IRON MAIDEN Celebrate 50 Years As The "Run For Your Lives" Tour Hits Birmingham

Iron Maiden at the Utilita Arena, Birmingham [photo: Riley Edmett]

Despite being one of the year's hottest days, the Utilita Arena in Birmingham is still packed out tonight, as fans have come out to witness British metal royalty IRON MAIDEN celebrate their 50th anniversary with the "Run For Your Lives" tour. As frontman Bruce Dickinson puts it, tonight is "as close as you're going to get to the greatest songs we've ever done".

Starting things off is THE RAVEN AGE, who are no strangers to a Maiden crowd, having supported them before on tours including 2016's Book of Souls' tour.

A grand orchestral opening swells, before the band kick off their set with "Forgive & Forget". They're tight and refined, but limited crowd interaction beyond repeated calls of "make some noise!" makes it tricky to fully engage with them, especially from afar.

The Raven Age kick things off [photo: Riley Edmett]

IRON MAIDEN don't even need to be on stage for crowd anticipation to rise. The synonymous sounds of "Doctor Doctor" elicit an intense reaction - the crowd cheering and singing along with contagious excitement. It's a feeling that never gets old.

The UFO track finishes, and everyone knows what's coming next.

A short video intro accompanied by Killers track "Ides of March" sets the scene, showing flickering streetlights and various London landmarks relating to the band's history. It's clear a lot of love has been poured into this. This is the first use of the video screen that has replaced the physical backdrops from previous tours. It makes a great first impression.

Throughout the next two hours, the screen is utilised to great effect: aeroplane dogfights; a ship sinking; a decrepit theatre slowly coming back to life. This makes for a really engaging watch, and allows the theatrical corners of the band to really shine through. A highlight is "Hallowed Be Thy Name", which arguably has some of the best video screen use of the whole night.

Video screens aside, it wouldn't be a Maiden gig without an Eddie (or three)! "Killers" sees the tour version of Eddie lumbering on to the stage, pulling his usual antics, and the reused "Trooper" Eddie makes an appearance in the namesake song. The revered inflatable Eddie that has often reared his head towards the end of the set has been replaced with an Eddie on the video screen, looming over the band as the final chorus of "Iron Maiden" plays.

Three songs in, and vocalist Bruce Dickinson takes some time to introduce Simon Dawson, the man behind the drums for this tour. Never has a 'normal sized' drumkit looked so small, but Dawson fits in well, delivering a fresh dynamic to classic staples. In fact, the whole band bring their A-game, delivering heaps of energy amidst the absolute sweltering arena heat.

There is understandably some fluffed notes and missed vocal lines here and there, but that's the charm of live music.

[photo: Riley Edmett]

The set is a blistering run through of the band's first decade or so, blending live classics with lesser played tracks. Getting to hear "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" and "Phantom of the Opera" all in the same setlist is a delight.

A standout part is the time spent on Paul Di'Anno era tracks - from opening with "Murders in the Rue Morgue" to title track "Killers", it feels like a really fitting tribute to the late former vocalist.

The exclusion of 1990's No Prayer for the Dying is a little disappointing, but it's hard to find discontent here.

The video screen is used to great effect [photo: Riley Edmett]

As the final notes of "Wasted Years" end, it's clear that tonight is a testament to the legacy of Iron Maiden. A large number of the audience tonight (myself included) are younger than every song on the setlist, but that means nothing. This is a band that have thrived on universal appeal, and this tour is a great showcase of that. Regardless of age, regardless of background, everyone is here tonight to celebrate a major milestone.

There is always the concern with bands of this caliber that each tour will be there last - should this be Maiden's swansong, it is a damn fine one.

See the full setlist below:

The 'Run For Your Lives' tour has dates in Manchester, Glasgow and London.

Limited tickets may still available