Iron Maiden Concert Previews in Indian Media
Iron Maiden brings metal to Indian fansBy Lakshmi Govindrajan
My son wears T-shirts bearing Iron Maiden almost every other day. That’s how I know of the band. From what I am made to hear every day, they seem pretty noisy," says Janice DeSa, mother of a collegian and Iron Maiden fan. Her son Roy can’t wait to see his favourite band play next weekend at Bangalore’s Palace Grounds. And he’s not alone.
Iron Maiden is the first heavy metal band to set foot in India. And the show promises to make this wait more than worthwhile. A Boeing 767 with nearly 20 tonnes of stage gear, equipment, instruments, props and a team of 25 specialists will stage the show. This will include a variety of stage backdrops measuring 60 x 40 feet featuring specially painted illustrations of the band’s artwork, centred around their legendary character Eddie.
Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson is excited about his visit to India. "To say that we’re really looking forward to Bangalore is an understatement. It is very special for us to play to new fans in countries we’ve never been to before and we hear that Indian fans are very loud and into their metal music. We intend to enjoy every moment there," he says.
Appropriately called Edd-Fest, Iron Maiden will be preceded on stage by newcomers F.t.N., Indian rock favourites Parikrama and international act Lauren Harris. Considered to be a concert of a lifetime by most heavy metal fans, it is not surprising that headbangers in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Guwahati are scrambling to find bookings on airlines, trains and buses to Bangalore as well as reservations in hotels and lodges there.
Travel agent Tishen D. Lama, who shuttles between Shillong and Kolkata, is inundated with calls from youngsters regarding "cheap travel options" to and from Bangalore. Since the concert is on Saturday, most fans look at returning on Sunday. "Yes, there is quite a rush for return tickets on Sunday. I wasn’t quite aware about any concert till recently. Before that, I was quite surprised with the number of calls I’ve been getting for that particular weekend. This usually happens when the Indian cricket team is playing in any part of the country on a weekend. I have done quite a few bulk bookings for the next weekend; about 3 groups of 10 to 15 persons," says Lama. He adds that many of those who are travelling to Bangalore and want to return on Sunday are collegians; some of them have exams round the corner. "Hence the rush to get back on Sunday," he says.
If Iron Maiden is setting the mood of fun and excitement, there’s irritation and anger too. Heavy metal fans stand divided over "nu-metal" band F.t.N. opening for Maiden. F.t.N. won an all-India college rock competition earlier in the year and as part of their prize they get to open the act for an international band. An online petition has been launched to get the Delhi-based band removed from the upcoming concert.
According to the petition, "The organisers of the Maiden gig in India conducted a nationwide college-level battle of the bands. People argue that the quality of the participating acts this year was really bad. It is a known fact that professionalism has nothing to do with one’s academic status, and that winning a substandard battle of the bands does not prove anything other than relative superiority."
Those backing the petition contend that F.t.N. is a relatively new band with very few original compositions. Their setlist is usually ruled by Korn and Rage Against The Machine covers, which the petitioners feel is inappropriate for an Iron Maiden supporting act. "Far more professional bands writing and performing quality original music should be given this golden opportunity instead of a college-level amateur band," adds the petition.
"The petition is giving us publicity albeit negative. It is not every day that one gets an opportunity like this. We know we were not experienced enough, so we are actually going to the concert with no expectations and pressures from the crowd. We’re still trying to decide what to play because the kind of music as what we play is very different from that of Maiden. We have 30 minutes on stage, let’s hope it all goes fine," says Shivan Chanana, F.t.N. vocalist. And are they prepared for the impatient crowd? "This is the first time we’ll be playing before a crowd of this size. The crowd will be cheering for Iron Maiden and waiting for them to play. The good thing is that we’re the first of the three acts before Maiden. So by the time the crowd really starts chanting for Maiden in frustration, we’d be long gone!" he adds, laughing.
Maiden fan Bhumika Anand from Infosys, Bangalore, sums up the mood saying, "If you feel that the world’s a dark and dreary place, turn on Iron Maiden and realise that at least you are in excellent company. They are perfect mood enhancers and allow you to indulge happily enough in horror and darkness."