Drop-and-go today, same as last time. ”Bring all you need for the day because the bus will be parked outside of the city”.
Oh. Sweet. Lord. This arena, La Défense, is enormous. Apparently holds 45,000 people.
Had breakfast in a catering area that was bigger than some venues we’ve played. Coffee, sandwich. Good stuff. Had a shower, because yesterday at Graspop, it was insanely hot, humid and dusty. Almost fainted after the show.
They started letting people in early because it was too hot outside, so soundcheck was a bit stressed. Our crew is so amazing that we managed anyway.
Great dinner. Lots of different things to try. Pizza, couscous, chicken, veggies etc.
Show was…surreal. 45,000 people. One of the better shows we’ve done. The response was fantastic, couldn’t have dreamed of anything better.
What can one say about Iron Maiden? They’re still at the top of their game and it shows. Amazing show that unfortunately got cut short due to a power outage. In the middle of ”2 Minutes to Midnight” the power just shut off for 25-30 minutes. Power came back on, but nothing happened for 20 minutes. Then. They come back on. Bruce says ”This is what to do if La Défense shits on you” – and they rip into ”Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. 10 minutes until curfew and they start playing a 20 minute song! I can’t imagine the discussions in the Maiden and local crew camps. Strict curfew, people who need to work overtime, the costs, the fines, the legal situation. They simply did not give a shit. On with the rock show! Legends! No encores, but still…I didn’t think my love for Iron Maiden could get any stronger. I was wrong.
