As the name of the tour and the artwork may suggest, the band combine their latest gold-selling album Senjutsu, with one of their classics, 1986’s Somewhere in Time. But as Bruce Dickinson points out “we go all over the place.”
Iron Maiden 'Future Past' Tour 02 Arena 8th July 2023
After the theatrical tour de force of the Legacy of the Beast tour, Iron Maiden had set their own bar impossibly high. Rather than try and replicate the show and go full-on Rammstein with industrial levels of pyro, the Irons go back to the source for the ‘Future Past’ tour to give the fans musical surprises rather than visual ones. While the full-size spitfire and flame throwers have been left in a lock at Maiden HQ, (Although it would have been awesome to have a Delorian screech onto the set) you can expect a new set design and a whole kit bag of Eddies.
As the name of the tour and the artwork may suggest, the band combine their latest gold-selling album Senjutsu, with one of their classics, 1986’s Somewhere in Time. But as Bruce Dickinson points out “we go all over the place.”
Despite being ten minutes late starting (apparently because Dave Murray was caught in traffic) the band were straight down to business. After the obligatory UFO starting gun, the Theme From Blade Runner beams us into a neon vista. Leading the charge was the title track ‘Caught Somewhere in Time’ followed by ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’, a track not performed live since 1999 and not in the UK since 1987. Bruce dressed in a trench coat and goggles is part Doc Brown, part Deckard as he darts around the stage against the cyberpunk backdrop with his usual theatrix.
There’s more dusting off of other tracks too ‘Heaven Can Wait’ appears for the first time since 2008 and ‘The Prisoner’ and ‘ Can I Play With Madness’ are back after nearly a decade on the reserve bench. Senjutsu’s ‘Writing on the Wall’ has proved a worthy fan favourite.
The night also had several tracks, old and new, making their live debut. Alongside tracks from their latest album, the band finally decided to take on two epic tracks from their back catalogue. ‘The Death of Celts’ and one the fans have been wanting for years, ‘Alexander the Great.’ Both of these are incredibly complex and difficult to replicate live because of the time signatures but they have finally found a way to make it work and in terms of the latter it’s worth the 37-year wait. I doubt either with ever appear on a set list again, but after they have dipped their toe into long-form tracks and they have proved popular with the fans, perhaps we could finally get a live version of their magnum opus 'Empire of the Clouds’?
Just like the video for the ‘Writings on the Wall’ contained Easter Eggs, from the band's history, the stage set for the show also contains some hidden features that are worth looking out for, choice examples being Eddie’s heads adorning Alexander’s army shields and the tombstone from the Live after Death.
The future past tour isn’t just a crowd-pleasing show because of its energy and attention to detail, it’s a show that also presents the band at the top of their game. Iron Maiden have risen in popularity in the last 20 years and this show demonstrates them at the very peak of their powers. They sound just as good as ever.
Considering many of the audience weren’t even born in the late 80s (Bruce did a poll), Maiden’s hold as metal giants on the past and the future is equally secure.
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