Iron Maiden -- Chicago, IL -- October 18th, 2006

[es156]

Tour: A Matter Of Life And Death 2006
Headliner: Iron Maiden
Support: Bullet For My Valentine
Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
Date: October 18th, 2006



We left for Chicago around 1pm to see Eddie and the boys. We arrived at the Allstate Arena at around 4pm, and we were anxious to see how many people were in line. As we drove past the main north entrance we were disappointed to see over 100 people already in line. Fortunately, I had called the venue earlier in the day to get information concerning parking, etc. and I was told that for floor tickets we should use the east gate. So I went around to the east gate and there were only a couple of people there. I called the venue again to verify the information and I was informed that the wristbands for the floor would be handed out at the east gate. Score! We were the first people onto the floor of the arena and I was the first person to the rail! We held front and center all night.

Venue Report:
The Allstate Arena is in Rosemont, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. It is a 10,000-seat hockey arena that is well suited for concerts. The sound was very good from where we were at on the rail. I have been to shows recently where that was not the case. Coors Ampitheater in Denver would be one example. We were there last year for the Death On The Road tour and the sound mix from the pit was not so good. But the sound mix at the Allstate Arena was excellent. The only problem was occasional feedback from Bruce’s microphone.

Crowd Report:
Chicago crowds are usually fairly serious about their metal and this crowd was no exception. The crush started before Maiden even took the stage and only got more intense as the evening progressed. The Maiden sardine can was in full force at the Allstate Arena. It was probably the second most intense Maiden crowd that I have experienced. (The Dance of Death show in Los Angeles in 2004 will hold top sardine can honors for another year.) There was some crowd surfing, which is something that I have not normally seen at Maiden shows. And the crowd gave Bullet For My Valentine a rough time throughout their set, with a fair amount of boo’s, gestures and chants of “Maiden” after every song. I read on the IMOC that the crowd was about 9,000. I posted a picture from the IMOC below.

Show Report:
To say that this was the show of the year is an understatement. This show was outstanding from start to finish. The band was on fire and they seemed to be pleased with the crowd reaction. Bruce sounded great all night, especially on the new songs, which I thought might be difficult for him to pull off live. The band seemed to really enjoy playing the new material and it sounded amazing live. I thought that the songs seemed even heavier live than on the CD. "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" and "The Longest Day" were the highlights in my opinion. The classic songs that were played were as good as they always are. Eddie’s tank rose up behind the drum kit during the song “Iron Maiden” and proceeded to fire shots at the crowd. But the encore just seemed to take things to the next level and the song selection was perfect. “2 Minutes To Midnight” fit the war theme of the stage set. “The Evil That Men Do” was awesome and commander Eddie made his appearance in full military uniform. And I had always wanted to see them close with “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” Basically, this show was unbelievable and will rank in my personal top 5 for a long time.


Maiden Set List:

1. Different World
2. These Colours Don't Run
3. Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
4. The Pilgrim
5. The Longest Day
6. Out Of The Shadows
7. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg
8. For The Greater Good Of God
9. Lord Of Light
10. The Legacy
11. Fear Of The Dark
12. Iron Maiden

13. 2 Minutes To Midnight
14. The Evil that Men Do
15. Hallowed Be Thy Name

(105 minutes)

Maiden Lineup:

Vocals: Bruce Dickinson
Guitar: Dave Murray
Guitar: Adrian Smith
Guitar: Janick Gers
Bass: Steve Harris
Drums: Nicko McBrain


This picture is of about half the stage/arena. (That is Adrian’s microphone stand.) My friend (jeremysaal) is the bald guy on the rail at the far left (Napalm Death shirt). I am the one with red hair right next to him (Death On The Road shirt). My friend caught a wrist band from Steve and a pick from Adrian.

[JRA]

I can't see your face, it looks like your hand is blocking it or something.

[es156]

Originally Posted by neilpeartjr.

I can't see your face, it looks like your hand is blocking it or something.

Yes, my arm is blocking my face. I did not know the picture was being taken, obviously. I was looking towards center stage hoping for a stick from Nicko, but he did not throw any.

[DethMaiden]

That's mighty close!

[SomewhereInTime72]

That's pretty much where my spot was too.

[sneakbobcat]

cool, can't wait. I take it you didn't like Bullet that much?

[Div]

Damn I wish I got a spot that close!

[es156]

Originally Posted by SomewhereInTime72

That's pretty much where my spot was too.

[es156]

Originally Posted by sneakbobcat

cool, can't wait. I take it you didn't like Bullet that much?

I thought they were terrible, but I did not boo them like so many people did. I did however join in the chants of "Maiden, Maiden!"

[es156]

Originally Posted by Div

Damn I wish I got a spot that close!

There is nothing like seeing Maiden from the rail!