cockney0_1's Movie Review of Iron Maiden: Flight 666

Rating of
4/4

Iron Maiden: Flight 666

The best metal band deliver the goods!
cockney0_1 - wrote on 04/27/09

The problem with many on-the-road documentaries and live band footage is that unless you're a dedicated fan, what you're seeing or hearing isn't going to mean much to you, and also, once you've seen the concert/backstage footage, how likely are you to really watch it over and over? What you really need is an angle to make it interesting, so when film makers Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen took on the task of following Iron Maiden on the first leg of their mammoth 'Somewhere Back in Time' tour they really needed to make more than a standard rockumentary, especially considering the amount of Maiden footage available on dvd and video already. Luckily the band made it easy for them by flying themselves around the world in their own private 757 jet - nicknamed Ed Force One - flown by lead singer Bruce Dickinson himself. As if this wasn't enough of a curiosity worthy of capturing on film, the footage of the band's rabid fanbase, from as far afield as India, Australia, Canada, the US and South America, gives a revealing insight into why Maiden mean so much to so many.

The fact that Maiden are on fire right now and playing the best they've ever played, they're touring some of the best songs off their first - and arguably best - seven albums and putting more bums on seats than in their 80's heyday, is almost secondary to the displays of affection from their religiously dedicated fanbase. That isn't to say that the music isn't central to their appeal - those layered guitar harmonies, soaring vocals, machine gun-like drums and Steve Harris' ever-present bass are still as magnetic and joyous as they've ever been - but it's the way that fans the world over, people from different cultures and backgrounds who are never likely to meet, generate such enthusiasm, passion and devotion towards the band and the whole package that comes with it that makes this movie worth seeing, even if you're not one of the faithful. For instance, in Columbia, where the band are to play in a massive park in the city centre, fans have been camping on the streets for more than a week just so they can get near the stage when it opens. One chap even admits that he and his group have run out of food a couple of days in, what with the military confiscating all the food and even some items of clothing, but still the fans persist in waiting to see the band. The fans in Mexico are equally excited, and seemingly just grateful that this band, who could easily just play it safe and play the arenas in the world's major cities, are coming to visit them in "the ass of the world", as one fan puts it. It must have been dusty in the cinema, as there was a tear in the eye when there was a lingering shot of one South American fan who had caught drummer Nicko McBrain's drumstick and just stood clinging to the barrier, crying in disbelief, long after the band had finished. Make no mistake, in South America a visit from Iron Maiden is comparable only to Beatlemania.

What really comes out in this movie, and what is probably also the single biggest attraction of the band as a whole, is the attitude that the band have towards the fans and the music. Although the personnel may have changed over the years, the one continuing factor that hasn't is the band's commitment to hard rock/heavy metal/ whatever you want to call it, knowing that whatever trends are lurking to leap out of the music business and warp our minds, their craft has been honestly honed to the best of their ability, and executed with a work ethic that means no fan will ever leave a Maiden gig disappointed. That they're millionaire rock stars who, quite honestly, could have retired twenty years ago never comes into play - they may be flying around the world in their own private jet, but they're not exactly the latest X-Factor winners being courted by some record label and having their five minutes of fame. They're flying it themselves, crew and equipment as well, because, as Bruce is keen to point out, they can fly straight to the gig from the previous one and cover more ground quicker, playing to more people. Whether they're playing to 5000 people at one of their charity gigs at Brixton Academy or playing to 250,000 people at Rock in Rio, Maiden will always hit the stage running, looking each audience member in the eye and giving 110%. Anything less would be shortchanging the fans, and it's this attitude that has made them the legends they are, and certainly the best British music export of the last forty years. And, it must be noted, with no radio play and very little media coverage - something that a lot of the current crop of bands could do with taking note of.

Anyway, the movie itself is certainly a labour of love from the makers. Each shot, each soundbite and each edit has been carefully worked over to present a road movie that is a joyous celebration of everything that Maiden stand for - hard work, integrity and never sell-out your principles. If only they'd show this on prime-time Saturday night telly instead of the turgid so-called 'talent' shows. Whether the band will continue with this integrated travel arrangement or whether they'll go back to the traditional tour bus method has yet to be seen, but just to see this most humble of bands hitting the skies and travelling the world to ecstatic reactions just once was nothing short of thrilling, and for two short hours, just for once, it made you very proud to be British.

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