[SPOILER] Pro Pictures, Diary and Review from Graz
Want to see amazing pictures of Iron Maiden playing Graz and read a nice review ?Click here !
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Here you can visit the site of Stadthalle Graz for some awesome concert pictures:
Stadthalle Graz
Thanks to Mr. Strimitzer for those !
Update:
You can also see a pro video report from the concert in here (broadband advised, in German).
You can also find a diary of the hours leading to the concert in here (in German, nice pictures included)
Update (June 10):
And some fan's video is awaiting for you on Maidenrob FTP server.
Plus, here's a review from one of Maiden Austria member, Rudytrooper666:
Home match: The first Austrian Maiden gig for the MAU fan community - as we call "Home-Game". Everybody was a bit nervous because it would be a big and important event for us. We hope to get some new members and feedback as there are so many fans at the concert. Another goal was to meet the band and get signatures and photos, a dream which every member of MAU had and we talked a lot about this point in our past meetings.
Many things were organized via our Internet forum and it was for sure that we would meet many Maiden fans from Austria on this evening.
A few days before the gig we got a hint that Maiden would arrive by airplane at Graz on Tuesday 16:05.
We met all together on the highway station "Guntramsdorf/Oldtimer" and raised our flags to find each other. Our new member Sanctuary told us that the boys were already in Graz and so we decided not to go to the airport and to wait in front of the hotel.
As soon as everybody was finaly there we started the engines and pressed the pedal to the metal. In the cars was a very good mood - Maidenmusic to get warm for the gig.
As we arived in Graz we raised our flags again und drove through the city, as we passed the Stadthalle everybody screamed who waited for the open doors.
A telephon call later we got the info that Nicko and Janick are sitting in front of a cafe on the Jakominiplatz and so we marched with raised flags into the city. As we passed the Stadthalle again we animated the waiting fans to scream "Maiden, Maiden,..." - awesome.
The walk seemed endless and we were afraid to fail them so we walked very fast. All people stared at us as the caravan hit the Jakomini place.
Nomadofvienna finaly found them - Nicko, Jannick and of course Adrian Smith! IronAlf asked them friendly to sign some stuff and do some photos with us. They were a bit shy but no wonder - we were about 12 people. Everybody was very exited but we made some awesome photos and got our signatures on various things. Some members had a little chat and it was a historical moment for us.
Our youngstar Korbal run back to shake Nicko's hand again and to say goodbye and Nicko just answered to him "Oh boy". So Korbal is Nock's boy now!
The guys told us, the rest of the band should be nearby and so we decided to go to the hotel and wait to catch them (if we can). We waited for about a half an hour and then he came in the middle of Nicko and Jannick - Metal God, living legend and chief of Iron Maiden - Mr. Steve Harris!
I will never forget this picture as he came to us. I welcomed him, shaked his hand and introduced him his biggest fan in Austria (trembling) IronAlf!
Steve was very nice, signed everything and we made some very cool photos with him.
It was the biggest honor to met him!
About an hour later they started to leave the hotel - Steve together with Jannick, Nicko and...Dave Murray.
I asked him to sign our stuff and have some photos with him and so he did in his outrageous coolness. He was the smartest of them, a real gentleman. Unfortunatelly we missed Bruce...we will get him on the next tour! 
Beware of Nomadofvienna!
We had an very interesting chat with the tourmanager Steve Gadd who is a unconstrained guy and sounded very honest so we asked many, many questions. He told us that Maiden will change the setlist tonight, that they are all very nice guys, that he likes Derrek Riggs paintings more than the new stuff (Steve's vault). He was also a schoolmate from Nicko and his drum tech for 15 years! The band do also have no problem with bootlegs which is a very important point for us.
This would be enough adventure for every normal day but we still had the concert in the evening so we went back to the cars to put the signed stuff in a save place. All flags are signed, just mine was a "virgin" and so this was the offical sign for the gig.
It was time to eat something and so we entered McDonalds. Unfortunatelly they don't have a McBrain so we had to eat their standart burgers.
Marching to the Stadthalle was very impressive for MAU and as we arived the entrance we start to scream "Maiden, Maiden,..." and everybody was shooting back. Inside the venue we sat down and chatted with various Maidenfans who wanted to buy our T-shirts made by Maidenaustria
(Note: To make money out of Iron Maiden's trademark is definitely not the reservation of M.A.U).
Hopefully we'll recruite more members soon.
The supportband "Dragonforce" played 45 minutes and everybody got ready for Maiden.
As the lights go down the hell was breaking loose, because a bunch of fans needed to act like idiots.
The hard core from MAU stands still and finished the gig in the sixth row. Even in the Beginning of "Murders in the rue morgue" Steve Harris pointed with his finger on IronAlf's Westham scarf!
Same show as in Prague but there was the change in the setlist. "Charlotte the harlot" was kicked out and "Wrathchild" came in the set, the positions from "Run to the hills" and "Where eagles there" were changed.The sound was awesome from the beginning and we celebrated each song, a century gig like Vienna 2003. Everybody was totally exhausted after the last song, it was fucking hot and nothing to drink anywhere.
As we gathered together we left Graz with the memory that this is our official MAU day!
(Thanks to MaidenAustria for the original post)
Great pics...very nice...thx so much guys!
Attention!!!!
There is a Time-schedule with photos from the stage set-up and from "Maiden Austria United" meeting the band - online!
Link
A translation will follow from me (I'm at work, don't have enough time)
Thanks again to Mr. Strimitzer!!
Be(a)st regards,
Maidenaustria
BTW 4000 litres Beer went "downwards" 
that isn't much is it ?
or are you only talking about those 12 fans ?! 
very nice picks indeed!i can not wait!!!!!
or are you only talking about those 12 fans ?!
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8 from us aren't drinkin' beer!
3 Minutes MINI-Video available with Live-Shots from "Run to the Hills" taken from the Stadthalle Graz - Page (so there is a bit advertising for that hall added)
Hint: Loading takes a while
Video Link
Be(a)st regards,
Maidenaustria
It's amazing what this website offers. I wish all arenas would offer such extras !!!
Cheers
Thanks a lot Maidenaustria! Nice review of this awesome show. 
I saw the video, and man, sounds just like the album. Bruce's voice was, on this night, at its best. The sound is great too.
P.S: The stage looks bigger. Am I right ?
Cheers
Heard the concert wasn't full and only 6000 showed up. Maidenaustria, do you know more about this ?
But, last time, they were 4000, isn't it ?
Cheers
many thx for the vid, stage looks awesome !!
also many cool t-shirts to be seen , don't know which one I'll be wearing at graspop, can't wear my fotd shirt actually, would be stupid
think maiden england would be good no ? when was the first date of that ?! or is it only '89 ?
otherwise it'll be notb, or I'll by myself a new one that day
I saw the video, and man, sounds just like the album. Bruce's voice was, on this night, at its best. The sound is great too.
P.S: The stage looks bigger. Am I right ?
Cheers
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Sorry the delay, but I've got a flu and I'm a bit weak...
Stage was exactly the same like in Prague!
But I think there weren't such flamethrowers used in Prague, but there were some in Graz! They used them to flame TNOTB !!
But, last time, they were 4000, isn't it ?
Cheers
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Yeah 6000 is correct!
I think that's because the tickets were that expensive!
In Prague we paid for the "Inner circle" Tickets ~32 Euro and in Graz 54 Euros!!
That's a shame if you ask me - anyway!
What do you mean with 4000? Where should they have been?
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4000 on the Vienna gig for the DOD tour, that's the number I have: is it correct ?
Cheers
Maiden didn't played in Vienna during DoD - sadly
If you mean Vienna- GMETID-Tour : I rememer hearing 5.000 fans...
Sadly there isn't a large metal-fanbase in Austria - but we are working on that 
Here is my promised translation for that diary:
One day before the show started, the band arrived at the airport Graz. The gig in Graz is one of the first from that currently running World-Tour,so it is a lot of work for the crew to get everything done the right way. Following lines should show you how much work is behind the company "Iron Maiden"
Date: 31.05.2005
Venue: Stadthalle Graz
07.00 - Load In:
3 Nightliner with 60 roadies and 40tons equipment loaded in 8 Trucks arrived at the "Stadthalle" in the first hours on that day.
Production Manager Dick Bell made a walk through the hall to see the infrastructure and 40 local workers started to help unloading the Trucks.
08.30 - Rigging Call:
Due to mount the extensive produktion under the ceiling, there was already a pre-Rig built up. 6 Rigger started to assemble 35 Rigging-points in 16m height.
09.00 - Light Call:
Under watching eyes of Stage Manager Bill Barclay, the light construction was set up at the same time by assembling everything on the stage-floor - to get it lift up with motors. First system check after that.
12.00 - P.A. Call:
Sound Crew starts with building up the monitor system and the speakersystem, which will be hooked under the ceiling!
A few hours later, the fans will be pampered by 130dB managed from Iron Maiden Sound Engineer Doug Hall. After a short check, everything gets fix-mounted by the Rigging Crew.
14.30 - Stage Set
Local stagehands help to set up the stage-equipment as ramps, carpets, instruments, the compressor powered Eddie, pyro, backdrop, masking and the equipment of the supporter "Dragonforce"
Band-wardrobe in lower levels of the Stadthalle is ready to use. The last barricades and lockgates are being finished.
15.00 - Crew Lunch
"Beat to Eat Catering" care about catering the crew on the whole tour. A mobile kitchen and a lunch area were set up for the band and crew in the backstage areas. In the meantime were Nicko Mc Brain, Adrian Smith and Jannick Gers hanging around in front of a cafe in Graz. (Maiden Austria United http://www.maidenaustria.at )
16.00 - Iron Maiden Soundcheck
Backline Crew checks all instruments, adds new strings to guitars, new drum-heads.
There are 7000 guitar pics, 2500 strings and 1000 drum sticks will be used during this tour....
16.30 - Hotel Pick Up
Fans have checked out the hotel where the band spend the night and waited for hours to see them, to get some photos and to get records and other stuff signed. (Maiden Austria United http://www.maidenaustria.at ) The band gets transferred all together to the Stadthalle.
17.00 - Media Passes, Guest List
Manager Rod Smallwood accompanied the band on the europe leg. A guest-list and a list with local mediagets forwarded to the Ö-Ticket lounge, Local Crew- and VIP Passports get sorted out. Photographs are allowed to take photos during to the first 3 songs and the whole gig will get filmed by the Management.
18.00 - Doors
There are a bunch of hard-core fans waiting in front of the hall since noon -more than 70 securities guarantee a smooth entrance
20.00 - Dragonforce
20.45-21.15 - Set Change
Band prepares for the 3rd gig on the tour. Sänger Bruce Dickinson gets a short massage.
21.15 - Iron Maiden
22.45 - 03.00 - Load Out
Maiden left the hall to the Airport immediately after the gig. Within 3 hours the complete production will get disassembled and loaded. In a few days everything gets set up again in Germany.
Check out our Graz-Concert Photos!
Click the Link
great video
pity i couldnt understand a word of it though 
Not really interesting - just a load of advertising for that venue!
But some nice shots of Bruce
But some nice shots of Bruce
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What was that bit near the end something about bon jovi & u2 about?
Just curious.
That guy only mentions, Maiden is selling more merchandise than U2, Bon Jovi and a lot of other bands....
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But I think he is only guessing. Or is it a fact?
To those who don't understand german:
One guy says that Maiden are even better than god. Another one says that he lost interest when there was another singer, but now as the old singer is back he is interested again (think he does not know Bruces name, not a big fan). And one guy says that at the moment Maiden, the british metal flag ship, are better than ever.
To those who don't understand german:
One guy says that Maiden are even better than god. Another one says that he lost interest when there was another singer, but now as the old singer is back he is interested again (think he does not know Bruces name, not a big fan). And one guy says that at the moment Maiden, the british metal flag ship, are better than ever.
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I guess - he's guessing...
