GREENSBORO, N.C. — Wherever you are, Iron Maiden's gonna get you... even if it takes a while sometimes.
Metal legends Iron Maiden performed at the Greensboro Coliseum on Tuesday in front of a packed house as part of their Legacy of the Beast (LOTB) World Tour. The band had not played in Greensboro since 1987 when they were promoting the Somewhere in Time album.
North Carolina last saw Iron Maiden in 2019 in Charlotte during the first part of the LOTB tour which uses material from all over the band's discography.
This time around, the LOTB show featured a good mix of hits and deep cuts along with some songs off the band's latest album, Senjutsu, which was released in September 2021.
Three Senjutsu songs opened the setlist. "Senjutsu," "Stratego," and "The Writing on the Wall" got things started in an amped-up mood as the album's samurai imagery draped the stage set.
During the album's title track, the band's mascot Eddie made an appearance dressed for the occasion.
After playing those new songs, Iron Maiden rolled the dial back to 1983 with "Revelations," a somewhat deep-cut track that features some brilliant guitar solos by Dave Murray and Adrian Smith.
The next song played, "Blood Brothers," was preceded by a typical speech from singer Bruce Dickinson about how regardless of race, gender, political affiliation, or some other category, everyone at an Iron Maiden concert is united through their love of the music. "Blood Brothers" has turned into somewhat of a fight song amongst Iron Maiden fans since it was released on Brave New World (2000).
Digging deep into their repertoire, Iron Maiden then played "Sign of the Cross," an 11-minute epic complete with Gregorian chants, the smell of incense, and Dickinson dressed in a medieval robe wielding a shining cross as he ran across the stage. The song was released on The X Factor (1995) and had not been played since 2001 until the LOTB tour.
"Flight of Icarus" followed and featured a ginormous Icarus figure hanging from the ceiling as Dickinson ran around with a flamethrower... yes a flamethrower.
"Fear of the Dark," "Hallowed be thy Name," "The Number of the Beast," and "Iron Maiden" were all heard in their usual part of the setlist as the band exited the stage before returning for an encore.
During "Fear of the Dark," Dickinson wore a plague doctor's mask and carried a lantern as he walked alone in the dark. "Hallowed be thy Name" featured a swinging noose from the ceiling as the song's protagonist lamented his imminent death.
The band encored with "The Trooper," "The Clansman," and "Run to the Hills." Dickinson donned his signature British-style military uniform during the Trooper while waving a Union Jack flag.
One encore just wasn't enough for Iron Maiden, though. They returned to the stage one final time to play "Aces High," complete with Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech and the smell of WWII fighter jets covering the air.
Dickinson was spot-on all night with his vocal delivery. The rest of the band was right on the mark as well. Steve Harris, the band's bassist and proverbial leader, hit every note while mouthing the lyrics and doing his famous "machine gun" bass pointing toward the crowd.
The band's trio of guitarists, Murray, Smith, and Janick Gers, found ways to make their melodies work brilliantly like always. Gers doubles as the more theatric of the bunch by spinning his guitar around, playing behind his head, and doing all sorts of other tricks.
And Nicko McBrain, of course, was excellent on the drums.
With the band playing as well as ever, a great setlist, fireworks popping, and flames roaring, it's no wonder why fans come from far and wide to see this band play.
Charlie Colter, from Canada, has followed the band throughout this tour. He's one of just many to have a life-long dedication to the band.
Jose Alcalá has seen Iron Maiden 28 times and came all the way from California for the Greensboro concert and says the band is as good as ever.
"The setlist is just solid! I love the new songs in the beginning," said Alcalá.
Others traveled shorter distances but love the band just the same.
"I saw the Legacy of the Beast tour in 2019 and thought this one was way better," said Ryan Shrum from Georgia. "Not that they weren't good then, but the energy level was off the charts Tuesday night and the boys seemed to be really enjoying themselves."
The final date of the LOTB tour was on Thursday in Tampa. Iron Maiden's next plans are to tour Europe in 2023 as they further promote Senjutsu and plan to include songs from Somewhere in Time.
