Rob and I made it to to COTA, which is the home of the Austin360 amphitheater, a solid hour and a half before the show. The line seemed long, but it was no more than 250 or so in front of us. After the gates opened, we made it through rather quickly, and went to the entrance for the GA pit, and then found out we needed to get a wristband at this non-obvious tent. This worked out for the best, as we ended up on the right side, and a much shorter line. Except they were not ready to let anyone into the pit or any seating area, so we stood in line for a bit longer. Eventually, we made it in. We were about six feet from the stage, towards the right side. This is exactly where I wanted to be, not for Maiden, but for Megadeth. Chris Broderick is a joy to watch and that's his primary position. Also, it's the ideal place for the end of the set when guitar picks, drumsticks and wristbands are tossed out.
Fred and Willie Gee, the guitar techs for Megadeth, made their appearance doing final checks, posting the set lists and such. Someone in the audience asked Willie for a drink and he actually delivered. That is one of the many reasons Megadeth's guitar techs have fans.
The show started on time, to the minute. Megadeth was in top form, better than the Atlanta show in 2010. David Ellefson is now properly reintegrated into the band. In 2010, he had returned to Megadeth about five weeks before the show, and it showed. Chris Broderick's stage presence has lost all hint of timidity. He sweats confidence and beams with enthusiasm. Sadly, he was on the opposite side of the stage for the solo during Tornado of Souls. At least we had Dave Mustaine chugging away on the backing rhythm part in front of us. Shawn was doing the thing that all metal drummers do... keeping the beat solid and true parked on his riser. The only negative thing I can say about the performance is that it was too short. It was right at 45 minutes, with 43 minutes of music.
I hate to admit it, but I don't regularly listen to Iron Maiden. I know the wrong lyrics to the hooks of a few of their more popular songs, and that's it. I definitely need to remedy that.
Iron Maiden blasted onto the stage at 9pm. This is not an exaggeration. Iron Maiden isn't a show. Iron Maiden is a Show. There were pyrotechnics, giant balls of flame, animatronics, distinct backdrops for each song, frequent costume changes for Bruce Dickinson, and more. Janick Gers tended to stay on our side of the stage, as he prefers to be plugged in, rather than jumping around with a wireless set. We had a great view when Bruce wrapped him in the Union Jack as he shredded away.
I would have thought that 45 minutes into the set, those old guys in their mid-fifties would tire, slowdown, and sort of loiter on stage. It turns out the first half of the show is just a warm up. Apparently they made some sort of demonic pact that allows them to thrive off the energy of the kids in the audience who were a third of their age.
If you were to take a hyperactive six-year-old and inject her with a mix of cocaine, meth, and pure sugar, the child would still have less than one percent of the energy of Bruce Dickinson. This man that should be thinking about retiring to some beach side town will run from one end of the stage to the other, jumping over monitors, climbing the riser, and returning to stage center in a single song, all without missing a beat. His microphone could cut out, and he would still be able to destroy your ears with his operatic wail.
To see this show I purchased a round trip flight for Austin and two tickets to the show at $100 a pop. It was worth every penny. If I have any regrets, it's that I didn't bring more friends to the show. Seeing Iron Maiden live is something every single person should experience at least once. I can't wait until the next tour!