122-462: " Angel Interceptor " is a song by Ash , released as the third single from their album 1977 on 9 October 1995. It was released as a single CD, a 7-inch vinyl, and as a cassette. The song was written by Rick McMurray and Tim Wheeler and produced by Owen Morris . This song is meant to be one of the reasons Ash believed they needed a fourth, female member. Originally, the track's high-pitched backing vocals were performed by drummer Rick McMurray, but
244-626: A Blu-ray, DVD, and CD release in May and June, topping the music DVD charts in 25 countries. In most of them the release went Gold, Platinum or Multi-Platinum. The band had begun composing new material and booked studio time in early 2010 with Kevin Shirley producing, and The Final Frontier was announced on 4 March and featured three singles "The Final Frontier", "El Dorado" and "Coming Home", as well as epic, progressive opuses "Isle of Avalon", "The Talisman" and "When The Wild Wind Blows". The album,
366-496: A Northern Irish rock band formed in Downpatrick , County Down in 1992 by vocalist and guitarist Tim Wheeler , bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray. As a three-piece, they released mini-album Trailer in 1994 and full-length album 1977 in 1996. This 1996 release was named by NME as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. After the success of their full debut the band recruited Charlotte Hatherley as
488-492: A Seventh Son , which was released in 1988. A concept album recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich and based on the 1987 novel Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card , it was the band's first record to include keyboards, which were performed by Harris and Smith. Dickinson's enthusiasm was also renewed as his ideas were accepted for this album. Another popular release, it became Iron Maiden's second album to hit number 1 in
610-607: A band meeting. The dismissal took place due to issues Bayley had experienced with his voice during the Virtual XI World Tour , although Janick Gers said this was partly the band's fault for forcing him to perform songs pitched outside the natural range of his voice. The band entered into talks with Dickinson, who agreed to rejoin during a meeting in Brighton in January 1999, along with guitarist Adrian Smith, who
732-401: A compilation demo tape, Pipe Smokin' Brick later that year, which featured an assortment of songs from the other tapes. Downpatrick musician Ray Valentine recorded Ash's demos at his studio, Cosmic Rays. At that time, the band was known as "Genuine Real Teenagers," because they were so young when recording their early material. The demo tapes did not gain much attention at that time and the band
854-521: A concert in Ljubljana in May 2023. On 6 October, the band performed at the Power Trip festival which drew nearly 100,000 people. Throughout the 2023–24 world tour, Iron Maiden performed 81 shows for almost two million fans. On 19 September 2024, the band announced their 26th global tour, Run For Your Lives World Tour , which is set to start in May 2025, to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary and
976-502: A crowd of 20,000. After the success of Piece of Mind and its supporting tour, the band released their fifth studio album, Powerslave , on 9 September 1984. The album features the singles " 2 Minutes to Midnight " and " Aces High ", the title track, and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner ). Powerslave was another chart success, reaching number 12 on
1098-693: A four-song demo at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge. Hoping the recording would help them secure more gigs, the band gave a copy to Neal Kay , who, at the time, was managing a heavy metal club called "Bandwagon Heavy Metal Soundhouse". After hearing the tape, Kay began playing the demo regularly at the Bandwagon, and one of the songs, "Prowler", eventually went to number 1 in the Soundhouse charts, which were published weekly in Sounds magazine. A copy
1220-586: A full-length documentary film in select cinemas on 21 April 2009. Entitled Iron Maiden: Flight 666 , it documented the first part of the Somewhere Back in Time World Tour (between February and March 2008). Flight 666 was co-produced by Banger Productions and was distributed in cinemas by Arts Alliance Media and EMI , with D&E Entertainment sub-distributing in the US. The film went on to have
1342-545: A guitarist and vocalist, releasing their second record Nu-Clear Sounds in 1998. After narrowly avoiding bankruptcy, the band released Free All Angels in 2001 and a string of successful singles. The band became a three-piece again in 2006 when Hatherley left, and after five conventional albums the band released 26 singles in the A-Z Series in 2009, one every two weeks. The band have had one silver , two gold and two platinum -selling (and chart-topping ) records in
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#17328010774521464-464: A live version of the song can be found on the Tokyo Blitz DVD. "Angel Interceptor" was released with two B-sides. "5am Eternal" is thought to be one of Ash's stranger songs. It starts with wind-up toy noises, and consists of lyrics, with blurry vocals, centred on strange sound effects, with synthesizer effects as well. B-side " Gimme Some Truth " is a cover of the electro-pop version of
1586-404: A live video, entitled Maiden England . The video debuted at top spots of worldwide music videos charts. In May, the group set out on a supporting tour , which saw them perform 103 shows to well over two million people worldwide over seven months. To recreate the album's keyboards onstage throughout the tour, the group recruited Michael Kenney, Steve Harris' bass technician; Kenney has served as
1708-599: A major influence on their work. Other bands and artists directly influenced by Iron Maiden include Ghost , Avenged Sevenfold , In Flames , Anthrax , Exodus , and Alice in Chains . Journalist Geoff Barton says the band's music constituted an important passage between the classic heavy rock school during the 1960s and 1970s, based on rhythm and blues, and contemporary heavy metal, characterised by sub-genre diversification and stylistic eclecticism. Music journalist Götz Kühnemund said "Iron Maiden were (and still are)
1830-431: A major record deal with EMI and asked Dave Murray's childhood friend, Adrian Smith of Urchin , to join the group as their second guitarist. Busy with his own band, Smith declined and Dennis Stratton was hired instead. Shortly after, Doug Sampson left due to health issues and was replaced by ex- Samson drummer Clive Burr at Stratton's suggestion on 26 December 1979. Iron Maiden's first appearance on an EMI album
1952-401: A raspiness in his voice, or whatever you want to call it, that just gave it this great edge". At this time, Murray would typically act as their sole guitarist, with Harris commenting, "Davey was so good he could do a lot of it on his own. The plan was always to get a second guitarist in, but finding one that could match Davey was really difficult". On New Year's Eve, 1978, Iron Maiden recorded
2074-885: A regular part of the band's concert setlists. Achieving their third number 1 on the UK albums chart and number 12 on the Billboard 200 , the release also included the number 2 single " Be Quick or Be Dead ", the number 21 single " From Here to Eternity ", and the softer " Wasting Love ". The album featured the first songwriting by Gers, and no collaboration between Harris and Dickinson on songs. The extensive worldwide tour that followed included their first-ever Latin American leg, although Christian organisations prevented Iron Maiden from performing in Chile and accused them of being "emissaries of satanic propaganda", and headlining
2196-491: A selection of tracks from their 1980 eponymous debut to 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son , as well as several live versions from Live After Death . In 2008–09 in Latin America the band played 27 concerts for about a million people in total, a record for a heavy rock performer. The tour continued with two legs in the US and Europe in the summer of 2008. The sole UK concert took place at Twickenham Stadium , marking
2318-510: A short while following the commercial and critical failure of Nu-Clear Sounds . He eventually emerged in New York making the self-deprecating blood-, drug- and sex-fuelled video for " Numbskull ". A note for Stephen Taverner attached to the video read "I've killed Bambi". Ash became almost bankrupt as the band prepared to release what could have been its last album. The members retreated to Wheeler's parents' house, to play and write songs in
2440-588: A third, "Did Your Love Burn Out?", in May to coincide with the album release. On 14 June 2023, "Race the Night" was released as the first single from their upcoming album of the same name. The album was released in September 2023. Former Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton , East London , in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris . Although fluid in
2562-581: Is considered to be one of the most influential and revered heavy metal bands of all time. They have received multiple industry awards, including the Grammy and Brit Awards . The band have released 41 albums, including 17 studio albums, 13 live albums, four EPs and seven compilations . They have also released 47 singles and 20 video albums, and two video games. Iron Maiden's lyrics cover such topics as history, literature, war, mythology, dark fantasy, science fiction, society and religion. As of October 2019 ,
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#17328010774522684-474: Is set to be focused on the band's first nine studio albums. Iron Maiden have received numerous nominations, honours and awards including Grammy Awards and equivalents awards in many countries, Brit Awards , Ivor Novello Awards , and Juno Awards . They have ranked highly in many polls of the greatest metal artists of all time. In 2012 The Number of the Beast was voted as Best British Album Ever by
2806-521: The A–Z Series . These singles would later be compiled and released together on CD. Russell Lissack , who joined the band as a live guitarist in 2010, left in early 2011. The Best of Ash compilation was released in 2011. The same year Ash collaborated with We Are Scientists to release a cover of the song "Washington Parks" by British songwriter Robert Manning, raising money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis and The MS Society. In November 2012,
2928-497: The Billboard 200 and eventually number 1 in the UK. The band's fifth studio album sold over 4 million copies in its first year after the premiere. The tour following the album, called World Slavery Tour , was the band's largest to date with 193 shows in 28 countries over 13 months, playing to an estimated 3,500,000 people. Many shows were played back to back in the same city, such as in Long Beach, California, where
3050-640: The Classic Album series . Following their summer 2003 Give Me Ed... 'Til I'm Dead Tour , with 57 shows in Europe and North America and headlining large festivals such as Roskilde, Heineken Jammin' Festival, Rock am Ring and Rock im Park (combined attendance of 130,000) and the first Download Festival held at Donington Park ; a successor to Monsters of Rock, Iron Maiden released Dance of Death , their thirteenth studio album. It met with worldwide critical and commercial success, reaching number 2 on
3172-538: The Best Metal Performance award at the 2011 Grammy Awards , the band's first win after two previous nominations. On 15 March, a new compilation to accompany 2009's Somewhere Back in Time was announced. The double disc set covers the period 1990–2010 (the band's most recent eight studio albums). In 2012, the band announced a new live album and DVD release entitled En Vivo! , based on footage from
3294-587: The Cavalcade of Magi 2021 in the Spanish city of Cadiz , next to dolls representing characters known from the world of pop culture, there was a huge, inflatable mummy inspired by the image of the Iron Maiden mascot from 1985. Iron Maiden's distinct logo has adorned all of the band's releases since their debut, 1979's The Soundhouse Tapes EP. The typeface originates with Vic Fair 's poster design for
3416-706: The Home Demo in November. These tapes featured their earliest material and the first recordings of some songs that were later on the 1994 release, Trailer , including "Intense Thing", "Get Out", "Obscure Thing," and the future single, " Jack Names the Planets ". In 1993 the band recorded the Garage Girl demo tape, which featured "Jack Names the Planets" and "Intense Thing", taken from Shed , and new tracks, including "Petrol". Following Garage Girl , Ash released
3538-601: The Iron Curtain . The band's third official video, entitled Behind the Iron Curtain , was released in October 1984. The World Slavery Tour documentary brought footage of the band touring Eastern Europe in 1984, performing shows in the countries visited, Behind the Iron Curtain was the first documentary ever published by a Western artist that showed them touring the countries of Eastern Bloc . The documentary movie
3660-472: The Monsters of Rock festivals in seven European countries. Iron Maiden's second performance at Donington Park , for a sold-out audience of 75,000, was filmed for the audio and video release Live at Donington and featured a guest appearance by Adrian Smith, who joined the band to perform "Running Free". The tour also saw conflicts between Bruce Dickinson and rest of the band. In 1993, Dickinson left
3782-518: The RDS Stadium in Ireland on 31 August. At the end of 2005, Iron Maiden began work on A Matter of Life and Death , their fourteenth studio album, which was released in autumn 2006. War and religion are recurring themes in the lyrics and the cover artwork. The release was a critical and commercial success, marking the band's first top ten on the Billboard 200 and debuting at number one in
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3904-710: The 11-minute epic "Sign of the Cross", the band's longest song since "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", as well as the singles " Man on the Edge " (based on the film Falling Down ) and " Lord of the Flies ", based on the novel Lord of the Flies . The release is notable for its "dark" tone, inspired by Steve Harris' divorce. The band toured for the rest of 1995 and 1996, playing their first shows in Israel and South Africa as well as Malta, Bulgaria and Romania in Europe, before concluding in
4026-501: The 1973 British cult film The Wicker Man – and "Brave New World" – a title taken from the Aldous Huxley novel Brave New World . The album revisited the more progressive and melodic sound featured in some earlier recordings, along with elaborate song structures and keyboard orchestration. The album was a commercial and artistic success. The reunion world tour that followed had over 100 dates (including 31 shows of
4148-731: The 1976 science fiction film, The Man Who Fell to Earth , also used by Gordon Giltrap , although Steve Harris claims he designed it himself, using his training as an architectural draughtsman. Iron Maiden have influenced numerous artists and bands representing different genres of rock and metal music. Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley said Iron Maiden "have helped spawn an entire genre of music" and influenced literally thousands of other artists. According to Guitar World , Iron Maiden's music has "influenced generations of newer metal acts, from legends like Metallica to current stars like Avenged Sevenfold ." Metallica members Lars Ulrich , Kirk Hammett , and Jason Newsted have cited Iron Maiden as
4270-839: The 1999 tour), and culminated on 19 January 2001 in a show at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, where Iron Maiden played to an audience of over 250,000. While the performance was being produced for a CD and DVD release in March 2002, under the name Rock in Rio , the band took a year off from touring, although they played three consecutive shows at Brixton Academy to raise funds for former drummer Clive Burr , who had recently announced that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis . The band performed two further concerts for Burr's MS Trust Fund charity in 2005, and 2007, before his death in 2013. During
4392-491: The 2000–2002 tour, Iron Maiden played 91 shows for over two million people in 33 countries. In addition to their touring success, the band was nominated twice for the annual Grammy Awards and received the International Achievement Award at the 2001 Ivor Novello Awards . In November 2001, a documentary movie about the making of The Number of the Beast album was produced by BBC as a part of
4514-550: The Americas. The biggest show of the whole tour was a headline appearance for 60,000 people at the Monsters of Rock festival in São Paulo, Brazil. The X Factor sold 1.3 million copies, the lowest sales result since 1981. After the tour, Iron Maiden released a compilation album, Best of the Beast . The band's first compilation, it included a new single, " Virus ", in which the lyrics attack critics who had recently written off
4636-402: The Beast – its first album with Bruce Dickinson , who in 1981 replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer. The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career, establishing them as one of heavy metal's most important bands. The Number of the Beast is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide. After some turbulence in the 1990s,
4758-421: The Beast , is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time and the most commercially successful release of the band, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide. As of 2022 their releases have been certified silver, gold and platinum around 600 times worldwide. In 1979/1980, visual artist Derek Riggs created the macabre mascot named Eddie The Head. Since then, Eddie has been an integral part of
4880-728: The Beast: Live in Mexico City . The double concert album was recorded during three sold-out concerts in Mexico City 's Palacio de los Deportes for a combined audience of over 70,000 people. On 15 July 2021, Iron Maiden released a video for their first song in six years, " The Writing on the Wall ", which was directed by Nicos Livesey. Four days later, the band announced their seventeenth studio album, Senjutsu , would be released on 3 September 2021. Senjutsu eventually reached
5002-729: The British public as part of Elizabeth II 's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Iron Maiden have an exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and Rock in Rio Wall of Fame . Iron Maiden were inducted into Hollywood RockWalk, BPI Hall of Fame and Kerrang! Hall of Fame. Band's mascot Eddie the Head is a part of the British Music Experience permanent exhibition. In April 2021, the band's former members (Paul Di'Anno, Blaze Bayley, and illustrator Derek Riggs) were inducted into
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5124-433: The Chile concert. The DVD topped the music video charts around the world. In addition to the concert footage, the video release includes an 88-minute tour documentary, entitled Behind The Beast, containing interviews with the band and their crew. In December 2012, one song from the release ("Blood Brothers") was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance at the 2013 Grammy Awards . On 15 February,
5246-599: The Golden Summernights 1981 festivals at Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg in front of 100,000 people. By 1981, Paul Di'Anno was demonstrating increasingly erratic behaviour, particularly due to his drug usage, about which Di'Anno comments, "It wasn't just that I was snorting a bit of coke, though; I was just going for it non-stop, 24 hours a day, every day ... the band had commitments piling up that went on for months, years, and I just couldn't see my way to
5368-642: The Hills ". The band embarked on a world tour, dubbed The Beast on the Road, with shows in North America, Japan, Australia and Europe, including a headline appearance for 40,000 people at the Reading Festival . Iron Maiden played 188 shows in 10 months. The Beast on the Road's US leg proved controversial when an American conservative political lobbying group claimed Iron Maiden were Satanic because of
5490-560: The John Lennon song from his Imagine album, originally performed by John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band . The Japanese version of the single contains five B-sides: " Girl from Mars " and "Cantina Band" from the "Girl from Mars" single, " Kung Fu " and "Luther Ingo's Star Cruiser" from the "Kung Fu" single, and "Gimme Some Truth". The Japanese release was sold with picture sleeves, lyrics and an obi-strip. The video for
5612-643: The Kiss tour, Dennis Stratton was dismissed from the band as a result of creative and personal differences, and was replaced by Smith in October 1980. In December, the band played at the Rainbow Theatre in London, where their first live video was filmed. Live at the Rainbow was released in May 1981, and "Iron Maiden" and "Wrathchild" from this video received heavy rotation on MTV during its first hours on
5734-611: The Metal Hall of Fame. They have twice been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In January 2023 Iron Maiden were honoured by Royal Mail UK with dedicated postal stamps and cards. Iron Maiden have sold over 130 million copies of their albums worldwide, despite little radio or television support. According to many sources all audio-visual catalogue of the band have sold in over 200 million copies worldwide, including regular albums, singles, compilations, and videos. Their third studio album, The Number of
5856-485: The Planets" and "Kung Fu," and served to introduce Ash to American audiences. Ash marked the end of their breakthrough year by releasing a cover of the Temptations ' " Get Ready ", as a limited edition red vinyl 7" single on Fantastic Plastic . In 1996 the singles " Goldfinger " and " Oh Yeah " were released, with the successful album 1977 being released between these. The track "Lose Control" from that album
5978-526: The Slaughter ", the band's first – and, to date, only – UK Singles Chart number 1, originally recorded by Dickinson's solo project for the soundtrack of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child . Iron Maiden's eighth studio album debuted at number 2 on the UK albums chart and number 17 on the Billboard 200 . No Prayer for the Dying was a return to their musical roots, especially in
6100-957: The UK Albums Chart and number 18 on the Billboard 200 . Produced by Kevin Shirley, now the band's regular producer, many critics felt this release reached the standard of their earlier efforts. Historical and literary references were present, with "Montségur" focussing on the Cathar stronghold conquered in 1244, and "Paschendale" relating to the First World War battle . During the Dance of Death Tour 2003–04 , which began in September 2003, Iron Maiden played 53 shows across Europe, North America, Latin America and Japan. The band's performance at Westfalenhalle , in Dortmund, Germany,
6222-456: The UK Albums Chart, was a Top 10 hit in many other countries, and reached number 33 on the Billboard 200 . At the time, Dickinson was in the midst of legal difficulties with Samson's management and was not permitted to add his name to any of the songwriting credits, although he still made what he described as a "moral contribution" to "Children of the Damned", "The Prisoner", and " Run to
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#17328010774526344-463: The UK charts and reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 . During the following tour , the band headlined the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington Park on 20 August 1988, playing to the largest crowd in the festival's history (107,000). The tour concluded with several headline shows in the UK in November and December 1988, with the concerts at the NEC Arena , Birmingham, recorded for
6466-495: The UK. At the same time Hatherley also wrote and recorded her solo side project album Grey Will Fade . The band teamed up with LucasArts for a new Star Wars game entitled Republic Commando . "Meltdown" and " Orpheus " were part of the soundtrack for Shaun of the Dead and appeared on the in-game soundtracks for the video games NHL 2005 , Burnout 3: Takedown and Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition . The song "Vampire Love"
6588-471: The UK. The screenplay, written by Jed Shepherd and directed by Alexander Marks, included star roles by Chris Martin (Sherbet Bones) and Jonny Buckland (Agent Ford) of Coldplay as a pair of FBI agents hired to track down a supernatural serial killer. Other star performances include that of Moby , James Nesbitt , Dave Grohl and Ash themselves. The film was not put on general release. On 29 June 2004, Ash released Meltdown , which reached number five in
6710-841: The United Kingdom, as well as 18 songs in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart . They have been associated with Britpop , though they were not comfortable with the association, as emphasising Britishness could be interpreted as sectarian in Northern Ireland . Ash officially formed in 1992, reportedly having taken the name from the first word they liked in the dictionary. Prior to this, Wheeler and Hamilton were in an Iron Maiden cover band called Vietnam, which had formed in 1989. The new band created three demo tapes that year – Solar Happy in June, Shed in September and
6832-411: The advent of the download the emphasis has reverted to single tracks". The original three-piece line-up played two-sold out nights at London's Roundhouse in September 2008, performing 1977 in its entirety. This was followed by the release of a 3-disc special edition version of 1977 , featuring remastered and re-edited versions of the tracks, as well as tracks from Trailer and live performances from
6954-626: The air as the first metal videos ever. In 1981, Iron Maiden released their second studio album, Killers . Although many tracks were written prior to their debut release, it had two new songs: "Prodigal Son" and "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (the latter's title was taken from the short story by Edgar Allan Poe ). Unsatisfied with the production on their debut album, the band hired veteran producer Martin Birch , who would continue to work with Iron Maiden until his retirement in 1992. The record
7076-503: The album charts of 13 countries. The supporting tour saw mixed critical reception, but included the band's first performance in Dubai at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival for 25,000 people, followed by a concert in Bangalore Palace Grounds, the first of any heavy metal band in India. The band then played a string of European dates, including an appearance at Download Festival , their fourth headline performance at Donington Park , to approximately 80,000 people. On 5 September 2007,
7198-406: The album included other early favourites such as " Running Free ", "Transylvania", "Phantom of the Opera" and " Sanctuary " – which was not on the original UK release, but appeared on the US version and subsequent remasters. The band embarked on a headline tour of the UK , before opening for Kiss on their 1980 Unmasked Tour 's European leg as well as supporting Judas Priest on select dates . After
7320-420: The band announced their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour , tying in with the DVD release of their Live After Death album. The setlist for the tour consisted of songs from the 1980s. They played their first concerts in Costa Rica and Colombia and their first shows in Australia and Puerto Rico since 1992. The tour led to the release of a new compilation album, entitled Somewhere Back in Time , which included
7442-589: The band announced their third retrospective Maiden England World Tour 2012–14, which was based around the video Maiden England . The tour commenced in North America in the summer of 2012 and was followed by further dates in 2013 and 2014, and included the band's fifth headline performance at Donington Park with 100,000 fans in attendance. Iron Maiden closed the tour in July 2014 at Sonisphere Festival , Knebworth , having undertaken 100 shows in 32 countries before an estimated audience of more than 2.7 million people. The band's 2015 album, The Book of Souls ,
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#17328010774527564-456: The band due to differences with Steve Harris regarding the direction the band should be taking. Smith disagreed with the "stripped down" style they were leaning towards. Janick Gers, having worked on Dickinson's solo project, was chosen to replace Smith and became the band's first new member in seven years. The album No Prayer for the Dying was released in October 1990. It contained the hit singles " Holy Smoke " and " Bring Your Daughter... to
7686-433: The band have played 2,500 live shows . For over 40 years the band have featured their signature mascot, " Eddie ", on the covers of almost all of their releases. Iron Maiden were formed on Christmas Day, 25 December 1975, by bassist Steve Harris shortly after he left his previous group, Smiler. Harris attributed the band's name to a film adaptation of The Man in the Iron Mask from the novel by Alexandre Dumas , as
7808-426: The band played four consecutive concerts at Long Beach Arena for a combined audience of 54,000 fans. Iron Maiden also made their debut appearance in South America, where they co-headlined the Rock in Rio festival with Queen for an audience estimated at 350,000–500,000 people. The tour started in August 1984 with five shows in Poland. Iron Maiden were the first Western artists to bring full-scale production behind
7930-404: The band played some US dates with Weezer and went on to headline their own shows on the East Coast. They played at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas in 2013, along with seven other US cities, and supported the Smashing Pumpkins at Wembley Arena. After declaring in 2007 that Ash would no longer release albums, the band brought out new long-player Kablammo! in May 2015. It was preceded by
8052-523: The band to pursue his solo career, but agreed to remain for a farewell tour and two live albums (later re-released in one package ). The first, A Real Live One , was released in March 1993 and featured songs from 1986 to 1992, and the second, A Real Dead One , was released after Dickinson left the band and featured songs from 1980 to 1984. The tour did not go well, with Steve Harris claiming Dickinson would only perform properly for high-profile shows, and that at several concerts, he would only mumble into
8174-429: The band were unsatisfied with them. The title of the song is a reference to fictional aircraft featured in the 1960s sci-fi series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons . "Angel Interceptor" gave Ash their second UK top-20 hit, reaching number 14 on the UK Singles Chart . The single became Ash's second NME Single of the Week. The song can also be found on Ash's greatest hits collection, Intergalactic Sonic 7″s , and
8296-433: The band's 10-year recording anniversary, Iron Maiden released a compilation collection, The First Ten Years , a series of 10 CDs and double 12-inch singles . Between 24 February and 28 April 1990, the individual parts were released one by one, each containing two of Iron Maiden's singles, including the original B-sides. Iron Maiden then began work on a new studio record. During the pre-production stages, Adrian Smith left
8418-482: The band's fifteenth, was released on 16 August to critical acclaim. It was also the band's greatest commercial success to that point, reaching number 1 in twenty-eight countries worldwide, including a debut at number 4 on Billboard 200 . The album's supporting tour saw the band perform 101 shows across the globe to an estimated audience of over two and a half million, including their first visits to Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea. " El Dorado " won
8540-416: The band's live keyboard player ever since, also performing on the band's four following albums. During a break in 1989, guitarist Adrian Smith released a solo album with his band ASAP , entitled Silver and Gold . Vocalist Bruce Dickinson also began work on a solo album with former Gillan guitarist Janick Gers , releasing Tattooed Millionaire in 1990, followed by a tour. At the same time, to mark
8662-448: The band's mascot . Not satisfied with the results from Harris' Barnyard Studios, located on his property in Essex, which had been used for the last four Iron Maiden studio albums, the band recorded the new release, Brave New World , at Guillaume Tell Studios in Paris, France in November 1999 with producer Kevin Shirley . Iron Maiden continued to find inspiration in movies and books, as shown in songs like " The Wicker Man " – based on
8784-416: The band. In 1998, Iron Maiden released Virtual XI , whose chart scores were the band's lowest to date. The album peaked at number 16 in the UK, the band's lowest for a new studio record. At the same time, Steve Harris assisted in remastering the band's entire discography, up to and including Live at Donington . Bayley's tenure in Iron Maiden ended in January 1999 when he was asked to leave during
8906-634: The band; in an interview in July 2007, the others hinted they asked Hatherley to leave as they "wanted to be a three-piece". In 2006 Ash started working in a New York recording studio on what would become their first album after reverting to their original line-up, Twilight of the Innocents . A preview track, "I Started A Fire" was released in February 2007, coinciding with a full-length UK tour. The album's first physical single " You Can't Have It All "
9028-452: The best rock and metal band in the world and awarded at Public Choice International. Returning from their time off, the band added different musical elements to their 1986 studio album, Somewhere in Time . These focused on synthesised bass and guitars to add textures and layers to the sound. The release performed well across the world, particularly the single " Wasted Years ", but included no writing credits from Dickinson, whose material
9150-462: The debut single was followed by " Petrol " and " Uncle Pat ", on their new label Infectious Records . In 1995, Ash left school and released the breakthrough singles " Kung Fu " (featured over the end credits of Jackie Chan 's North American breakthrough film, Rumble in the Bronx ), " Girl From Mars " and " Angel Interceptor ". The movie Angus was released, which featured two Ash songs, "Jack Names
9272-429: The early years of the band, the line-up for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson , drummer Nicko McBrain , and guitarists Dave Murray , Adrian Smith and Janick Gers . As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's debut album , 1981's Killers , and 1982's The Number of
9394-470: The end of it. I knew I'd never last the whole tour. It was too much". Di'Anno was dismissed following the Killer World Tour with the band already having selected his replacement. After a meeting with Rod Smallwood at the Reading Festival , Bruce Dickinson , formerly of Samson , auditioned for Iron Maiden in September 1981 and was immediately hired. The following month, Dickinson went out on
9516-407: The festival. While touring with the American band Weezer , Ash felt the limitations of a three-piece format. This led to the recruitment of a second guitarist and vocalist, Charlotte Hatherley , who had previously been with the band Nightnurse . She was introduced at a few small gigs a week before the band's appearance at the V Festival in 1997. The first recording to be released with Hatherley
9638-580: The first time the band would headline a stadium in their own country. The 2008 tour was the second highest-grossing tour of the year for a British artist. The final leg included the band's first appearances in Peru and Ecuador, as well as their return to Venezuela and New Zealand after 17 years. The band also played another show in India at the Rock in India festival to a crowd of 20,000. At their concert in São Paulo on 15 March, Dickinson announced on stage that it
9760-409: The first to go as, according to Harris, he lacked "energy or charisma on stage". He was replaced by Dennis Wilcock, a Kiss fan who used makeup and fake blood during live performances. Wilcock's friend, guitarist Dave Murray , was invited to join, much to the dismay of the band's guitarists Dave Sullivan and Terry Rance. Their frustration led Harris to temporarily disband Iron Maiden in 1976, though
9882-446: The genre is immeasurable, as they not only inspired subsequent generations of metal bands but also revolutionized live shows with their elaborate stage productions, further cementing their status as pioneers of heavy metal." Music journalist and the writer Neil Daniels said Iron Maiden "redefined the whole genre blending classic heavy rock influence with punky vibe, twin guitars attack and progressive approach which finally have created
10004-488: The group reformed soon after with Murray as the sole guitarist. Harris and Murray remain the band's longest-serving members and have performed on all of their releases. Iron Maiden recruited another guitarist in 1977, Bob Sawyer, who was sacked for embarrassing the band on stage by pretending to play guitar with his teeth. Tension ensued again, causing a rift between Murray and Wilcock, who convinced Harris to fire Murray, as well as original drummer Ron Matthews. A new line-up
10126-598: The inspiration for all the heavy metal bands we know today because they're an intrinsically heavy metal group. They're equally important for those who play power metal, speed, thrash, death, black, nu metal, metal core and hard rock – almost every genre." The journalist stated the band introduced a DIY approach to all rock music. According to Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp the style and attitude of Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has inspired generations of heavy-metal drummers that followed. Music writer, heavy metal expert and radio broadcaster Scott Penfold stated band's "influence on
10248-447: The microphone. Dickinson denied he was under-performing, saying it was impossible to "make like Mr. Happy Face if the vibe wasn't right", and that news of his exit from the band had prevented any chance of a good atmosphere during the tour. Bruce Dickinson played his farewell show with Iron Maiden on 28 August 1993. The show was filmed, broadcast by the BBC , MTV and released on video under
10370-508: The name Raising Hell . In 1994, the title track from the Fear of the Dark album received a Grammy Awards nomination for "Best Metal Performance", a first for Iron Maiden. The band listened to the thousands of tapes sent in by vocalists before convincing Blaze Bayley , formerly of the band Wolfsbane , who had supported Iron Maiden in 1990, to audition for them. Harris' preferred choice from
10492-413: The new album's title track and "demonic" cover art, and a group of Christian activists destroyed Iron Maiden records in protest. Dickinson later said the band treated this as "silliness" and the demonstrations in fact gave them "loads of publicity". The Number of the Beast sold 2.5 million copies in its first year, 14 million by 2010, and 20 million by 2022. In December 1982, drummer Clive Burr
10614-494: The new quality. [The] Band's influence on generations of rock and metal bands cannot be overstated. They elevated metal to an art form, proving that academic and musical inspirations can coexist." The band's profile by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says "in the 1980s, Iron Maiden released seven high-octane albums that cemented them as one of the greatest rock bands – creating a blueprint for how heavy metal bands should look, sound and tour." According to Metal Hammer Iron Maiden
10736-513: The number 3 spot in the UK and number 14 on the Billboard 200 . Piece of Mind features the singles " The Trooper " and " Flight of Icarus ", the latter being one of the band's few songs to gain substantial airplay in the US. Iron Maiden played 147 concerts in Europe and North America as a part of the World Piece Tour. This was also their first major North American tour as headliners, selling out Madison Square Garden with
10858-566: The outset, Bayley had a different vocal style from his predecessor and ultimately received a mixed reception among fans. After a three-year hiatus – a record for the band at the time – Iron Maiden released their next studio album, The X Factor . The band had their lowest chart position since 1981 for an album in the UK – debuting at number 8, although it went on to win "Album of the Year" awards in France, Spain and Germany. The record included
10980-500: The return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999 saw the band undergo a resurgence in popularity, with a series of new albums and highly successful tours. Their three most recent albums — The Final Frontier (2010), The Book of Souls (2015), and Senjutsu (2021) — have all reached number 1 in more than 25 countries. Iron Maiden have sold over 130 million copies of their albums worldwide and have obtained over 600 certifications . The band
11102-480: The road with the band on a small headlining tour in Italy and a one-off show at the Rainbow Theatre in the UK. For the last show, and in anticipation of their forthcoming album, the band played "Children of the Damned" and "22 Acacia Avenue", introducing fans to their new material. In 1982, Iron Maiden released their third studio album, The Number of the Beast , which became the band's first number 1 record on
11224-565: The same garage where the band began. The single " Shining Light " was released in January 2001, followed by the album Free All Angels in April. Subsequent singles released from Free All Angels were " Burn Baby Burn ", " Sometimes ", " Candy " and " There's a Star ". The single "Shining Light" won the Best Contemporary Song award at the 2002 Ivor Novello awards. A new single " Envy " was released, followed shortly afterward by
11346-418: The simplicity of composition. The No Prayer on the Road tour was booked for 120 shows in Europe, North America, and Japan. Thirty-three shows in continental Europe were sold out with a reported 530,000 fans attending. In total, Iron Maiden played for some two million fans. After another break, the band recorded their next studio album, Fear of the Dark , which was released in 1992. The title track became
11468-470: The single "Cocoon", and "Free" and "Machinery" were released as follow-up singles. In December 2016 the live album Live on Mars: London Astoria 1997 was released, and supported by a tour. Islands was released on 18 May 2018, preceded by the single "Buzzkill", with vocals from Damien O'Neill and Mickey Bradley from the Undertones . The band released a second single, "Annabel", in April 2018, and
11590-399: The singles collection Intergalactic Sonic 7″s with the bonus disk entitled Cosmic Debris. Q named Ash as No. 2 of its "50 Bands To See Before You Die". In 2003, it was leaked to the music and tabloid press that Ash was working on a horror film described as a 'teen slasher'. The film, called Slashed , was shot while the band was on tour in America but some scenes were also shot in
11712-426: The song was directed by Ash themselves, who put a high level of input into the video. It mainly consists of them playing in a yellow room, and occasionally messing about with stuff in the room. References to angels and rockets are occasionally made, such as a silhouette of an angel on a book at the start, and Tim reads a book on astrophysics. UK CD, 7-inch, and cassette Japanese CD Ash (band) Ash are
11834-548: The stage and media image of the group. Originally a papier-mâché mask which would squirt fake blood during their live shows, the character featured on the band's debut album cover, also done by Derek Riggs. Eddie was painted exclusively by Riggs until 1992, at which point the band began using artwork from other artists, including Melvyn Grant . A large puppet version of Eddie has appeared many times during carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro and other South American cities. During
11956-400: The time of its release. Ash started recording new material, which was previewed at a series of live dates in 2009. These dates coincided with the release of the single "Return of White Rabbit". This single was a precursor to Ash releasing a 7" single every fortnight for a whole year, starting in September 2009. Each single was simply titled by a letter, released in alphabetical order, and formed
12078-584: The title reminded him of the iron maiden torture device . They originally used the name Ash Mountain, but most of the band members preferred the name Iron Maiden. After months of rehearsal, Iron Maiden made their debut at St. Nicks Hall in Poplar on 1 May 1976, before taking up a semi-residency at the Cart and Horses Pub in Maryland , Stratford . The original line-up was short-lived, with vocalist Paul Day being
12200-599: The top of the best-seller lists in 27 countries, but it was the band's first album in fifteen years not to reach number one on the UK charts , although it did top the UK Rock & Metal Singles and Albums Charts . In total, Senjutsu reached the top three in 55 countries and the top five in 63 countries. On 1 February 2023, the band received their second nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . The band started their 25th global tour, The Future Past World Tour , with
12322-408: The tour ended. In October 1985, Iron Maiden released the double live album and home video, Live After Death . A critical and commercial success, it peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 in the UK. The album was recorded at Long Beach Arena and also features additional tracks from four nights at London's Hammersmith Apollo . In November 1985, Iron Maiden were named
12444-413: Was also acquired by Rod Smallwood , who soon became the band's manager. As Iron Maiden's popularity increased, they released the demo on their own record label as The Soundhouse Tapes , named after the club. Featuring only three tracks (one song, "Strange World", was excluded as the band were unsatisfied with its production), all 5,000 copies sold out within weeks. In December 1979, the band secured
12566-590: Was at Dennis' and Thunderstick's last gig, and joined the band afterwards. Harris, Murray and Sampson spent the summer and autumn of 1978 rehearsing while they searched for a singer to complete the band's new line-up. A chance meeting at the Red Lion, a pub in Leytonstone , in November 1978 evolved into a successful audition for vocalist Paul Di'Anno . Steve Harris said, "There's sort of a quality in Paul's voice,
12688-405: Was broadcast by MTV and local TV stations around the world. The tour was physically gruelling for the band, who demanded six months off when it ended (although this was later reduced to four months). This was the first substantial touring break in the group's history, including the cancellation of a proposed supporting tour for the new live album, with Bruce Dickinson threatening to quit unless
12810-635: Was featured in the video game Gran Turismo . On 17 February 1997, Ash released Live at the Wireless , a live album, recorded at the Triple J Studios in Australia . A limited-edition version of the album was released in the UK on the band's own Deathstar label. In the summer of 1997, Ash played at the Glastonbury Festival , and at age 20, Hamilton became the youngest person ever to headline
12932-508: Was fired from the band and replaced by Nicko McBrain , who previously played for Trust . Although Harris said the dismissal took place because his live performances were affected by offstage activities, Burr later claimed he was unfairly ousted from the band. The band then recorded the first of three consecutive albums at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. In 1983, they released their fourth studio album, Piece of Mind , which reached
13054-674: Was followed by the band's first world tour with their debut performance in the United States opening for Judas Priest at The Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas. Killers marked the band's USA album charts debut, reaching number 78 on the Billboard 200 , and they booked 132 shows to promote the album, including their first concert in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. During the summer, Iron Maiden played several festivals in Europe, including at
13176-515: Was on the Metal for Muthas compilation (released on 15 February 1980) with two early versions of " Sanctuary " and "Wrathchild". The release led to a tour including several other bands linked with the new wave of British heavy metal movement. Iron Maiden released their self-titled album in 1980, which debuted at number 4 in the UK Albums Chart . In addition to the title track,
13298-549: Was put together, including future Cutting Crew member Tony Moore on keyboards, Terry Wapram on guitar and drummer Barry Purkis (better known today as Thunderstick). After a single gig with the band in January 1978, Moore was asked to leave as Harris decided keyboards did not suit the band's sound. Dave Murray rejoined in late March 1978, and when Terry Wapram disapproved he was sacked. A few weeks later, Dennis Wilcock decided to leave Iron Maiden to form his own band, V1, with Wapram, and drummer Barry Purkis also left. Doug Sampson
13420-593: Was re-released and went straight to number 3 on the UK Chart. The tour featured many headlining stadium and festival dates, including a performance at Ullevi Stadium in Sweden to an audience of almost 60,000. This concert was also broadcast live on satellite television across Europe to approximately 60 million viewers. The band completed the tour by headlining the Reading and Leeds Festivals on 26–28 August, and
13542-524: Was received very positively by fans and critics, spanning up to three years with 140 shows, performing to over 3.5 million fans. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the rescheduling of nearly one million tickets from 2020, first to 2021, and then to 2022. In October 2020, the band announced they would release a live album from the Legacy of the Beast World Tour called Nights of the Dead, Legacy of
13664-576: Was recorded and released in August 2005 as a live album and DVD entitled Death on the Road . In 2005, the band announced the Eddie Rips Up the World Tour , which, tying in with their 2004 DVD entitled The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days , only featured material from their first four albums. As part of this celebration of their earlier years, "The Number of the Beast" single
13786-553: Was recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios in late summer 2014; its closing song, " Empire of the Clouds ", penned by Dickinson, surpassed "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (from 1984's Powerslave ) as Iron Maiden's longest song, at 18 minutes in length. In February 2016, the band embarked on The Book of Souls World Tour , with shows in 35 countries across six continents, including their first performances in China, El Salvador, and Lithuania. It
13908-562: Was rejected by the rest of the band. The album was the band's biggest American chart success to date, reaching number 11 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 in the UK charts. The Somewhere on Tour was also a success. The band played 157 shows for over two and a half million fans, including eighty-one shows in North America. Once again, Iron Maiden visited Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia to play for tens of thousands of fans in each country. The experimentation evident on Somewhere in Time continued on their next album, Seventh Son of
14030-543: Was released in April 2007, and the album itself followed the next month, along with an appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival . Two further songs from the album, " Polaris " and " End of the World ", were issued as singles in June and September, respectively. Ash stated that Twilight of the Innocents would be their last album and that instead, they would only release singles as "(t)he way people listen to music has changed, with
14152-433: Was released on 4 September. The band's first original studio album not to be issued by EMI outside North America, following Parlophone 's acquisition by Warner Music Group in 2013, it was a critical and commercial success, becoming the band's fifth UK number 1 album and hit number 4 on Billboard 200 in the US. The new release reached the number one position in the album charts of 43 countries. The new record
14274-436: Was still playing small shows at local clubs but, in early 1994, Stephen Taverner came across the Garage Girl demo tape. Taverner put up the money to press 1,000 7″ copies of "Jack Names the Planets" on his own LaLaLand record label. Taverner subsequently became the band's full-time manager. Ash released the mini-album, Trailer , in October 1994, comprising seven songs. Airplay by Steve Lamacq followed on BBC Radio 1 and
14396-409: Was telephoned a few hours later. With Gers remaining, Iron Maiden now had a three-guitar line-up (nicknamed "The Three Amigos"), and embarked on a hugely successful reunion tour. Dubbed The Ed Hunter Tour, it tied in with the band's newly released greatest hits collection, Ed Hunter , whose track listing was decided by a poll on the group's website, and also contained a computer game starring Eddie,
14518-466: Was the band's biggest album tour since 1996. In total, Iron Maiden played 117 shows on six continents for well over two and a half million people. The band then launched the Legacy of the Beast World Tour in Europe in 2018, with North and South American shows following in 2019. The tour was inspired by the band's new mobile game and comic series released in 2017, entitled Legacy of the Beast . The tour
14640-500: Was the largest non-festival show of their career, with an overall attendance of 100,000 people. The final leg ended in Florida on 2 April after which the band took a break. Overall, the tour reportedly had an attendance of over two and a half million people worldwide over both years. At the 2009 Brit Awards , Iron Maiden won the award for best British live act. On 20 January 2009, the band announced they were planning to release
14762-490: Was the single " A Life Less Ordinary ", which featured on the soundtrack to the Ewan McGregor / Cameron Diaz film of the same name . In September 1998, Ash released " Jesus Says " followed in October by the band's second album proper, Nu-Clear Sounds , and in November by " Wildsurf ". The pressures of near non-stop touring of 1977 and Nu-Clear Sounds began to affect the band. In 1999, Tim Wheeler disappeared for
14884-412: Was used for American Pie Presents: Band Camp . " Starcrossed " and "Renegade Cavalcade" were later released as singles from the album. Meltdown was released in the US on 8 March 2005, through Warner Bros. Records imprint Record Collection. Also in 2005, Tim Wheeler received a companionship (an honorary degree) from LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) . On 20 January 2006, Hatherley left
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