IRON MAIDEN In India
February 1, 2008, 16 years ago
The following report is courtesy of Frode Kilvik from Maidennorway.com:
To a city that is used to small-time filmi starlets acting like high-flying celebrities, IRON MAIDEN is a refreshing surprise. The band - which has a cult following among heavy metal lovers across the world - is rather down-to-earth.
The band arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday and will perform at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra-Kurla Complex on Friday. Parikrama will give the opening performance and the legends will hit stage at 7.30 pm.
Not only did the band field questions from the media with poise and autographed T-shirts for fans without a fuss, it didn’t even request for special treatment from officials at the J W Marriott, where they will be staying.
A manager at Marriott said, “They have no demands and they are not fussy, unlike many other international acts that stay here.” The band also interacted with fans without the cover of security personnel - a rare occurrence.
A young fan said, “They set an example to all these new bands who act so pricey. Despite being such a legendary band, they are so simple.”
The band’s founder, bassist Steve Harris, told Mumbai Mirror, “We love Indian food, and I, especially, am fond of chicken tikka and onion bhaji, which we have ordered. Other than that, we don’t have any particular issues.”
The six-member band - vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain, guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers - cracked up at every other comment. When asked about the interpretation of their music, Dickinson replied: “Every generation interprets metal music in its own way, and as long as they come back to us, it’s cool.”
Talking about their decision to play in India, Dickinson said, “You’ve got to go around the world in some direction, and if we went the other way, we would have been in Canada now. The winds were towards India’s direction, and that saved us $30,000 (Rs 11.7 lakh) in cash!”
The band tours in their private Boeing 757, nick-named ‘Ed Force One’. Dickinson says, “We are like a big tour bus that flies.” He advised fans to listen to Maiden live as they are essentially “a live band”. Asked if the band had heard the female version of their band, named ‘Iron Maidens’, Gers said: “Of course, they are very good, and prettier than us too!”
A source close to the crew said that their schedule includes a quick trip to the Ajanta caves on Friday morning.