Iron Maiden, Dio & Motörhead

Despite its woeful moniker, the Sleep Train Amphitheater usually delivers an exciting concert experience. Good views, nice sound, a comfortable lawn and seven-dollar plastic bottles of Miller Genuine Draft (bottle cap not included) are all that’s needed to enjoy a big-name, arena-quality rock show. The night of Saturday, August 30th, added three legends of heavy metal to the mix, united on one bill like swarthy heroes from days of yore — Motörhead, Dio, Maiden. Unfortunately, my complete disregard for the start time stated on the ticket caused me to miss Motörhead, the evening’s opener. My sorrows were quickly drowned in the amber contents of the aforementioned 20-ounce vessel, an over-priced concert burger and the cheetah-like howling of Ronnie James Dio.
With the stony façade of a classical conductor, Dio commanded the stage with exaggerated hand gestures and melodramatic presence. Appearing, at times, much like the heavy metal version of Celine Dion, the ex-Rainbow and ex-Black Sabbath frontman swept his hand out from his chest as he intoned harrowing tales of wizards, dragons and the like and managed to pull it off with a straight face. To his credit, Dio stood as a consummate and gracious performer — his show was theatrical, well produced and audience friendly. His band was also extremely tight, though an extended drum solo, the finale of which featuring the drummer playing along to the “1812 Overture,” seemed a little severe, and complimented the charismatic (and surprisingly short) frontman perfectly.
As darkness fell on the open-air venue, Dio closed his set with his two most recognizable songs, “Rainbow in the Dark” and “Holy Diver,” during which the diminutive singer resounded his demonic voice while bathed in unholy light. These well-crafted performances sent a visible jolt through the crowd and set the table for the evening’s headliner.
After a short break between sets, the bright lights illuminating the amphitheater were abruptly dimmed and ominously spoken quotes from Revelations chapters 12 and 13 heralded Iron Maiden’s opening song “The Number of the Beast.” Though this was the last stop on their tour (which began in Spain, way back on May 23rd), the band showed little signs of wear and tear.
Charging around the Sleep Train’s immense stage to the galloping rhythms of bassist Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain, Iron Maiden delivered a solid set of songs spanning the band’s 24 years and even unveiling a new song from their forthcoming full-length album Dance of Death. Boasting three guitarists (Janick Gers, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith), Maiden’s sound was huge, equal in size to the stage presence of the group’s operatic frontman Bruce Dickinson, who belted out the fantastical lines of “The Clairvoyant” and “Wicker Man” with signature flair and conviction. His voice may not be as potent as it once was, but Dickinson proved he could still sell a song and rally a crowd around his band’s performance.
Iron Maiden played for an hour-and-a-half, and looked like they were enjoying themselves. They grandstanded appropriately, battled their lovable zombie mascot Eddy, tossed their instruments and assumed traditional rock poses, and Dickinson poked fun at the crowd, the name of the venue and even he and the band, admitting as Iron Maiden re-emerged for their encore that it seemed pretty pointless to leave the stage only to come right back when they could have spent that time playing music.
Though the majority of the crowd were older fans with nostalgia in their hearts, anxious to see a band they had grown up with (myself included), there was a surprising number of young faces in attendance. Iron Maiden’s archaic sound seems as far detached from the world of modern mainstream music as their lyrics are from reality, but as the reigning kings of sword-and-sorcery metal powered through an impressive, polished and veteran set, the band showed why they’ve been able to sustain themselves and an avid fanbase for so long.

– James Barone

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