Live Review: Iron Maiden – The Future Past Tour 2024 Perth
1 September 2024 at the RAC Arena, Perth Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
The fusion of the Blade Runner theme and streaking lights levitates the subconscious from the present. The spirits of 15,000 are loaded onto the dream weaver plane, slithering through a three-dimensional state of cyberpunk as the soundscapes of future and past are intertwined, culminating in a transcendental journey of time travel…
The guitar riff whines for the first time, triggering the sea of fans chanting a melodic roar, oh oh oh. Thousands of hands are curled, punching through the canopy of heads, many extending their first and fourth fingers in rock god gestures in utter worship. A series of blanks are fired into the air, leaving trails of smoke, signaling the maiden entrance that’s 3 years overdue; five musicians grace the stage, orchestrating a sonic amplitude that raises the decibel meter like the band’s Boeing 747 would on take-off – only to be matched by voracious fans of this city. Lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson finally storms onto the stage with a mic and stand in hand like it was in 1983. With eyes hiding behind the Spitfire pilot goggles, the Doc Brown character zig zags across his stage, showcasing the man living the best job in the world. He strikes with a deep operatic voice, Go somewhere in time…go somewhere in time, while supported by the backup vocalists of 15,000 under the echo chamber of the RAC Arena.
A warrior surreptitiously appears from the corner of the stage. Donned in a copper trench coat, the half-machine half-man 9 feet cyborg stands imperiously, foreshadowing and scouting for an imminent battle. The future has landed into the past…
Welcome to Perth, Western Australia – the first city to host Iron Maiden in 2024, kicking off the second half of the Future Past World Tour of 2024.
Iron Maiden was formed almost 50 years ago in East London. With over 130 million albums sold and 600 certifications across 17 studio albums, they are one of the most influential bands on the planet. Since Bruce Dickinson fronted the band as the lead vocalist in 1981, the works of co-founder, bassist, and songwriter Steve Harris have skyrocketed to full potential on the world stage.
The Future Past Tour showcases their latest album Senjutsu and the 1986 futuristic classic Somewhere in Time. The tour has been a commercial and artistic success, with many media outlets declaring the band as the best they’ve witnessed. In South America, history was made in Colombia, Argentina, and Brasil with 50,000 to 100,000 tickets selling out in each city within minutes of pre-sale. Perth has a much smaller population than the likes of Bogota, Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, and Rio, but the capacity crowd filled with local metal heads were manically spirited from the mosh pit to the upper reaches of the RAC Arena.
From the moment the band darted onto the stage in Perth, there were no hints (apart from the ageing lines) that the members were edging towards the septuagenarian classification. The first track Caught Somewhere in Time followed by Stranger in a Strange Land – both from the 1986 album Somewhere in Time, soared for 15 minutes – although they were a perpetual bliss in a neck-jerking performance; like a War and Peace play at the pace of Usain Bolt – The Metal Musical twisted into a delusional dystopian performance. The end-to-end riffs of the guitar and solo by Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers were electrifying, as they so often raised their guitars and legs to the heavens, worshipping the metal gods that have overseen their success for half a century. The baseline and co-founder Steve Harris were thunderously punishing, and the attack on the drums by Nicko McBrain was ferocious. Bruce Dickinson was as animated as a person walking on an ant farm, often eliciting the facial expression and theatrics dictated by the battle-hardened lyrics. The opening tracks set the benchmark for the remainder of the setlist.
“How are you doing Perth!”
Maiden, Maiden, Maiden grew as passionate as the South American chants. The crowd surfing across the GA floor were as plenty as those riding the 2m high on Cottesloe Beach – although under OH&S, the old-school shenanigans is frowned upon. But good luck to the security in trying to stop that.
Even with a diagnosis of throat cancer and undergoing hip replacement, the vocal caliber and mobility of the lead vocalist are at his peak, being able to pull the operatic metal registers in deep articulation, turning back the clock to the 80’s. The momentum was unstoppable, as the marching continued before being punctuated by the blues-rock guitar at the introduction of Writing on the Wall, followed by the assault of the rhythm section, kicking into the hectic display and compounded by the vocals of Bruce Dickenson making this track sounding even more colossal, live
The first tracks from Senjetsu were Days of Future Past and Time Machine. The latter commences with a haunting intro, a shift into emotive gear showcasing the vocal supremacy of Bruce Dickinson without the clutter, only to be bombarded by the rhythm section and guitar in the first verse. For most, it was the first time hearing the latest tracks live on the road. The performance exudes the DNA of the 2000’s Iron Maiden – one of refined melodies and epic proportions.
Several tracks from other albums sipped into this tour – thanks to an escape by The Prisoner from Iron Maiden’s third album – The Number of the Beast. Released in 1982, it’s arguably the most successful album to date. Fear of the Dark is another surprise addition and is a mega beast of a track. From the track album of 1992, the song was translated into an undulating roller coaster ride that it deserves, as Bruce Dickinson stretches his vocals to a crescendo. The Perth crowd was happy to dive into nostalgia especially when Iron Maiden live are as fired up as ever.
Heaven Can Wait saw an epic gun battle between Eddie the Head and Bruce Dickinson. Bruce fired a machine gun from a platform on the right side of the stage, with Eddie in the middle. The pyrotechnics were as realistic as it gets on a live show, even the fiery “bullet” trails were visible, with sparks bouncing off from each individual. There were no winners or losers, as eventually, Eddie returned to his hideout, and Dickenson went back to what he does best – rocking the world stage.
And so the war epic continues with Alexandra the Great, with the crowd cheering as they heard the narrated prologue and the marching introduction. Mobile phone lights were lit, heightening the dramatisation. The night then churned to a 10-minute saga, and in many ways, it was a masterpiece, with an image of an armoured Eddie armed with a sword on the screen.
Throughout the night, the on screen display was thematically aligned to the tracks, from dead skeletal trees that we often see in horror films in Afraid of the Dark, to celtic greenery earlier in Death of the Celts.
The final battle of Eddie was with the 4 guitarists in a samurai battle during Iron Maiden – the track, as each member fought with their guitars against a sword wildering Eddie in an intriguing stage battle, before ending the night with the legendary tracks in Hell on Earth, Trooper, and Wasted Years.
“Thank you Perth, for some of you is father’s day. Obviously for some of you is not. Have a great rest of the evening of what’s left of it. F*cking live it to the fullest my friends, ‘coz you only got this one. We’ll see ya…quite possibly again.”
Great life advice indeed. We have just witnessed one of the most epic performances to have graced the stage of the RAC Arena. Next year marks half a century since the formation of iron maiden. Call it what you want, 50 years…half a century…the golden jubilee, but there are virtually no signs tonight – whatsoever, of the 6 English lads gearing for retirement anytime soon.
Setlist: Caught Somewhere in Time, Writing on the Wall, Days of Future Past, Time Machine, The Prisoner, Death of the Celts, Can I Play with Madness, Heaven Can Wait, Alexander the Great, Fear of the Dark, Iron Maiden, Hell on Earth, Trooper, Wasted Years.
Following their spectacular performances this year across Europe, in Western Canada and at the recent PowerTrip Festival in California, iconic British band IRON MAIDEN will be bringing THE FUTURE PAST TOUR to Australia in September 2024.
The 2024 AUSTRALIAN tour dates are:
Sunday 1 September: PERTH, RAC Arena
Wednesday 4 September: ADELAIDE, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Friday 6 & Saturday 7 September: MELBOURNE, Rod Laver Arena
Tuesday 10 September: BRISBANE, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Thursday 12 & Friday 13 September: SYDNEY, Qudos Bank Arena
Tickets are on sale now through TICKETEK
Visit: www.ironmaiden.com or www.tegdainty.com for further information.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank KOBPR, TEG Dainty and Iron Maiden for the Press Accreditation
About the Writer/Photographer: Perth based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to over 100 of the major acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), KNOTFEST (Melbourne), Coldplay (Perth), RHCP, KISS, P!NK, Robbie Williams and Rod Stewart with reviews shared by the likes of UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media. The founder has interviewed rocker Suzi Quatro, Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 50 artists. He’s also contributor on Triple M Albany as a music journalist.
