BREVIEW: BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

 

 

 

Words by Lydia Fitzer / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

It’s Sunday night and I’m feeling fierce. I’m wearing my finest studs and tassels. I’m ready to strut into the O2 Academy with twinkly eyes and lacy thighs to communicate with a higher being: The Goddess of Drag. Tonight she will be channelled by Magical Queens with wit as sharp as their nails.

The first Magical Queen to the stage is no less glorious for being less famous. Her name is Meth. She emerges in a charcoal gown which glimmers like glass. Her purple hair is opulent. Her makeup is overstated and ferocious – yellows, purples, black and harsh white. Her face screams “Don’t f*ck with me”, but her personality is so endearing that you fall in love. She is the best friend you wish you had. Or perhaps the most loveable evil step mother of all time, as demonstrated by her opening Disney-themed lip sync. Her set has a real personal touch. You want to get to know her better – you want to follow her career.

Meth - supporting BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Meth performs to grandiose tracks in an almost self-depreciating comical style, using slapstick to poke fun at the song and at herself. It’s really hilarious. Despite that, it’s clear that her performance is highly skilled. She jokes that her fans know she loves “standing and doing FA” lip syncing to a ballad, but there is nothing lazy about this queen. She bounds across the stage like a sexy kangaroo, if such a thing were possible.

For her final number, a lip sync of Meatloaf’s ‘Bat Out of Hell’, Meth asks the audience to imagine lots of fire and special effects (although she really doesn’t need to – she is pure fire). She steps forth in white tights, shrouded in a black shimmery cape. She is already the most gorgeous bat I’ve ever seen. When the first chorus hits, she spreads her arms and opens her cape into – you guessed it – a giant pair of bat wings. It was a glorious moment. She brings truly world-class lip sync and comic delivery, plus the gnarliest air guitar in history. I am convinced by this performance that Meth is correct – Meatloaf is, in fact, “a lazy f*cking drag queen”.

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Meth’s set is all too short, although it is a delicious appetiser for BenDeLaCrème. I seriously appreciate how Meth tailors her performance to complement DeLa’s theme. It sets the audience up perfectly for a premature tour of the less-desirable afterlife.

“I hate to burst your Beelzebubble, but we’ll be talking about 14th Century Italian Literature.”

Yep, you heard her correctly. DeLa is basing Inferno A-Go-Go on Dante’s Inferno. It’s the first part of The Divine Comedy, during which Dante travels through the Nine Circles of Hell and ultimately meets the Devil himself. Don’t worry – if you see this tour, you’re not expected to be familiar with Dante’s Inferno. DeLa asks, “Who has actually read Dante’s Inferno?” In response to scattered cheers, she says, “Ah, so here we have the nerds… and the liars!” Not to worry, though. DeLa has “thoroughly skimmed the CliffsNotes”, and is ready to guide us through the experience admirably.

She writhes onto stage, doubled over in a hooded black cloak. You hear her introduce the agonies of hell in a deep, sinister voice… and with perfect comic timing, break into a coughing fit. She throws off her cloak to reveal a tiny red tasselled number, complete with Devil ears.BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Before she leads us into the world below, however, she does address the elephant in the room. Most RuPaul fans will be aware of BenDeLaCrème only through RuPaul’s Drag Race and All Stars. Season 6 of Drag Race saw DeLa crowned as Miss Congeniality, and Season 3 of All Stars brought that dramatic self-elimination after she was on track to win. DeLa is well aware that a few of the audience are only here because of these shows. She confronts this by giving precisely six seconds of All Stars fan service, for anyone in the audience who’s just dying to hear Maria von Trapp sing RuPaul’s ‘Call Me Mother’. Then no more. This is DeLa’s show, and you will get to know her as the artist she truly is.

DeLa claims that her passion is “taking something smart and making it just a little bit stupid. Honestly, while her interpretation of Dante’s Inferno is a lot more accessible to a modern audience, I think that what she’s really done is add her own type of smart. The jokes are current, sharp, and sometimes just on the right side of being a bad pun. For me she’s her own brand of comic genius.

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeWe enter Hell to the most delightful parody of Miley Cyrus’s ‘Party in the USA’; ‘Party in the HEL’. As DeLa points out, there is a clear link between human suffering and Miley Cyrus’s music. She sings rather than lip syncs, bouncing between teen pop bubbles and bloodcurdling screams of horror. It’s immaculate and seemingly effortless. I definitely prefer it to the original.

There is a large screen on stage used to set the scene of Hell. While DeLa sneaks away to change, a short video plays which introduces Hell in holiday cruise-ship style. It flows seamlessly into the rest of the show. DeLa re-emerges in a kitschy pink and yellow ensemble to rapturous admiration.

I won’t describe every single detail of the rest of the show, because I don’t want to spoil it for you. You have to go see it for yourself. I will share some pearls of wisdom from the Second Circle of Hell, though. Did you know that if you’re a pervert who watches Internet porn, you’ll be doomed to spend eternity in the form of the rags you use to wipe up your “sinful seed”? Also, DeLa found herself questioning why there seemed to be no women in the lustful area of Hell. According to a travel brochure, “Women who enjoy sex are in Hell, but it’s just our regular living world.”

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeContinuing down through Hell, I notice that DeLa’s comedy is incredibly political. We’re given an amazing satire of America’s gun crisis by a centaur. He happens to be a Hellian patriot in a ‘Make Hell Great Again’ cap. He punishes black people who once smoked a joint on the same level as white people who drove a bus full of orphaned nuns into a lake. When DeLa questions his obvious racism, she takes an arrow to the butt. The centaur isn’t sorry, though – apparently, he’s proud of his right to bear arms. Sound familiar?

It’s funny, though. All of the social satire is incredibly funny… Until we meet the harpy and her trees. The trees are a sudden, profound reminder that in the real world these issues have serious consequences. The trees are the prison of the souls who committed suicide, and, as the harpy says, “Never did nothing to nobody […] Society failed them”. DeLa wonders why those souls are doomed to Hell at all. She asks, “Who is deciding this stuff? Is it demons or… the Devil or… God or… someone else?” She speaks in a whisper, and the silence is deafening.

We go straight from here to the most fabulous part of Hell, the gay beach (I love the accuracy of DeLa’s interpretations. In the original Inferno, the sodomites inhabited a desert of burning sand). It’s an almost immediate antidote to the sadness of a few moments ago. The comedy is pumped to the max, and the vibe is infectious. DeLa asks, “Is that Nancy Reagan?” “Yeah,” says our ultra-camp new friend. “She isn’t gay but this is still her Hell.”

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeDeLa takes us through the Eighth Circle of Hell using ‘Disco Inferno’, complete with tight rap and the cheesiest of dance moves. We tour all ten ditches to a perfect musical performance. The comedy is excellent, and every movement is exactly in sync with the soundtrack.

Finally we reach the Ninth Circle of Hell, and a suspiciously Wizard Of Oz-esque Satan greets us on the big screen. DeLa decides to look behind the curtain, and after a hilarious back and forth during which she finds no-one, the Devil cries, “It’s you!” she replies, “Well that’s stupid. […] Why would I put myself through Hell? […] Why would I have decided that all those people are bad?” We’re treated to the corniest closing song in all the worlds and afterlives; ‘We all make the Hell that we burn in’. BenDeLaCrème leaves the stage to an earthquake of applause.

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! is great. It is really great. It is multi-coloured. DeLa gave me DIY greenscreen to ventriloquism (I will remember meeting Indulgence Gluttington to my dying day). She and two audience members created the River Styx using pure fabric and elbow grease. She almost moved me to tears with an arrow sticking out of her butt. I leave the O2 Academy feeling strong, as though I’m breathing new air. She pulled the sulphur from my lungs.

For more on BenDeLaCrème, visit www.bendelacreme.com

For more on Meth, visit www.instagram.com/methedragqueen

For more from the MJR Group, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.themjrgroup.com

For more on the O2 Academy Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.

BREVIEW: Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18

Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

 

 

 

Words & pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

You can spot Paul Weller fans from a mile off. Clad in Fred Perry polo shirts and jeans, and finished off with a Harrington jacket, the Genting Arena is teeming with them. It looks like everyone has stepped out of the 80s, back when The Jam were at the height of their career.

Since Weller first emerged as The Modfather back in the day, he has released a total of 26 albums with three different ensembles. His 14th as a solo artist, True Meanings, is scheduled for release on 14th September.Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe As a musician who has been performing since before I was born, I decided to bring along the biggest Paul Weller expert I know – my dad, who has been listening to Weller since he was 15 and is brutally honest after a pint or two.

As a rescheduled show, having postponed the original March gig due to severe weather conditions – namely ‘the beast from the east’ –  the Genting Arena isn’t as busy as I had anticipated; many fans have not been able to make it to the new date, and the new seating arrangements which have been put in place have got some that could angry and frustrated. We slowly weave our way through disgruntled men and women before settling in by the sound desk for the evening.Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Paul Weller’s stage is surprisingly bare. Having shot my fair share of shows in the Genting Arena, I have become accustomed to bizarre stage set ups, with CO2 cannons, pyro, and just about every visual prop you can think of. He’s forgone all this for two simple black and white film screens each side of the stage to broadcast his performance. A brave move for someone in this day and age, however somehow it works. Weller’s audience aren’t here for the theatrics – they’ve been lifelong fans, many of them listening to his material since they were in their teens.

Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeKicking off his set with ‘White Sky’ from his 12th album Saturns Pattern, we’re treated to a 29 song setlist which spans the entire of Weller’s career. While his newer material such as ‘Woo Sé Mama’ certainly gets people swaying, it’s not surprising that it’s material from his days in The Jam and The Style Council which garners the best reaction tonight; after people head for the bar during ‘Long Time’, they’re soon racing back in to dance along to ‘Man in a Corner Shop’.

Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeIt must be hard playing to a crowd who only seem to want to hear the classics, as many leave the arena to grab refreshments during Weller’s more recent songs. As an artist who has expressed numerous times his desire to move away from his Modfather days, I can only imagine his frustration at playing new material to a room who seem more interested in the contents of a ‘greatest hits’ compilation from The Jam. Every time a tech appears on stage clutching a telecaster guitar, the crowd begin to whoop excitedly, knowing they’re about to hear yet another 80’s throwback.Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Despite this, Weller is in good spirits and glides effortlessly between instruments, dabbing with a grand piano during tracks like ‘You Do Something to Me’. His performance is top notch, which is impressive considering the different genres we are treated to throughout the night. From the Britpop style of ‘That’s Entertainment’ to the folk ballad ‘Wild Wood’, Weller and his backing band flit seamlessly between styles with ease.

He’s also the only artist I have ever witnessed to do not one, but two encores, although this confuses the crowd somewhat and results in a third of them leaving before he performs ‘Town Called Malice’. To my amusement, a gentleman in front of us begins to clap his crutches excitedly over his head while screaming along to the chorus. It’s a sight to behold.

Taking a bow along with his band to rapturous applause from the room, I’m excited to see what style we’ll be treated to when True Meanings is released in September. And whilst the album’s early releases and cited collaborations point towards his more folk focused songwriting, the beauty with Paul Weller’s music is that it truly could be anything.

For more on Paul Weller, visit www.paulweller.com

For more on Stone Foundation, visit www.stonefoundation.co.uk

For more on the Genting Arena, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.

BPREVIEW: BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18

BPREVIEW: BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! @ O2 Academy Birmingham 26.08.18

Words by Ed King

On Sunday 26th August, BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! comes to the O2 Academy Birmingham – as presented by The MJR Group.

Doors open for Meet & Greet ticket holders from 5:30pm, with the VIP Meet & Greets happening from 6pm to 7pm. The hoi polloi can get access from 7pm – with entry allowed for anyone 14 and over, although under 16s will need adult accompaniment.

Standard tickets are priced at £31.45, with a little extra on top depending on how you want to collect them. For direct event information, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, click here.

Last seen by Birmingham Review at The Glee Club back in March, BenDeLaCrème shot to international acclaim through series 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race – winning a yet to be broken five challenges in a single season, but then stepping down from the crown and making way for Bianca Del Rio to take the top spot.

A seasoned burlesque performer and actor, BenDeLaCrème has toured three solo shows including her Inferno A-Go-Go! – all of which premiered off Broadway and went on to enjoy international runs. This particular UK stint sees BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! start off with two nights at The Clapham Grand in London on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd August, stopping off in Birmingham on Sunday 26th August, then going on to theatres across the UK before laying itself to rest, for the time being at least, at The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on Saturday 1st September.

If you miss any of those shows and you’ve got a really serious bus pass, you could always make the next two in Canada – but for full tour details of BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go!, click here.

So what can we expect when BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A-Go-Go! comes to town..? Regular readers of Birmingham Review will know by now, if they didn’t before, that whilst drag is full of fabulous fun there are also intelligent undercurrents behind many performers on the scene. And BenDeLaCrème is one of the more high profile voices worth listening too.

Her Inferno A-Go-Go! show takes its name from Dante’s poetic journey through hell (and possibly a nightclub in West Hollywood) with the nine circles of torment setting the stage for BenDeLaCrème’s insightful wit, the odd musical number, and even some puppetry, so we’ve been told.

But we’ve also been told ‘there is real heart’, as the doomed creatures that feature on this camp journey through hell question the why, wherefore, and what the fuck did I do to end up here? And having never been one to shy away from the more honest side of pulling on your heartstrings, as well as a caustic catalogue that could keep Satan at bay, BenDeLaCrème is one queen well suited to such an exploration. And exclamation marks… I guess the devil’s work is never done.

BenDeLaCrème’s Inferno A Go Go comes to the O2 Academy Birmingham on Sunday 26th August, as presented by The MJR Group. For direct event information, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham/events/1127503/bendelacremes-inferno-go-go-tickets 

For more on BenDeLaCrème, visit www.bendelacreme.com 

For more from the MJR Group, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.themjrgroup.com

For more on the O2 Academy Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.

BPREVIEW: Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18

BPREVIEW: Paul Weller @ Genting Arena 24.08.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

After rescheduling his Birmingham show in March due to heavy snow, Paul Weller will be performing at Genting Arena on the Friday 24th August – with support from Stone Foundation.

Doors open at the Genting Arena from 7:30pm, with all original tickets remaining valid for the rescheduled date. Further tickets are also available, priced from £48.61 + fulfillment fees. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Paul Weller has been back on the road as a precursor to his latest album, True Meanings, scheduled for release on September 14th 2018 through Parlophone Records. Weller has released a somewhat staggering 14 solo studio albums since 1992, underpinning a career that has seen him release a total of 26 studio albums as the frontman of three prominent ensembles.

Rising to fame back in the 1970s with his first band, The Jam, it wasn’t too long before Weller broke into the UK Top 40  with their debut single, ‘In the City’, scrapping into the official album chart in May 1977. The Jam’s follow up and more politically charged ‘Eton Rifles’ made it to No3 in November 1979, before Weller scooped up his first No1 with The Jam’s ‘Going Underground’ in March 1980.

But six studio albums and multiple hits later Weller decided he’d had enough and left The Jam, much to the surprise of fellow band members Rick Buckler, Bruce Foxton and Steve Brookes. And seemingly their fans, as The Jam’s 1982 farewell tour sold out shows across the UK including five consecutive dates at Wembley Arena while both their final single, ‘Beat Surrender’, and studio album, The Gift, reached No 1 on the official UK charts.

Determined to move on musically Weller was soon focused on another project, and so in 1982 The Style Council emerged. Teaming up with keyboard player Mick Talbot, drummer Steve White, and former Wham! backing singer Dee. C Lee, The Style Council explored different musical genres and styles including jazz, folk and R &B, and achieved modest success across Europe and America. Gaining his first ever No1 singles in America and Australia, with ‘You’re The Best Thing’ and ‘Shout To The Top’, Weller reportedly felt free from The Jam-shaped box which he had been confined to earlier on in his career. However as the 1980s came to an end so did The Style Council, announcing their split in 1989 after Polydoor refused to release their deep house tinged fifth studio album, Modernism: A New Decade.

Whilst many musicians would then live out the rest of their careers regurgitating past hits with an unenthusiastic backing band, Weller was always known for going against the grain which was exactly what he did, as he paved the way for his solo career. After a slow start with his eponymous solo debut, Weller reinforced his place as one of Britain’s finest singer/songwriters with the release his Mercury prize nominated Wild Wood in 1993, followed by the widely revered Stanley Road in 1995.

Now with 13 solo studio albums tucked under his belt and another on the way, as well as numerous accolades including the 2006 BRIT Lifetime Achievement Award, it’s clear that The Modfather isn’t departing from the British music scene anytime soon.

True Meanings, with promotional material boasting a ‘grandiose-yet-delicate, lush orchestration’ with ‘Paul’s better-than-ever voice, singing some of his most nakedly honest words’, is scheduled for release on 14th September and features a variety of collaborations from artists including Lucy Rose, Rod Argent (The Zombies) and Noel Gallagher.

The lead single from True Meanings, ‘Aspects’, was released on 25th May to coincide with Paul Weller’s 60th Birthday, whilst the album’s latest teaser, ‘Movin’ On’, was released on 1st August.

‘Aspects’ – Paul Weller 

Paul Weller plays at the Genting Arena on Friday 24th August, with support from Stone Foundation – the gig has been rescheduled from 2nd March, with all original tickets still valid. For direct information, including venue details and links to online tickets, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/paul-weller

For more on Paul Weller, visit www.paulweller.com

For more on Stone Foundation, visit www.stonefoundation.co.uk

For more on the Genting Arena, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.

BREVIEW: Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18

Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

 

 

 

Words Ed King / Pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

It’s no secret or hyperbole that Iron Maiden fans are amongst the most loyal of the heavy metal fraternity. But seeing over 15,000 rockers donning party hats, holding balloons, and waving birthday messages to Maiden’s longest standing lead singer was a large scale surprise.

Whether you’ve followed the band from the start or jumped on with any of their 16 studio albums it’s a pretty special atmosphere tonight, as a sea of Iron Maiden t-shirts and merchandise (along with the people wearing them) stand as a living museum to the band’s 40 year career.

But there is also theatre in the air, as a packed out Genting Arena have come to see Iron Maiden play one of six UK dates on their Legacy of the Beast World Tour and were promised a ‘very special show.’ Known for ‘having fun’ with their stage sets, this could mean nearly anything with Iron Maiden, and speculation and anticipation run rife through the crowd. That and a few plastic pints of Maiden’s very own Trooper beer.

Killswitch Engage – supporting Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeFirst up though is Killswitch Engage, the Massachusetts spawned metalcore five piece who are joining Iron Maiden at all of their UK dates. Opening with ‘Strength to the Mind’, the lead single from their last studio album Incarnate, it’s a pretty lively affair – with the band’s lead guitarist, Adam Dutkiewicz, jumping around like an adderall adolescence, wiping pantomime amounts of sweat from his brow, and giving head high kicks during ‘Life to Lifeless’.

After a short break, with an en masse attempt to get served… not easy with over 15,000 thirsty people, we hear UFO’s ‘Doctor Doctor’ coming over the arena’s PA system – the longstanding cue that Iron Maiden are making their way from the dressing room.Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe Scenes from the battlefields of World War II play out on the screens at the back of the stage, with quotes from Winston Churchill being somewhat drowned out by a soundtrack of explosions and gunshots.

Then it happens… Iron Maiden launch into their set with ‘Aces High’, as what looks like a full scale Spitfire swoops in to stand as the most outlandish set piece above the stage. Someone said there might be pyrotechnics tonight, which indeed there (including Dickinson strutting around the stage with a portable flame thrower) but no one warned me about a bloody plane.

Even more pertinent in the city that made the Spitfire, with Castle Vale only a stone’s throw down the M6, it’s a simply phenomenal opener – replete with Dickinson dressed in full fighter pilot paraphernalia and the swagger of man who could probably fly the thing.Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe I remind myself it’s the lead singer’s 60th birthday today, then quietly question ‘what have I done with my life..?’

So the theme is ‘war’, with camo netting covering the stage and the first part of Iron Maiden’s set marching through a tracklist including ‘Where Eagles Dare’, ‘Two Minutes to Midnight’ and ‘The Trooper’. But it’s also a cherry picked selection of Maiden’s extensive back catalogue, with ‘Fear of the Dark’, ‘The Number of the Beast’, and the band’s eponymous closer from their 1980 debut album being a fitting full stop – as well as a generous hat tip to the band’s original lead singer.

Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeThe power, ferocity, and noise levels don’t falter, from Iron Maiden’s spectacular start to their three track encore which ends with ‘Run to the Hills’ – sending the Genting Arena into an almost dangerous state of hysteria.

Luckily, and making the finale almost as memorable at the beginning (…an actual plane), we are left with Monty Python’s ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ coming over the PA, creating a more subdued sing-a-long to send us all home.

Iron Maiden have enjoyed four decades as one of heavy metal’s most successful ensembles, with a gold star reputation for high octane live shows, a tireless work ethic, and a fiercely loyal crowd that will (sometime literally) travel oceans to see them. If tonight is anything to go by, with the passion and production coming off stage a clear cut above anything you would call ‘the norm’, then it’s it’s a well earned trophy.

And happy birthday Bruce Dickinson… what an unbelievable way to celebrate six decades on this planet. Let’s raise a pint of Trooper and toast to many more.

 

 

 

Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeIron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeIron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeIron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeIron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

For more on Iron Maiden, visit www.ironmaiden.com

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Killswitch Engage – supporting Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18  / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Killswitch Engage – supporting Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe Killswitch Engage – supporting Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe Killswitch Engage – supporting Iron Maiden @ Genting Arena 07.08.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

For more on Killswitch Engage, visit www.killswitchengage.com 

For more from Live Nation UK, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.livenation.co.uk

For more on the Genting Arena, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.