Iron Maiden
Fastway
New Haven Coliseum
New Haven, Connecticut
August, 1983
Back was Maiden on their first arena tour of the State and in tow was the ex-Motorhead axeman Eddie Clarke’s Fastway. Sadly, Saxon was to be in the middle slot, but inexplicably was absent.
Fastway opened the proceedings playing mostly everything from their surprisingly stunning, Zeppelin-like debut. The single, “Say what you Will”, the mammoth sounding “Heft”, the crushing “Easy Livin”, and the second single, “Feel me, Touch me”, and “We Become One” where young vocalist Dave King put on his best Plant voice.
Fastway was good, but we were there to see Maiden on their first arena tour promoting “Piece of Mind.” The punk metal of the band’s debut and “Killers” was gone and a more sheen-like Maiden was in place, thanks in part to new vocalist Bruce Dickinson. I much preferred him with Samson than Maiden, but he did push the band into the big league. From the new album, we got “Where Eagles Dare”, The Trooper”, “Revelations”, the single, “Flight of Icarus”, and “Die with your Boots on.” Of course, there were several songs aired from “Number of the Beast” as well including the title track, “Run to the Hills”, “Hallowed by thy Name”, “Children of the Damned”, and “22 Acacia Avenue.” Unfortunately, not much from the Dianno years.
Maiden was about ready to conquer the world and would certainly do so with its next release “Powerslave.”