We Love Playing in The U.S
The following report appeared on the net at Blabbermouth.net who transcribed an article from classicrockrevisited.com. It further adds to the recent discussions about Maiden's feelings about the US:IRON MAIDEN founder Steve Harris recently talked in detail to www.classicrockrevisited.com writer Shelly Harris about why the band decided to play on the Ozzfest bill (despite otherwise being headliners worldwide since 1982) and other current events and musings about that tour and the band's real attitude toward American audiences and venues. An excerpt from Steve's in-depth interview follows:
Steve Harris: "The audiences, I think, are spread between quite a good cross-section of people; there's some to see us, there's some to see [BLACK] SABBATH, and I think there's some to see the younger bands on some of the other stages. But, overall, there's sometimes between 25 and 50 percent of people who haven't seen us before. That's also the reason why we're doing the Reading and Leeds festivals back home, because they're not the usual sort of metal-type festivals; you get lots of different types of bands there. So, again, that's a similar idea, that we can play to some new people, and maybe nick some new fans that normally wouldn't come and see us, you know.
"We know what these gigs are like, we've played these kinds of gigs before. But, the worst thing for us, really, the hardest thing for us, and also the thing that took the longest time for us to get our heads around, was obviously, it's under no control of ours, at Ozzfest or whatever festival it is, is that we don't have the say that we'd normally have as when we're headliners ourselves. And it's always been a bugbear with us, with playing in the States, anyway, the [seating arrangements of] the people down the front, because of the ticket arrangements. And I think if we come back in the future, and headline stuff, I think we're going to really have to try and change it, because, you know, it's really difficult playing to those people down in the front, because those are the ones we'd normally feed off of or whatever. But, the hardcore fans, or most of the ones that are really into it, are the ones that are sort of further or way back. And the ones down front, with the more expensive tickets, they are either there to see SABBATH, or they're there just because they've got the money to be there — I don't really know why they're there, half of them! But a lot of them don't really show a great deal of interest in what we're doing, or even SABBATH, come to that.
"So, it's very bizarre, and it's a very awkward situation, because we feed off the front audience, and, obviously, you can only see so far back, anyway. Well, we feed off the overall audience, but really, more than any other band I can think of, we play to the front, and we feed off people singing to the words, and people getting into it or whatever, and they're kind of few and far between. So, you tend to pick out ones that are into it, are into it and play to them, or, if there aren't any, we sort of look over their heads just play to the ones who look like they really want to be there. I gotta be honest, it's not all of 'em, because there are some down front and your can see that they're into it, but, honestly, a lot of 'em look like they want to be able to just get a remote and change us — that's what it looks like — like they ought to break out the popcorn! And they sit there looking at us with ... bewilderment, I think, is probably the word — I don't know!
"I know it's tough on a festival bill, because people have been there a long time, and it's hot, or whatever, and I can appreciate all that. But we've played to audiences like that around the world when we're doing the festivals, and we don't get that kind of thing. The difference is, the people down the front at the festivals in Europe and places like that, are there because they want to be there. They get there early, and they get there first, and it's a different situation; it's [general admission] and it's not seated. And that is the biggest problem over here, and I think what would really make all the difference in the world to us, and to the audience too, really, is if we can get the people down the front who deserve and want to be down there.
"When Bruce [Dickinson, vocals] gets angry, it's because of that, because of the ones down the front. Sometimes it kinda gets miscommunicated as if we don't like playing here. We love playing here, we like the country, we like the people here, but we don't like playing to the people down the front who're not really bothered about whether they're there or not! Sometimes, some nights, if he gets really pissed off, I think he [Bruce] goes a little over the top, if I'm honest. We all agree in principle, mainly, with what he's saying, but some nights he just gets so wound up, he goes off, I don't know if he even knows what he's saying, he just gets so angry with the situation. But I can totally relate to that, because we feel angry as well!"
Read the rest of Steve's interview at www.classicrockrevisited.com.
23 Comments
That's interesting. Bruce has hard words towards American audiences, and a few days later old Steve says "well, he doesn't always knows what he's saying"... Iron Maiden aren't just a cabaret act nowadays, they can also do boulevard comedy! 
Soon we'll have:
Bruce Dickinson in One Foot In The Grave;
Nicko McBrain in The Vicar Of Dibley;
Adrian Smith in Fawlty Towers;
Dave Murray in Some Mothers Do Have 'Em;
Janick Gers in Dad's Army;
and...
Steve Harris in Keeping Up Appearances! ![lol[1].gif](style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/lol[1].gif)
When I saw Maiden at Ozzfest and they seemed to enjoy it. I know I enjoyed it.
No wonder Steve and Bruce never do interview together since the reunion......
Cheers
Well put Steve.. Just for the record though, I was front row at the Michigan Ozzfest 05' show and I was there because Maiden is, and has been for 20 years, my all time favorite band. No offense taken, I agree all the losers in the front who don't deserve to be there, hopefully you can tell the difference... If you guys don't want seated rows, you can play at gigs like Harpo's, then you can be sure only the people who are willing to fend off death, will be at the front !!!
I just think Steve has read the other thread 
maybe my harsh statement in that thread drove him to say that... but probably not
I have seen maiden five times on previous tours. All of which, they were headlining.
In the late 1980's in San Jose California, in a stadium with general admision and 60,000 other Iron Maiden fans. I fought my way to the front, where i was allowed to stay for several songs before being grabbed by the hair and dagged back so other people could be in front. The crowd was literally going wild. It was an awesome experience dispite the coreograghed violence at the front.
In the early 1990's, in Kansas City, Kansas, I had reserved seats in the third row of a 30,000 seat ampitheater. The security guards made every one remain seated throughout the show, which was a more than a little unsettling. I would assume, it would seem to the band this was a lack of enthusiasm. However, it was a great way to see them play and I was able to toss steve a British flag I had brought to the show.
I think their last tour was a little bizzarre with only three shows in New York and three shows in California. Some bad things happened such as a beer dropped from the balcony on the sound board, ending the last show early in New York. In California Bruce fell and injured his ribs. I think if Maiden headlined a series of festivals in the U.S., and had general admision seating, they would find the type of crowd that they feed on. I don't know if this will ever happen, but there are plenty of Iron Maiden fans here in the U.S.
I just wanted to say two things referring to Harris's interview.
1. Some of the people that are seated in the front rows are sometimes radio listeners that win tickets and might not be into a certain band. Another reason might be that some people get the tickets as a gift from sponsors and again are not into a certain band.
2. Steve Harris and company are saying that they don't like the feedback from these crowds but then I think why did they choose to play at Ozzfest if they knew that some part of the crowd was going to be "new." They should have just played to their crowd by headlining amphitheaters, arenas, and/or clubs in the States.
The whole interview partially answers the question. Harris says Ozzfest was a difficult choice, but sound if Maiden wanted to go somewhere in the US. Still, at the first shows, not being headliners, he was still wondering if they made the right choice.
Some shows have proven tough, but, overall, Steve thinks it's now a win-win situation.
As for the people sitting in front, he states that they're acting more or less the same for all the bands on stage, so he wants to talk to Clear Channel to try to change that for Maiden next time they come to the US.
Cheers
well, lot of people in the USA got more than 100 kilos so its not funny to stand or even jump all the time and headbang 
Cheers
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As far as I remember, they didn't do interviews together before either.
In the end, Steve is saying the same as Bruce but on a different way.
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What's a kilo?
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You obviously need one of those...
[center]
[/center] 
...
A Kilo is a measurement of time
It's short for Kilosblurb (I think)
To summerise ZDennis, Americans last 100 Kiloblurb or over..
Edited by Maverick to add more confusion. (Don't answer that prat or next time he'll ask where babies come from! )
I was lucky enough to get to see Maiden in Colorado a couple of days ago for their only US solo headline show and they kicked ass!!. The amphitheater has a pit at the front that holds about 150 people who bought tickets to be in the there, no seats, no givaways These tickets had to be bought by the true fans. No one there was being laid back, headbanging to the max. The venue holds nearly 18,000 people and was about 90% sold out with the crowd singing every word. Bruce said during the set that the new studio album would be out early in 2006 and that Denver was definetely a tour stop next summer. He and the rest of the band were all smiles and played for almost 2 hours. We made a great showing for the American audiences and Bruce acknowledged it.
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glad to hear this. hell, even if they don't come to NY/NJ, i guess ill have to drive to denver since i know theyre comin back there
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No, he didn't. He said "maybe we'll see you again next year." Perhaps you didn't hear the "maybe" part - the sound was a bit garbled. But Bruce didn't guarantee anything.
Also, he did not say the album would be out in early 2006 - he only said "next year".
I personally go apeshit nuts at a Maiden show; nobody is as enthusiastic as me...or so I think, but I am so busy getting off that I don't have time to notice what other people are doing, really. I just merge with the band and try my hardest to get them to see me, and jam with them until they close and then ask for an encore by pounding the seat and chanting. Then when they come back out, I scream like a teen and throw my arms in the air furiously, using them to chant time to the music while screaming and bellowing right along with Bruce, right to the end. I walk away after a few minutes in a state of euphoria...I never drink or smoke at a Maiden show: I like to be clean sober for that particular experience, so I can take them to my grave clear and sharp.
Up the fucken Irons!
My wife went with me to the show in Denver - she wasn't that big of fan then - and she came away surprised at how many people were there and that into Maiden. I think she also came away a bigger fan. The crowd was really into it where I sat although Bruce did comment on the fact that people were getting a little too mellow from all the dope they were smoking.
Where did you have your seats? We were in section 102, row dd, right in the center of the stage, about, oh, I don't know, maybe six rows from the pit, right under the speakers. Close enough to clearly see their faces.
Also, do you have a good idea how many people there were in there for the show? Coors Ampitheatre has a capacity of 16, 823, 6, 823 of these being reserved seats, and ten thousand out on the lawn. When I turned around to look at the crowd, it looked full, sold out, but I can't use that, just one man's impression.
It was not sold out - there were empty seats right next to me. But I didn't see too many other empty seats, so I'd guess the place was about 90% to 95% full ... so about 15,000 (or more) people were there.
This interview is nowhere to be found on the Classic Rock Revisited site. ???