Men of iron still going strong – Iron Maiden in Helsinki 16.6.

Iron Maiden, a powerhouse of British heavy metal since 1975, embarked on their latest concert tour “Run for Your Lives” a few weeks ago starting from Budapest, Hungary. Last Monday the caravan stopped in Helsinki, where Iron Maiden performed for two hours in front of 42 000 fans. Because once is not enough, Chaoszine absolutely had to cover this gig as well.

American hard rock outfit Halestorm served as the appetizers for Iron Maiden. This treat I missed out on due to conflicting schedules, however, and I only got to see the last few minutes of their set. Halestorm finished their set with “Everest“, which is taken from an album of the same name that is to be released on the 8th of August this year. 

Halestorm having done their part, the wait for Iron Maiden began in earnest. The stadium filled out gradually as the h-hour neared, and excited chanting arose from the front of the stage well before the allotted showtime. The crowd made waves with their arms in the seated areas, tentatively at first but picking momentum by the minute. As “Doctor Doctor” by UFO ripped from the speakers, everyone knew the showtime was at hand. The band opened with a triple treat from their sophomore album “Killers”, and “Murders in the Rue Morgue“, “Wrathchild” and “Killers” made sure that the audience stood alert and at attention right from the beginning.

The theme for the “Run for Your Lives” -tour was to focus on Iron Maiden’s classic material from the 80s, which was absolute catnip for fans as that is indisputably the decade containing the most banging of the band’s tunes. Picking the show apart song by song would be pointless as the two-hour show was one hit after another. The entire group performed with an energy of twenty-year olds, which is quite impressive considering the members of Iron Maiden are all nearing their seventies. Drummer Simon Dawson, who assumed Nicko McBrain’s touring duties as the latter retired from live activities last year, put up a near flawless performance and fit right in with the rest of the guys.

Quite possibly taking their cues from Ghost, who outright banned the use of smartphones on their recent tour, Iron Maiden pleaded with their fans to keep their phones tucked away for the duration of the concert. This was rather befitting for a show celebrating the band’s 80s songs and the 80s vibe, and the compliance rate among the audience was impressive as very few phones were visible during the two hours Iron Maiden spent on stage. As the concert drew to a close with the evergreen “Wasted Years” I found myself comparing this to the five previous Iron Maiden gigs I’d seen. While the most recent Iron Maiden show at the Helsinki Olympic stadium may not have been my favorite of the bunch, this band just seems incapable of delivering a subpar or even a mediocre show. The reign of Iron Maiden at the top of the heavy metal scene has lasted for decades, and may it last for many more years to come.

Pictures Matti Hirvonen web – Instagram

Iron Maiden setlist:

1. Murders in the Rue Morgue
2. Wratchild
3. Killers
4. Phantom Of The Opera
5. The Number of the Beast
6. The Clairvoyant
7. Powerslave
8. 2 Minutes to Midnight
9. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
10. Run To The Hills
11. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
12. The Trooper
13. Hallowed Be Thy Name
14. Iron Maiden
15. Aces High
16. Fear Of The Dark
17. Wasted Years