The London Stadium is already starting to fill up nicely when The Raven Age hit the stage with the kind of youthful verve you’d expect. This is a big showcase for them on home turf and they grab the opportunity with both hands. Straddling the rock/metal borderlands they have all the rock and roll attributes you could want reinforced with a backbone of steel. Today they do more than enough to gain many new fans.
When you get to this level it’s the little things that set apart the acts set to dominate from those that become a footnote in history. Halestorm put on a show of such intensity that they threaten just a little to overshadow what is to follow. Their full throttle hard rock is perfect for these big stadium shows. They have tune after tune you can file under ‘banger’. And in Lzzy Hale they have a genuine vocal A-lister. With her voice filling this mighty venue she takes songs to near spiritual experience levels. We also get a drum solo that is highly entertaining courtesy of brother Arejay. You’ve got to love those giant drum sticks! We also get the slickest of performances from Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith on guitar and bass respectively. New single ‘Everest’ brings the curtain down on a show as searing as the current UK summer sun.
It’s time to celebrate an achievement very few bands get to do – a fiftieth birthday. To do so as one of heavy metal’s true greats is a generational event at best and the sea of ‘Eddie’ t-shirts has been a pretty spectacular sight all day around the venue. Focussing heavily on the first nine albums of such a distinguished back catalogue is quite a nostalgia trip, particularly for those fans here who are of a certain age. Close your eyes for a moment and it could almost be the 80s again, or even the late 70s. Helping to roll back the decades the energy levels on stage are impressive. Bruce Dickinson leads the way running around like a 20 something, throwing his mic stand every which way. Steve Harris pulls his ever familiar bass poses, nailing the rhythms, leaving Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers free to go berserk with that three prong guitar attack. With the ever popular Nicko McBrain now retired from live drumming his seat is filled by British Lion sticksman Simon Dawson who does a fantastic job. Of course we get a giant ‘Eddie’ on stage but there’s a modernisation too – Maiden have gone digital with their backdrop which adds a whole new dimension. This is less a show more a party and everyone is having a ball. On this showing Iron Maiden could be around for a few more years yet!
Review and photos by Gary Trueman