ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 3, 1988
By Steve Newton
The politics of rockin’ can be tough on new bands just getting used to the tour circuit. Take for example Guns N’ Roses, who are on the road in support of their first album, and opening for Iron Maiden, who’ve toured the world for 10 years now.
“It’s terrible,” complained Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash before Monday’s show. “Maiden is cool and everything, but they’ve got such a big stage show, and new soundmen and all, and sometimes there isn’t even time for us to get a soundcheck.”
From the sound of their performance, Slash and his bandmates didn’t get one last Monday (May 30) either. About the only things you could hear well were Slash’s lead guitar and a bit of W. Axl Rose’s lead vocals. Forget the rhythm section. And the band wasn’t too impressed with the crowd’s reaction to them either, threatening to pack up and go unless they got more feedback.
That was a tacky move, but you can’t really blame them, since they deserved to be treated better than your average warm-up act. Their debut ’87 LP, Appetite for Destruction, has skyrocketed to the top-10 on Billboard, and sold over a million-and-a-half copies.
It’s quite possible that next time they’re in town they’ll be the ones headlining.
As for Gun N’ Roses’ music, it’s a fast, gritty, and loose sound reminiscent of Aerosmith, with guitars aplenty and screeching vocals. So it wasn’t surprising that, backstage after their show, Slash was seen wearing a black leather jacket with Aerosmith’s logo emblazoned across the back. Between sips of J.D., Slash chatted amiably with Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, who had to dart away when he heard his band’s intro music going over the P.A.
“I gotta do a tune, mate,” he explained before running off.
When Maiden hit the stage the difference in sound was like night ‘n’ day. Although loud enough to give elderly folk nightmares, it was also very clean (the band is noted for sparing no expense when it comes to gear). The stage resembled the barren arctic landscape portrayed on the cover of the group’s latest album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son–everything was painted white and frosty-blue, with icebergs stuck here and there.
Dickinson didn’t waste any time in lambasting the Coliseum staff for moving the stage-front barriers back three feet because they thought the crowd was “dangerous”. And when he noticed one particular security guy roughing up a kid, Dickinson jumped down, mike in hand, and grabbed him.
“He wasn’t doing anything, you big ape,” shouted Bruce, adding some choice expletives, and the red-faced bouncer was hustled off, to be replaced by a more understanding member of the band’s road crew.
With the crowd-control under control, Dickinson got on with the business at hand, and he and his British mates delivered state-of-the-art metal via tunes like “Wasted Years” and “The Number of the Beast” (which Dickinson sang while running around with guitarist Dave Murray perched on his shoulders. If you think it sounds easy, try it sometime).
They put the frosting on a typically fine show full of pyrotechnics and effects with two encores that featured “Run to the Hills”, “Two Minutes to Midnight”, and “Running Free”.
To hear the full audio of my interviews with Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, and Steve Harris, and Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and Dizzy Reed, subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can also eavesdrop on over 350 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with:
Dave Martone, 2020
Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, 2006
Joss Stone, 2012
Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, 2005
Jack Blades of Night Ranger, 1984
Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, 1992
Colin James, 1995
Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown, 1998
Tom Cochrane of Red Rider, 1983
Ed Roland of Collective Soul, 1995
Taj Mahal, 2001
Tom Wilson of Junkhouse, 1995
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, 2003
David Lindley, 2002
Marty Friedman of Megadeth, 1991
John Hiatt, 2010
Nancy Wilson of Heart, 2006
Jeff Golub, 1989
Moe Berg of the Pursuit of Happiness, 1990
Todd Rundgren, 2006
Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, 2001
Steve Earle, 1987
Gabby Gaborno of the Cadillac Tramps, 1991
Terry Bozzio, 2003
Roger Glover, 1985
Matthew Sweet, 1995
Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds, 2003
Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, 2001
John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, 1995
Steve Hackett from Genesis, 1993
Grace Potter, 2008
Buddy Guy, 1993
Steve Lynch of Autograph, 1985
Don Wilson of the Ventures, 1997
Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar, 1998
Trevor Rabin of Yes, 1984
Albert Lee, 1986
Yngwie Malmsteen, 1985
Robert Cray, 1996
Tony Carey, 1984
Ian Hunter, 1988
Kate Bush, 1985
David Gilmour from Pink Floyd, 1984
Jeff Healey, 1988
Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, 1996
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, 1993
Colin Linden, 1993
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 1995
Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, 1986
Elliot Easton from the Cars, 1996
Wayne Kramer from the MC5, 2004
Bob Rock, 1992
Nick Gilder, 1985
Klaus Meine of Scorpions, 1988
Jason Bonham, 1989
Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, 1991
Joey Spampinato of NRBQ, 1985
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, 2003
Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, 2003
Steve Kilbey of the Church, 1990
Edgar Winter, 2005
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, 1990
Randy Hansen, 2001
Dan McCafferty of Nazareth, 1984
Davy Knowles of Back Door Slam, 2007
Jimmy Barnes from Cold Chisel, 1986
Steve Stevens of Atomic Playboys, 1989
Billy Idol, 1984
Stuart Adamson of Big Country, 1993
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, 1992
Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, 1998
John Bell of Widespread Panic, 1992
Robben Ford, 1993
Barry Hay of Golden Earring, 1984
Jason Isbell, 2007
Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, 1991
Joe Satriani, 1990
Vernon Reid of Living Colour, 1988
Brad Delp of Boston, 1988
Zakk Wylde of Pride & Glory, 1994
John Sykes of Blue Murder, 1989
Alice Cooper, 1986
Lars Ulrich of Metallica, 1985
John Doe, 1990
Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, 1992
Myles Goodwyn of April Wine, 2001
John Mellencamp, 1999
Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1999
Kenny Aronoff, 1999
Doyle Bramhall II, 2001
Jon Bon Jovi, 1986
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, 1992
Randy Bachman, 2001
Little Steven, 1987
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…with hundreds more to come
Thanks for putting these old Maiden reviews and interviews up ! I lived in “the South” when I was a teenager and never got to see them in their “classic years”.. Some of your pics and A/V clips I haven’t seen anywhere else before ! Oh man I should’ve gone into journalism…