling a bit.
His solo project didn't go
quite the way he expected
and I think he... he...
he really missed it.
You know, Maiden's just got
a special vibe.
They belong together.
When I got the news,
it was horrible, it was awful.
I absolutely loved being
in Iron Maiden.
But it doesn't matter
if I'm there or not.
Planet Earth is a better place
for having Iron Maiden in it.
That was when I wanted
to get Adrian back in.
Getting the band back together.
Everybody was a little bit
more grown up
and everyone was a little bit
more open.
And it was... it was great.
I sort of enjoyed the second
time round a bit more.
You know,
I was much more confident.
To me it was like a, you know,
second bite at the cherry,
you know?
All the things that
I maybe regretted
or thought I could've
done better
or thought could've been better
back in the '80s.
STEVE: So I said, "Look,
let's get Adrian back in.
"We can go
with the three guitar players."
I mean, that's in...
in my thinking as well.
But can we have
three guitarists?
Jan kept saying, "Don't worry,
Nick, I'll step down
"and you can go back to
the original line-up."
And I went, "You ain't going
anywhere, mate."
And I said to Rod,
"Are you gonna take less of
a commission then?"
(IMITATING ROD)
"Ooh, what do you mean?"
(IN NORMAL VOICE) "If we're
gonna have six people
"in the band, we're gonna have
to split the gig pot six ways,
"instead of five."
(IMITATING ROD) "Don't be
so fucking stupid. He's gone."
(LAUGHS)
(IN NORMAL VOICE) I said,
"No, but I've got a point,
"haven't I?"
And I remember
going up to Steve's room
and I said to him,
"Well, he's talking about
bringing Adrian back."
Steve's deadpan face
looks at me, and he says,
"Just think about it.
It's dangerous.
Think of what we can do going
with three guitar players."
(DRUMS PLAYING)
Bruce in his box. Hello.
I was aware that things
were not great with
the Maiden situation.
And I got the call.
You know, "How do you feel
about rejoining the band?"
I'll be honest, I wasn't sure
about him coming back
at the time
because I didn't know
what his reasons were.
I suppose all of us were
probably brought up
in the way that men
didn't discuss those things.
You know, we didn't
discuss our feelings.
We just got on and...
got on with it.
I remember saying to Steve,
I said, "Look,
my old man had this philosophy
"about if someone shits
on the McBrain name,
"they don't get
a second chance.
"He's bound to do it again.
Do we take the chance?"
And he said, "Let's just have
a meet and see how it goes."
So I arranged a meeting
for all the band.
Bruce comes in and Steve...
(CHUCKLES) ...says to him,
"Why do you wanna come back?"
And he said, "Because I wanna
play big gigs again
"and I think we can do great."
Er, Steve said,
"All right then,"
and we went to the pub.
That was it.
That was the fucking meeting.
We got a beer each
and I put my arm round Bruce
and I said, "Mate, you know,
I'm really happy
"that you're back in the band."
(VOCALISING)
Singing eyebrows.
What's he up to?
NICKO: I said, "But I can't
retract what I said
"and what I felt
about when you left.
"I'm still pissed off
at the way that happened
"and the way you did it."
And he looked at me
and he said,
"I wouldn't have it any
other way, Nick. I love ya."
Well, when Bruce came back,
it was like... (SIGHS)
...a sigh of relief
for all the Maiden fans.
GIUSEPPE: (IN PORTUGUESE)
It was like, "Yes, he's back!
Oh, he's cut his hair.
"But still, he's back."
JAVIER: These things
happen for a reason,
and when Bruce came back,
he was stronger and more focused
on what was the...
the goal to do as a team.
(HELICOPTER WHIRRING)
CROWD: (CHEERING)
(BRAVE NEW WORLD
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
BRUCE: Title song
from the new album...
CROWD: (CHEERING)
...Brave New World.
Dying swans
Twisted wings
Beauty not needed here
Mother love
Is no more
Bring this savage back home
Wilderness
House of pain
Makes no sense of it all
All is lost
Sold your souls
To this brave new world
All right!
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
- In a brave new world
- CROWD: In a brave new world
(GUITAR SOLO PLAYING)
JAVIER: They had
these three guitar players,
and while it could have been
an absolute mess because egos,
they are the example
of teamwork.
(GUITAR SOLO CONTINUES)
I mean, if this was certain
other guitar players
it couldn't happen.
Because there'd be
too many egos involved.
But it's not about that.
It's... It's about making
the band sound better.
(GUITAR SOLO CONTINUES)
JAMES: Iron Maiden
had the second golden age.
And it's not even that
they'd been trying
to recapture it from the '80s.
They'd been forging ahead
with brand new material
that is unlike that stuff,
but just as good
in a totally different way.
It's the ebb and the flow.
What doesn't kill you
makes you stronger.
Proof positive.
Go anywhere around the world
where Maiden is playing,
stadiums full of people.
What happened to grunge?
(WHISTLES)
A brave new world
Come on!
(MUFFLED) A brave new world
A brave new world
A brave new world
JAMES: Iron Maiden absolutely
had to hit rock bottom
in order to claw their way back
to the top.
(BLOWS)
BRUCE: Oh!
A brave new world
JAMES: They had to go
through the trenches
to become the greatest band
in the world a second time.
BRUCE: Dying swans
Twisted wings
Bring this savage back home
- (SONG ENDS)
- CROWD: (CHEERING)
When Bruce came back
with Adrian,
no management in the world
could foresee
that that would be the plan.
That's fucking
divine intervention
because I think
if we hadn't have had
Bruce come back with Adrian,
I don't know if this band
would have still existed.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
But with Maiden, there were
good times and bad times.
Bruce called me on, erm,
I think it was the day before
Christmas Day in 2014
to tell me very abruptly,
"Hey, I've got throat cancer."
Obviously was...
was a hell of a shock.
BRUCE: We had
a whole world tour planned.
I look at my diary
and, for this year,
and the whole thing
is all just crossed out.
Cancel, cancel, cancel, cancel.
Er, so... everybody
was pretty freaked out.
He called me and he told me,
said, "Nick."
He said, "I've just...
just seen
this oncologist in London.
"And he said that
I've got throat cancer."
So I'm fucking, like,
this with the phone going,
"No! This is my brother!
He could die!"
You know, like anything else,
Bruce went to it as a project.
He studied it. He knew exactly
what was going on.
Erm, he committed
to every detail,
every treatment.
ROD: Like Bruce, the fucking
arsehole that he is,
goes into it, "Oh, there's
this drug and there's this"...
Bless his heart.
I mean, he researches stuff.
That's what Bruce is like.
BRUCE: The thing about
the recovery from cancer,
is it's, erm, very personal.
No other way to describe it.
It's your cancer. You own it.
You've got to destroy a bit
of yourself to get rid of it.
NICKO:
And so he had the treatment.
And I figure,
"How are you doing?
"Has your hair fallen out yet?"
He said, "I went
to the pub the other"...
I was like,
"You went to the pub?"
He said, "Yeah,
got a beer in front of me."
He said, "Me beard fell out."
I said, "Not your hair?"
He said, "No, me hair's okay...
(LAUGHING) ..."but me beard
fell out onto the bar!"
Oh, God.
And in a couple of weeks' time
he phoned me up and he said,
"I'm in remission."
And I went,
"Fucking brilliant!"
(THE BOOK OF SOULS
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
Sacrifices buried with kings
Accompany them on a journey
with no end
To an afterlife that's rich
with fruit of all the gods
And to face the demons
of their underworld haunts
He went out
on The Book of Souls tour.
I was there that first night,
and everybody
was, like, palpably nervous
about whether or not he would
sound like he used to,
and incredibly enough, he did.
The sentient is sent
to seek out all the truth
A flight to earth
that is a given from his birth
ROBERT: I remember
seeing him at the barrier
in February, 2016,
and he was just
so powerful live.
It was a really
amazing experience.
Falling of ages
Forest of kings
His vocals actually,
it sounds to me,
even stronger
than it was before.
It was almost a miracle really.
The book of souls
CROWD: (CHEERING)
(SONG ENDS)
To see Bruce perform again
after all that rigmarole
he went through
was absolutely amazing.
The good Lord worked a miracle
for us, really did.
He worked a miracle
when he left,
worked a miracle when he came
back 'cause he brought Adrian,
he worked another miracle
when he had his cancer,
and another miracle was
he was our captain.
Oh, Captain, oh, Captain.
You go from, you know,
Bruce Dickinson,
rock 'n' roll star
to "Hello, good afternoon,
"this is your captain,
Bruce Dickinson.
"Our flight today will be
two and a half hours."
TRAFFIC OFFICER:
Five Star Triple six, tower.
Sierra One cleared
for take-off.
Wind 292 at 10 knots.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
BRUCE: My great uncle was
in the Royal Air Force,
my uncle was
in the Royal Air Force.
My dad was an engineer.
So my heroes when I was
a kid growing up
were not rock stars. They were
test pilots and astronauts.
Years ago, I was on holiday
and I saw,
"Trial lesson, 35 dollars."
I thought, "You know what,
I'll have a go."
And I got in this little Cessna
and took off,
and it was a...
just this revelatory moment.
It's like wiring up the inside
of your head... with these.
BRUCE: During that period,
I flew myself around Europe
a little bit.
So I started acquiring
more and more things,
and to cut a long story short,
I did a full set of licences,
it's like a year and a half
of exams, academic exams.
Finally got qualified,
got my little two stripes,
off I can go.
And then the phone rang.
There was an airline
called Astraeus
with a couple of old 737s,
and they've said,
"We're looking for pilots.
"Do you want the job?"
I went, "Yeah."
And that's how I ended up
a 737 pilot.
And I thought,
"Wow, wouldn't it be great
"if I could just fly the band
to gigs?"
Rod, to my surprise, said,
"Wow, what an amazing idea."
And so we rented the aeroplane
off the airline.
It made money, it worked,
and it was an incredible
experience for us.
We could just get to the places
in the world
which are much harder
to get to,
like Quito or Manaus
in the middle
of the Amazon rain jungle,
Lima, Jakarta.
And it was well worth it
to see all those fans.
AMANN: What other band
has done that, you know?
Just name a band who's had,
like, their own print on plane,
their singer has piloted it,
and they've gone
to all these crazy locations.
RODRIGUEZ: If we go to play
in Puerto Rico...
Now customs and immigration
in Puerto Rico
is normally really,
really tough.
So when we come in
on Flight 666
I said, "Oh, shit,
they're gonna pull us over,
"have everybody pull down
their pants. We're fucked."
As we're walking out the door,
I see the guys
from customs and immigration
lined up.
I go, "Oh, fuck,
they're waiting for us."
As we start walking out,
they go,
"Hey, can I get a picture?
"Can I get an autograph?
Can I do"...
They were fans!
The fans that they have
cross everything.
It's doctors, lawyers, police.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
JAVIER: I think music for me
is the most valuable
art form ever.
It's the one that really
unites all people.
Music is instant
and it's eternal.
CROWD: (CHEERING)
BRUCE: Ah!
What an amazing thing this is
that you and us have created
in Maiden all round the world.
The message from that
that goes out is that
it doesn't matter whether you're
male, female, Muslim, Christian,
Catholic, Jewish.
It doesn't matter.
If you're a Maiden fan,
you're an Iron Maiden fan.
You're part of one fucking world
and one family, my friends.
So this goes out to all of you
for being amazing tonight...
because we are all
blood brothers!
CROWD: (CHEERS)
(BLOOD BROTHERS
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
And if you're taking a walk
through the garden of life
What do you think
you'd expect you would see?
Just like a mirror reflecting
the moves of your life
In the river
reflections of me
Just for a second a glimpse
of my father I see
And in a movement
he beckons to me
And in a moment the memories
are all that remain
And all the wounds
are reopen again
- We're blood brothers
- CROWD: We're blood brothers
- We're blood brothers
- CROWD: We're blood brothers
- We're blood brothers
- CROWD: We're blood brothers
- We're blood brothers
- CROWD: We're blood brothers
It's a bit like a sort
of heavy metal waltz, this one.
- Hey, hey!
- CROWD: Hey, hey!
JAVIER:
There's nothing more exciting
than being part
of an Iron Maiden crowd.
Great fucking crowd
of great fucking people,
and express yourself freely
knowing that you are protected.
Because you are part
of the people
and that people is part of you
and you have that power also
to give back to the band.
CROWD: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
DOM: My favourite moment
at a Maiden gig would be
when I saw them at Earl's Court
and they played
"Blood Brothers".
and I looked around, and there
was lots of men about my age.
We were all crying.
We're blood brothers
What are we?
- We're blood brothers
- CROWD: We're blood brothers
We're blood brothers
We're blood brothers
And if you're taking a walk
through the garden of...
Life
CROWD: (CHEERING)
But of course, er, there will be
an end at some point.
REPORTER: A major development
in the world of heavy metal
as one of the genre's
most beloved drummers
has announced they're retiring
from touring
after a 42-year career.
NICKO: It was an easy decision,
but I wish I could still play
with the guys, you know?
I... I... I wish I had
my full fitness.
Lovely, yeah. Just do that.
Something like that.
There it is.
I had a stroke
in January last year
so I had to really work hard
for three months
to try and get my hand working.
Nine weeks into rehab,
I knew that we were opening
with "Somewhere in Time",
the opening track
on The Future Past tour,
and there's a middle section
I can't play.
I phoned Harry up and said,
"Look, mate,
"I'm really struggling.
"I can't play the intro
to "Trooper". I can't"...
He said, "Look, play it
straight, straight fill."
(SCATTING)
"You're a fucking genius."
I'm the drummer and I didn't
think to play it straight.
- Come on, mate.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
NICKO: That's the character
of Steve Harris.
After 42 years playing
with him,
this is what he's like.
He's about Iron Maiden,
he's about the band.
You couldn't wish for anybody
else to be your friend.
Thanks, Drew.
NICKO:
But I still was struggling,
trying to push myself
and I know I'm not being able
to do this.
My body was fatigued
and I thought, you know,
"This isn't fair
on the rest of the guys."
I admire him for trying
and for working his arse off,
but his body was just failing.
And we were worried
that something else
would happen as well.
It was horrible.
We can't just say,
"Off you go, now!"
Nobody would understand.
And it's a shit thing to do
because Maiden
has been his life.
NICKO:
So, I made an announcement
at the end of the tour.
And I thought, you know,
it's time to pass drumsticks
to a younger fella.
BRUCE: This morning
Nicko announced
that he was stepping back
from playing live drums
with Iron Maiden.
So let him know
how much he's loved, everybody!
CROWD: (CHANTING) Nicko! Nicko!
Nicko! Nicko! Nicko!
CROWD: (CHEERING)
NICKO: What I'm really
gonna miss is being on tour
and playing with my brothers.
They are just
all exquisite people.
STAVNSBORG:
A lot of people see it as,
when there's no band any more,
it's all over.
But I don't see that.
Iron Maiden will
be part of this
a long time after they're gone.
It's, er... Yeah.
I don't see an end to it.
BEAZLEY: From day one,
they were gonna
conquer the world.
And that's what
Iron Maiden did.
And they're still
doing it today.
They are one
of the biggest bands,
I believe, in the world.
GENE: And in a very real way,
Maiden and the great bands,
you know, that have come
a little before and after,
the great ones,
connect with that feeling
and make life
a little bit more bearable.
WOMAN: Iron Maiden are about
this quest
for kinship and connection
and you can feel that emotion
in the music.
JAVIER: It's about being
part of the same group.
It's being part of something
that is not
about individualism.
It's about being part
of the world
and trying to make it better.
(CHATTERING, LAUGHING)
STEVE: We all love playing,
that's the thing.
I think when you're really
enjoying what you're doing
then you don't really
wanna stop, do you?
People ask questions,
"What you do in the future?"
Well, we're gonna tour.
And then we're gonna tour again
and we're gonna tour
again and again,
till we can't any more.
BRUCE: The Iron-Fucking-Maiden!
(IRON MAIDEN
BY IRON MAIDEN PLAYING)
Oh, yeah!
Everybody everywhere,
put your hands in the air!
Won't you come into my room?
Wanna show you all my wares
Wanna see your blood
I want you to stand and stare
See the blood begin to flow
As it pours upon the floor
Iron Maiden can't be fought
Iron Maiden can't be sought
Oh, yeah!
Everyone,
let me fucking hear you!
CROWD: Oh, well, wherever
Wherever...
BRUCE: Who are we?
Iron Maiden's gonna get you
no matter how far
See the blood flow
watching it shed
Up above my head
Iron Maiden
wants you for dead
(SONG CONTINUES)
PAUL DI'ANNO:
Won't you come into my room?
I wanna show you all my wares
I just want to see your blood
I just want
to stand and stare
See the blood begin to flow
as it falls upon the floor
Iron Maiden can't be fought
Iron Maiden can't be sought
Oh, well, wherever
wherever you are
Iron Maiden's gonna get you
no matter how far
See the blood flow
Watching it shed
up above my head
Iron Maiden
wants you for dead
Won't you come into my room?
I wanna show you all my wares
just want to see your blood
I just want to stand and stare
See the blood begin to flow
as it falls upon the floor
Iron Maiden can't be fought
Iron Maiden can't be sought
Oh, well, wherever
wherever you are
Iron Maiden's gonna get you
no matter how far
See the blood flow
watching it shed
Up above my head
Iron Maiden
wants you for dead
(GUITAR SOLO PLAYING)
Won't you come into my room?
I wanna show you all my wares
I just want to see your blood
I just want to stand and stare
See the blood begin to flow
as it falls upon the floor
Iron Maiden can't be fought
Iron Maiden can't be sought
Oh, well, wherever
wherever you are
Iron Maiden's gonna get you
no matter how far
See the blood flow
watching it shed
Up above my head
Iron Maiden
wants you for dead
(DRUM OUTRO STARTS)
Ow! Ow!
(VOCALISING)
(SONG ENDS)