Iron Maiden's Set List

Tuesday, Iron Maiden played Nissan Pavilion (sigh, fine) Jiffy Lube Live. It was of course a great show. One thing that was obvious pretty quickly was the abundance of songs from the last 10 years in place of the classics. On the way out, though, I heard nothing but whining that the set was nothing but new songs.

Here it is:

• The Wicker Man (2000)
• Ghost Of The Navigator (2000)
• Wrathchild (1981)
• El Dorado (2010)
• Dance Of Death (2003)
• The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg (2006)
• These Colours Don't Run (2006)
• Blood Brothers (2000)
• Wildest Dreams (2003)
• No More Lies (2003)
• Brave New World (2000)
• Fear Of The Dark (1992)
• Iron Maiden (1980)  

Encore:

• The Number of the Beast (1982)
• Hallowed Be Thy Name (1982)
• Running Free (1980)

Only two-thirds of the set were "new" songs. Of course, "new" is relative. The entire yellow section of the pie chart above spans the entire life of Burning Shadows. The way people reacted to the set, they might as well have played the entire new album that hasn't been released yet.

They obviously have confidence in the newer songs -- and zero confidence in anything Blaze Bayley did, but that's another post. I think they did a great job of choosing good songs from the last 10 years. The songs up there I generally don't like are due to their exceedingly repetitive choruses, so even the bad songs were good for the most part.

I believe they chose this set for two reasons. First, they want to be respected as musicians and not as washed-up has-beens from the 80s. Second, they're smart. If Iron Maiden came and played all their hits from the 1980s every time they came, they wouldn't put as many asses in the seats (or on the lawn, if you prefer). If all you want to hear is the old stuff, then don't come to the show when they're playing new stuff, damnit. Hail Iron Maiden.

Here's a shaky video of my favorite "new" Iron Maiden song: