Welcome back.

So, Saturday evening I attended the last night of Iron Maiden’s “Legacy of the beast” tour at 02 arena, London. And it was INSANE.

This was a very last minute plan, an invite from a best friend on Thursday; I’m trying this thing where I start saying yes to more things, get some more life experiences and memories. I first saw Maiden when I was 16 at the Hammersmith Apollo, so I couldn’t say no to this one; it was honestly one of the best gigs I have ever been too.

After driving into London, I DROVE IN LONDON BY MYSELF and a quick catch up with my pal and off we go to the 02.

As any proper evening should begin, we hit the 02 and head straight to Five Guys, because those burgers are expensive but the best bloody burgers. Seriously, I pretty much inhaled that bad boy. INHALED.

We pretty much missed Kill Switch Engage, which sucks, but we caught the last 4 songs so that’s better than nothing.

Now lets go in about Maiden bitches. First of all, the 02 had Trooper on tap, which was great, £7 a pint… but great.

These guys have been going for 43 years, since 1975. 43 years. 43 WHOLE YEARS. That’s intense. To be able to play that well, with that much energy and passion is incredible. With Bruce Dickinson the baby of the band, turning 60 just a few day’s before. My dad was 16 when they started and my mum was 6. Just what.

With a plane, swords and sword fights, cloaks, capes, masks, lanterns, 8 ft Eddie with a sword, army themes, hell themes, church themes, pyrotechnics, fire works and flame throwers it was almost as if the guys in the band came up with a list of things they weren’t allowed in their childhoods and banged it into their show  and I was LIVING for it.

And that drum kit, oh my god, I was in love. What a a kit. Watching Nico McBrain play, made me feel once again beyond inspired with the instrument I fell back in love with. If I can still be playing the instrument I love at 66 years old, then I will be a happy, happy lady. Also the kit, lord, what a beauty  – if they aren’t going to do anything with that kit now the tour is over, they can happily send it my way and I will love and cherish it to the day I die. I’ve popped a photo of it below so you can see how utterly stunning it is. Honestly it’s my dream kit.

LOOK AT IT. THE LADY BONER IS REAL.

I don’t think I have ever loved a kit more.

Now for the showmanship of these guys and the technical ability. Wow, there is nothing in comparison to these guys. Not only are they technically fabulous, you can tell they seriously enjoy what they do, the music they play and being on stage together.

One lovely thing at the end, they brought what looked like a magnum sized bottle of Trooper, and toasted not only the attending crowd but everyone behind the scenes, which was a lovely gesture, apart from the fact Nico doesn’t drink and no-one had remembered to bring him out an non alcoholic beverage.

One thing I love about metal gigs is everyone of all ages are welcome. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6, 66 or 96, everyone of all ages enjoy and bond over their combined love of one band. People are so nice at metal gigs, metal has the stigma that comes with being fan that we are all terrifying, mean, asshole people, when in fact is the polar opposite. If a metal fan falls in a mosh pit, watch 6 people stop and help that person get up and check if they are alright and carry right on. When  you’re in the gig, you become a small community and everyone looks after each other and it’s lovely.

I also love the fact parents take their kids to gigs, immersing them in music and letting them develop their own tastes but enabling them to experience live music. I will for one be doing the same with my own kiddo’s one day, but I hope they enjoy going to all the gigs for the music I listened to at 16, because that’s happening.

Basically to sum up, if you get the chance to go see Iron Maiden at any point, take it, for the flame thrower alone but also for the pure magic and excitement that comes with home grown British band.

I understand that Iron Maiden is an acquired taste, but honestly if you ever get the chance to go to see them live, do it, say yes. You may not like the music, but you will like all the magic that goes with it.