By MIKE ROSS
Imagine: A middle-aged man sits in front of 14,000 devoted heavy metal fans, talks about Samuel Taylor Coleridge and is hailed as the greatest hero the world has ever known.

By ACE BURPEE

They have the greatest mascot ever.
They've sold more than 100 million records and have never appeared on their own album covers.
With all due respect to The Beatles, The Police, Radiohead, The Doors, Coldplay, or any other band from any other era or genre, Iron Maiden is the greatest band of all time.
Period.

I've thought about it, and I've never been so sure of anything in my life.

ROD'S DIARY - MAR 3-4 CURITIBA

Santiago show day today and trying to catch up with this. But what a day yesterday, England embarrassed yet again at rugby and cricket. Beaten by the Scots is bad enough, but playing lousy again and after such a good win against France. We were 30,000 ft up over the Andes when it was played but I was recording on my slingbox. Luckily a Welsh mate texted me the score (and of course of the Welsh win!!!) so I didn't bother watching it which saved me the pain. And then bowled out for 110 to lose first test to the Kiwis, what a terrible performance. The England men's hockey team are at the same hotel as us here in Santiago -- they play India in their World Cup final today so lets wish them good luck, perhaps we can get one win over the weekend but it will be tough as India is very strong at hockey. And if anyone thinks hockey is a "girls" game think again, I played a couple of times at school and it was far more terrifying than rugby!!!

IRON MAIDEN recently released a best of album that celebrates the essence of the current tour by featuring most of the essential tracks from the band’s first seven studio albums and one live album, recorded between 1980 and 1989, and is aptly also entitled Somewhere Back in Time - The Best Of: 1980 - 1989.

Live in LA: Iron Maiden invokes Coleridge, Crowley, Eddie in Irvine
By Skylaire Alfvegren

"I've got to pinch myself and say it's not Long Beach Arena in 1985," Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson bellowed to the sold out crowd of 15,000 at the Verizon Amphitheater on Saturday night in Irvine. With a long hair to short hair ratio of 5:1 (oddly, same as the band's), "The Maiden Family" included seven and 57 year olds, all assembled for quarter-century old metal tunes, beginning with "Aces High." Theirs is a timeless pursuit: though Maiden's over three decades into their career, they've played to more southern Californians in the first half of 2008 than any year of their career (including the aforementioned four-night stint in '85). The band was in top form.

RODS DIARY MAR 2 SAN PAOLO PART 2

A very nice chap called Antonio Carlos Castro from Placar, a big Brazilian football magazine, was at the football yesterday and offered Steve's team the opportunity to go see the big match -- Corinthians v Palmeiras -- you should have seen their reaction, like kids with santa. "What, go and see not only a big match in Brazil but also a local derby, they don't get much bigger than that. Yes PLEASE santa!!"

"Chemical Wedding", the supernatural horror-thriller written by IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson and longtime "Monty Python" editor Julian Doyle, who also directed the film, will have a "sneak showing" on Sunday, June 15 at Two Boots Pioneer Theatre in New York City. Doyle will attend the screening and answer questions at the end of the film. The showing will be held at 12:15 a.m. Sunday night (technically morning of Monday, June 16).

ROD'S DIARY MARCH 1

Aaaahhhh Brazil... what can I say of a love affair that has been going on 23 years since our first visit to Brazil for Rock in Rio, yes, the same Rock in Rio which appears on LaD DVD. So much happened in San Paolo I could write a novel, not just some diary notes. This may not be the most beautiful city in the world architecturally or aesthetically, but the people are wonderful and .....sorry Costa Rica, Mexico and Colombia, you're great but.... the fans here are still the reigning champions of the world even if by a reduced margin now!! What did I say before about our Latin fans. The audience was almost organic, alive, intense, like a many tentacled beast with every arm raised and waving, clapping or punching in the air. Yes, every one. And the noise.....but I am jumping ahead just a bit.

Today, legendary drummer of Iron Maiden, Mr Nicko McBrain, turns 54. All of Maiden Norway wish the very best for Nicko on his birthday!

As previously reported, the new Iron Maiden album Somewhere Back In Time entered the Norwegian sales charts holding a 7th place. In its second week, the album climbs to a nice 5th position.