Bruce Dikinson’s Insights on Iron Maiden’s Early Days
Bruce Dikinson reflected on his first performance with Iron Maiden, as well as a song from the era of Paul Di’anno that he can no longer perform.
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Memories of the Past
Dikinson discussed Classic Rock about opening for Iron Maiden back in 1980 with his previous band, Samson. He stepped in to replace Di’anno in 1981 after the latter’s struggles with drugs and alcohol began to impact his live shows.
Recalling a concert at the London venue, Dikinson remarked: “All these girlish fans appeared, and then suddenly they all left, leaving us with just a hundred fans to play for!”
“I thought: ‘Something is happening with this group,’” he concluded. “I believe they will become big.”
After Dikinson joined as the new vocalist and released his third studio album, 1982’s “The Number of the Beast,” Iron Maiden skyrocketed in popularity, achieving chart-topping success for the first time in his career. Despite several successful records since, Dikinson noted there is one song from the Di’anno era he has never performed — “Remember Tomorrow.”
Dikinson mentioned that the song came from their debut album of 1980, co-written by Di’anno and Steve Harris. He feels it truly “belongs” to the late frontman, who sadly passed away last year at the age of 66.
He expressed that, out of respect for Di’anno, Iron Maiden should never play “Remember Tomorrow” again, stating: “If there’s ever a song that should be left with Paul, it’s this one.”
“I could sing it if I wanted, but I think we should leave it with Paul now.”
Upcoming Tour and Documentary
The “Run for Your Life” tour will take Iron Maiden to Bratislava, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Birmingham, Manchester, London, and many more locations. Dikinson hinted that the band “will do things we have never done before.”
You can check all the dates and purchase tickets here.
Meanwhile, Iron Maiden is set to release an “unlimited” new documentary featuring the final interview with Di’anno. This film, celebrating 50 years of the band, is expected to be released by the end of this year.
The documentary will include performances from long-time fans and notable figures such as Javier Bardem, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, and Kiss’ Gene Simmons, alongside rare archival footage and brand-new animated sequences featuring the iconic Eddie.
In another update, Dikinson recently announced a graphic novel created using soil from the grave of William Blake.
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