Close to 14,000 fans turned out for the opening show of Iron Maiden’s MAIDEN ENGLAND NORTH AMERICAN TOUR in Charlotte NC last week, setting the spectacular tour off to a flying start.  The British heavy metal legends bring their Maiden England World Tour to our area tomorrow (6/27) at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.

Singer Bruce Dickinson said “We haven’t played in Charlotte since 1988 so we really didn’t expect anything like this number of people would come and see us!  And what a terrific audience!  Truly magical…We had expected this to be a sort of lower key warm-up show to get the production, pyro and stuff into shape, and ourselves too! It was our first show since those at London’s O2 Arena last August so band and crew can all get a bit rusty. But a crowd this loud and supportive soon blew the cobwebs away – thank you Charlotte!”

Bass player Steve Harris added “It was fantastic to see so many fans since we were last here with the original Seventh Son tour 24 years ago. Some of the songs we’ve not performed for many years and the crowd reaction was just amazing, especially among the younger fans hearing them live for the first time. A response like that on the first night was incredible. We’re totally knocked out and can’t wait for the rest of the tour!”

NC Rock journalist Jeff Hahne called the show “A feast for the eyes and ears......Maiden isn’t on a nostalgia trip this time round. They’re putting everything they’ve got into the music, getting the crowd involved at every chance and loving every minute of it.” 

The MAIDEN ENGLAND tour is based on the band’s “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour” with a set list almost exclusively from the 1980s featuring all the classic songs and hits. The same spectacular stage set as was used on the original 1988 tour has been recreated, complete with a magnificent light show, pyro and a newly reincarnated Eddie!

The Charlotte set list:

Moonchild

Can I Play With Madness

The Prisoner

2 Minutes to Midnight

Afraid to Shoot Strangers

The Trooper

The Number of The Beast

Phantom of The Opera

Run to the Hills

Wasted Years

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Clairvoyant

Fear of The Dark

Iron Maiden

Aces High

The Evil That Men Do

Running Free.

Check out this video for a taste of the new Eddies and some truly breathtaking pyro here!