Bruce Dickinson Shoots Down Backing Tracks for Iron Maiden: “If It’s Not Real, It’s Not Maiden”
If there’s one thing you can say about Iron Maiden, it’s that when you watch 66 year-old cancer survivor Bruce Dickinson running around on stage, belting out an 11 minute epic like “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” before stopping the show to bitch about someone smoking weed somewhere in the venue, you know it’s 100% real. And that’s exactly how it’s going to stay.
In an interview for the most recent issue of Classic Rock Magazine (also on Guitar.com), Dickinson doubled down on the idea that Iron Maiden was the real article, opting not to dabble in a lot of the artificial tactics that other bands use to make their live show sound the best it possibly can.
“The idea that you can turn it into the Disneyland MAIDEN by using backing tracks, a few tricks… No! Maiden has to be one hundred per cent real — and fucking fierce!”
I don’t know about you, but I could hear him say that in my head as I read it. Almost certainly followed by something like “Scream for me, Hesher’s apartment!!!!!”
Despite the band’s increasing age and rigorous tour schedule, Dickinson pledged that the band will never use things like backing tracks in their live show.
“Only recently this guy, a big fan, said to me: ‘It’s so great to see Maiden still doing it.’ I said: ‘Yeah, and we’re doing it for real. There’s no detuning.’ This guy said: ‘Lots of bands use backing tracks now…’ I said: ‘No! No, no! [If we use backing tracks,] that’s the day I quit. Or the day we stop. If it’s not real, it’s not Maiden.”
Sure, you could read his comments and think “okay, boomer” but that’s not entirely being fair. As long as these guys can still perform at the highest level, they have every right to hold firm on this issue. Once Dickinson starts slipping in the vocals department or Steve Harris can’t do those iconic galloping bass lines, then they should either reconsider their stance or call it quits.
In the meantime, they’ve got a whole other tour to get ready for with their ‘Run For Your Lives’ run. And while it will be their first tour without Nicko McBrain behind the kit (Simon Dawson will handle that role), we at least know that whatever they’re going to pull out that they’ve “never, ever done before” won’t be backing tracks.
Iron Maiden ‘Run For Your Lives’ Tour:
MAY 2025
27 Budapest, HUNGARY – Budapest Aréna *
31 Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC – Letnany Airport *
JUNE 2025
01 Bratislava, SLOVAKIA – TIPOS Arena *
05 Trondheim, NORWAY – Trondheim Rocks (Festival)
07 Stavanger, NORWAY – SR-Bank Arena *
09 Copenhagen, DENMARK – Royal Arena *
12 Stockholm, SWEDEN – 3Arena *
13 Stockholm, SWEDEN – 3Arena *
16 Helsinki, FINLAND – Olympic Stadium *
21 Birmingham, ENGLAND – Utilita Arena ^
22 Manchester, ENGLAND – Co-op Live ^
25 Dublin, IRELAND – Malahide Castle *^
28 London, ENGLAND – London Stadium *^
30 Glasgow, SCOTLAND – OVO Hydro ^
JULY 2025
03 Belfort, FRANCE – Eurockéennes Festival
05 Madrid, SPAIN – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano **
06 Lisbon, PORTUGAL – MEO Arena **
09 Zurich, SWITZERLAND – Hallenstadion **
11 Gelsenkirchen, GERMANY – Veltins-Arena **
13 Padova, ITALY – Stadio Euganeo **
15 Bremen, GERMANY – Bürgerweide **
17 Vienna, AUSTRIA – Ernst Happel Stadium **
19 Paris, FRANCE – Paris La Défense Arena **
23 Arnhem, NETHERLANDS – GelreDome **
25 Frankfurt, GERMANY – Deutsche Bank Park **
26 Stuttgart, GERMANY – Cannstatter Wasen **
29 Berlin, GERMANY – Waldbühne **
AUGUST 2025
02 Warsaw – POLAND – PGE Narodowy **
*Halestorm | ^The Raven Age | **Avatar
