My Review of Iron Maiden's Extravaganza at Glasgow's OVO Hydro 2023 (The Future Past Tour)
On a rainy day I made my pilgrimage to Glasgow to see, for the second time, live in concert the legendary British metal band Iron Maiden. To describe this show in one sentence, would be, that it was a hot, intense, and frenetic performance from start to finish.
We, the audience, were reverent and ready for the ride, and the whole crowd eagerly responded to every beckon of Bruce Dickinson's finger, leaping and head banging in unison. The band resurrected songs that hadn't been played for a very long time, "Stranger In a Strange Land" and "Heaven Can Wait". And, more importantly, for the first time ever they played "Caught Somewhere in Time" and "Alexander the Great" live for the first time ever.
As the iconic opening chords of "Alexander the Great" reverberated through the venue, the crowd, myself included went ballistic. This hasn't been played It was a nine-minute epic of music and by the end I felt ready to pass out from heat stroke.
The next big high-point for me was their performance of "Fear of the Dark", one of my all time favourite songs. This song was a sharp contrast to the previous tomfoolery and shenanigans that are classic Iron Maiden. Just minutes before, we'd all been roaring with laughter at the skeletal bogeyman Eddie, who came in on stilts for a pyrotechnic showdown with Dickinson. So it was a real swift gear change in terms of the mood in the venue. There was a genuine menace to it!
The encore commenced with the thunderous gallop of "Wasted Years," and the only way I can describe it is "extravagant metal". The whole crowd, myself included, were captivated throughout the performance. However, the whole place erupted into a frenzy when "The Trooper" started. Crowd surfers soared overhead, adding to the exhilaration.
And, had it not been for a group of awesome fans stationed at the barrier I was at risk of being crushed. People simply couldn't contain their love for the band and I went down quite a few times. Eventually, I was pulled to the barrier and told to hold on for dear life, which I did. Admittedly, the next morning I was covered in bruises and my neck had whiplash, but it was worth it! I consider each one a little medal of honour for surviving the whole show.
For any true metalhead, witnessing Iron Maiden live feels like a rite of passage. With their explosive pyrotechnics, theatrical prowess, and show-stopping performances, Iron Maiden delivered an unforgettable experience from start to finish. If you ever get a chance I heartily recommend you go! The fans are lovely and hearing those classics live is something you will keep with you forever!
Setlist:
1. "Doctor Doctor"
2. "Blade Runner (End Titles)" (Vangelis song)
3. "Caught Somewhere in Time"
4. "Stranger in a Strange Land"
5. "The Writing on the Wall"
6. "Days of Future Past"
7. "The Time Machine"
8. "The Prisoner"
9. "Death of the Celts"
10. "Can I Play with Madness"
11. "Heaven Can Wait"
12. "Alexander the Great"
13. "Fear of the Dark"
14. "Iron Maiden"
Encore:
15. "Hell on Earth"
16. "The Trooper"
17. "Wasted Years"
18. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" (Monty Python's Life of Brian)
Below is some fan footage that I found on YouTube, all credit to them. I myself only have blurry messy footage, as mentioned, I was holding onto the barrier for dear life and wasn't able to risk taking my hands off that metal to take some footage.
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