The Kentish Town Forum is packed to the rafters for Bruce Dickinson, revered singer of Iron Maiden, but playing exclusively solo material this evening. It’s a special atmosphere, as his last solo London show was in December 1998 at Astoria 2, a venue now dearly departed, reduced to rubble to make way for the admittedly great Elizabeth Line. Your correspondent was then in sixth form, having opted out of English studies (more on that later).
Bruce Dickinson @ Kentish Town Forum
The jabbing chords of the theme from 1960s TV show ‘The Invaders’ heralds the band’s entrance, a signpost to the schlocky brilliance to come, and Bruce enters to belt out Accident Of Birth, the title track from his 1997 released 4th solo album. With it’s chorus including the lyrics, “Welcome Home, it’s been too long, we’ve missed you!”, it’s a fitting opener – it really has been too long since the crowd have heard these songs live, and they respond by singing it back when invited by Bruce. Band member Mistheria has brought his Slash-style top hat and spectacular red Keytar this evening, and is playing the heck out of it, his solo and accompaniment really filling out the arrangement.
The whistle stop tour through the solo career continues with a breakneck rendition of Abduction, as flying saucers soar all over the background screen. Bruce implores the crowd to “scream for me, London!” and of course the audience obliges, at ear-splitting volume. We are then taken through the sinister children’s game of Laughing In The Hiding Bush, guitarist Philip Naslund really impressing with some incendiary lead playing.
Next up is the lead single from new album The Mandrake Project, and it is certainly a project, featuring a comic book series as well as an hour-long disc of new music. Afterglow Of Ragnarok suggests that out of the darkness at the end of the world will come light, and a note-perfect Dickinson performs in front of an Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty engulfed in flames on the screen. The new song fits well with the old and his energy shows he is excited to share it with us in a live setting.
Speaking to audience members beforehand, most were excited to hear songs from 1998 concept album The Chemical Wedding, when Dickinson teamed up with fellow Iron, Adrian Smith, to craft songs around the poetry of William Blake and the theme of Alchemy. As Bruce explains this, your reviewer is transported back to their own English GSCE classes, studying the dark and heavy themes of these poems as a 15 year old. It’s safe to say, as Bruce sings the extremely well received title track of Chemical Wedding that the motifs in the writing are transferred expertly into song, and Dickinson articulates his glee at performing these songs for the first time in 20 years.
The new track Many Doors To Hell follows, with accompanying scenes from Hammer Horror on screen. This song demonstrates that Bruce is paying attention to the modern metal world – you feel it could easily be sung by Tobias Forge on the last Ghost album. For the epic folk song, Jerusalem, the mic is put on a stand and the crowd realise what a pleasure it is to hear these ballads sung by Bruce, so very different to Iron Maiden, and certainly exercising different zones of his legendary vocal range. It is exceptional.
Bruce Dickinson @ Kentish Town Forum
Back to the Mandrake Project material, and we are treated to the double whammy of new album highlight Resurrection Men, followed by single Rain On The Graves. It is during the former where the showman in BD really breaks out as he plays a set of BONGOS during the intro. It’s a bravura move and a masterstroke, the crowd love it. As the song moves into a huge Zep-esque chugging riff, bass player Tanya O’Callaghan steps forward, her dreadlocks shaking under strobe lights, and Bruce leads the crowd in call and response chanting. It is an epic addition to the set, and further proof that the new material more than stands up to scrutiny from a baying (albeit partisan) crowd.
A drum solo from the immaculate Dave Moreno leads into what is, on the face of it, an odd choice for a cover – the instrumental Frankenstein, originally by The Edgar Winter Group. As the proggy interlude begins, Bruce recharges, but then suddenly he is up playing a mini drum kit, playing along with further Keytar gymnastics from Mistheria. Then the vaudeville showman is back, contemplating something under a black cloak, which is flamboyantly revealed to be a theremin! It’s the perfect instrument for Bruce to play, combining his theatrical movements with music – it’s all very silly but also amazing, an expert ringmaster at the top of his game.
Having shown he can make golden showmanship from the base metal of prog rock, The Alchemist is next up. It is very well received again, the call backs to Chemical Wedding reminding us of that concept album. Chris Declerq has taken lead duties now, face-melting guitar solos and all.
BD then introduces Tears Of The Dragon as the one song he HAS to play tonight, and delivers a perfect vocal, the crowd repeating every word. Darkside Of Aquarius ends the main set, with the audience chanting and singing the guitar lines like at the best Maiden shows, with punishing metal riffs and twin guitar harmonies washing over them.
An encore of Navigate The Seas Of The Sun, another chance for Bruce to showcase his under used vocal lower register, and then we are back to William Blake as the Book Of Thel is opened, a truly epic metal classic, followed by closer The Tower. By now, the crowd are in the palm of the entire band’s hands and a mass sing along ensues.
As the thoroughly entertained crowd start to file out, and the strains of George Formby add a surreal but comical end to the evening, Dickinson tells us that he will, “see you all again, at my day job”. Just saying, Bruce – it’s Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary next year, right?
Live review of Bruce Dickinson @ Kentish Town Forum, London on 24th May 2024 by Alex Kavanagh. Photography by Catherine Beltramini.
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