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 John Williamson writes in his review from Iron Maiden's gig in SECC, Glasgow, that "Iron Maiden remain the masters of commercial hard rock".
It would seem inappropriate not to quote Spinal Tap in the circumstances – but on this evidence, Iron Maiden embody the "majesty of rock / the pageantry of roll" – a 30-year-old institution undergoing a serious revival.
With their classic three-guitar line-up and Bruce Dickinson back on vocals, this is a far cry from the down-at-heel Maiden shows of the mid-1990s, resulting in the kind of full-blown pantomime spectacle that suits them well.
It is a predictably pompous, loud and energetic spectacle. Dickinson even takes time to admonish the crowd for being too boisterous, yet their enthusiasm combined with hero worship and beer could hardly be expected to produce any other kind of response.
Maiden appeal to a certain type of male mentality, which on the outside may appear disturbing (violence, war and a kind of Satanism-lite) but in its home environment is more comical and good-natured than particularly threatening or sinister.
With an audience of aged disciples and new converts, the choice to concentrate on their most recent album, A Matter of Life and Death, is either a brave or pig-headed one. It is epic (at nearly 80 minutes for 10 tracks), played in sequence and at times verging on progressive rock.
In part hideously overblown, it is also, in flashes, memorable and even contemporary – think Muse meets Queens of the Stone Age.
By the time their mascot Eddie appears (in a tank) for a handful of greatest hits (Fear of the Dark, Evil That Men Do and Two Minutes to Midnight) the truncated nod to their back catalogue is explained by Dickinson, who promises another tour next year.
With another 5000 T-shirts sold, Iron Maiden remain the masters of commercial hard rock.
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2006 World Tour 
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