I saw Iron Maiden legend Bruce Dickinson rock Manchester and there was only one thing missing

Legendary Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson rolled into Manchester last night for the latest leg of his ‘Mandrake Project’ tour and showed he is still on the top of his game. 

Although used to performing in front of huge crowds at major festivals and in big arenas across the globe, Dickinson was in his element as he glided across the stage and commanded the attention of the attentive audience inside Manchester Academy. 

Seeing such a legendary figure in an intimate setting is a true spectacle and despite entering his 48th year as a musician, Dickinson has shown no signs of slowing down as his hit notes with ease, knew when to raise the energy inside the venue and knew exactly when it was time to drift into the shadows and allow his hard-rocking friends to take centre stage. 

Speaking of his backing band, they were great fun to watch. Tanya O’Callaghan made it look effortless on the bass guitar and the keytarist/keyboardist Mistheria’s solos were riveting throughout the evening. Another notable highlight from the near two-hour long set was the cover of The Edgar Winter Group’s song ‘Frankenstein’ that allowed Dickinson and the band to showcase their instrumental prowess.

Sadly, there were no bangers from the Iron Maiden catalogue such as ‘Wasted Years’ or ‘Run to the Hills’ included in the setlist even though it is close to the band’s 50th anniversary. Although it was disappointing not to hear ‘The Trooper’ in an intimate setting, I could understand why. It was Dickinson’s time to shine and that he did. 

Decked out in a leather jacket, leather trousers and a beanie, Dickinson came out to an electric reaction after a solid opening set by New Zealand rock band Black Smoke Trigger. The Iron Maiden frontman started things off with a bang as he performed ‘Accident of Birth’, ‘Abduction’ and ‘Laughing in the Hiding Bush’ in quick succession. Yet despite the sweltering heat inside the Academy, Dickinson didn’t even break a sweat.

Towards the backend of the set, Dickinson got the crowd singing along in unison as he belted out fan-favourites ‘The Alchemist’, ‘Tears of the Dragon’ and ‘Darkside of Aquarius’ - the latter two a personal highlight from the evening. 

As Dickinson and his band returned to the stage, he was serenaded with ‘Ole Ole Brucie’ chants that got the legendary rocker smiling. However, a master at engaging with the audience, Dickinson joked as to whether the chants were because “Manchester City have won the Premier League” which brought the only boos of the evening. 

Dickinson and co followed the playful banter with the emotional and thought-provoking ‘Navigate the Seas of the Sun’, a story about star-crossed lovers such as Romeo & Juliet. For the finale, Dickinson wrapped things up with the popular ‘Book of Thel’ and ‘The Tower’ to end a great night of live music.