Live Review: Iron Maiden

Perth was the final stop on the current Australian tour for heavy metal royalty Iron Maiden and there was was no way you'd miss the latest visit from the English natives. With enigmatic frontman Bruce Dickinson in the pilot's seat, the Iron Maiden juggernaut flies the globe in a specially kitted out 747-400 adorned with the Mayan-inspired artwork from their current album The Book Of Souls.

Maiden's elaborate Mayan-decorated stage set includes a runway stretching the length of the Perth Arena stage, towering above the drum riser of Nicko McBrain. That in itself is no mean feat as McBrain has all the drums! The man himself could not be seen behind his mammoth kit, but he was definitely heard. The runway belonged to the pilot frontman, tearing up and down, leaping, bouncing and jumping his way through the set. Dickinson stopped only for a couple of quick costume changes that included a black and white Mexican wrestling mask for Powerslave and his now infamous red jacket and Union Jack flag for The Trooper. Dickinson may be the only Englishman able to wave that flag on Australian soil and receive a huge cheer.

As energetic as Dickinson is, the safest place for him was probably 15 feet in the air because down on the stagefront other members of the band were just as full of beans. Steve Harris tore back and forth across the stage, his fingers an almost hypnotic blur on his signature Fender bass. If a charging bass player isn't hazardous enough, Janick Gers' hyperactive guitar gymnastics were a health hazard to anyone silly enough to get near him. He clearly has a space to work where the others fear to tread as his guitar twists, turns and spins around his body like a maniacal heavy metal helicopter. The more grounded Adrian Smith and Dave Murray kept the theatrics to a minimum, concentrating instead on delivering those unmistakeable Iron Maiden riffs.

And the riffs came, with the band tearing through a set of new and older songs including a touching tribute to the late Robin Williams with Tears Of A Clown. The show is as much theatrical as it is musical with huge, constantly changing backdrops, inflatable monsters and Eddie. The giant, enduring mascot came out, taunted the audience, terrorised the band and was swiftly disembowelled by Dickinson. With humour, theatrics, air raid siren vocals and heavy metal, it was the perfect recipe for a great night out. When can we do it again?