Copenhagen, June 9, 2025
Well, I can mark that one off the bucket list and honestly, I wish I had done it sooner. The Iron Maiden boys hit the Royal Arena in Copenhagen tonight and once again it was one of the old guards showing the youngsters how it is done.
This latest’s global trek is called the Run for your Lives tour and is a balls to the wall slab of nostalgia which covers the fan fav classics but also throws in several older tracks from the first two decades that apparently have not been played in a long time. Also of note is the fact that they have a new band member on stage but more on that later.
Warming up the crowd is not always an enviable task but having seen Halestorm first at Copenhell 2023 I was super impressed with the vocal strength of Lzzy Hale and in general the band is a tight knit bunch on stage. A lot of the set was comprised of songs from upcoming album Everest, but it was the fan favorites such as I Miss the Misery and Love Bites that resonated the most. The Pennsylvanian rockers can feel proud of the shift they put in and I’m sure they converted a few Maiden fans that night.
Much Like the band Ghost displayed a few weeks back in the Royal Arena, Maiden also came to impress with the visuals, boasting massive LCD screen setup getting the gig started with a bang with Murders in the Rue Morgue and then bouncing from classic cuts to older cuts not played in years (with an early Killers inspired Eddie wielding an axe for extra effect).
I have not aways been impressed with the audio quality at the Royal Arena. It’s always a bit hit and miss, and only seasoned sound engineer professionals seem to be able to get the best of it as did the Maiden crew tonight: so, bravo.
Speaking of professionals, as mentioned up top, Iron Maiden have the first new member in many years with Simon Dawson stepping into the double base tapping shoes of Nicko McBrain, who retired last year.
The master of ceremonies himself, Bruce Dickinson still sounds amazing at 66. More impressive is the fact he can bounce around stage so much with a massive number of wardrobe changes: his classic Powerslave feathery mask; Seventh Son… trench coat; The Trooper military gear; Aces High Biggles cap; Fear Of The Dark Victorian coat and wig.
With classics such as Hallowed be thy Name utilising the giant screen it was a feast for the eyes as well as ears. As the night ended it was very clear that Iron Maiden know their iconography inside out, and with this tour have put a very modern polish on it. All that would be window dressing if they did not bring the thunder musically and they very much did that.
Do yourself a favor and get a ticket for this show. Regardless, if you are a hardcore old school fan, newbie or somewhere in between, this has something for everyone.
Setlist
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Wrathchild
Killers
Phantom of the Opera
The Number of the Beast
The Clairvoyant
Powerslave
2 Minutes to Midnight
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Run to the Hills
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Trooper
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden
Aces High
Fear of the Dark
Wasted Years
Cover photo courtesy of Morten Rygaard
