пятница, 12 августа 2011 г.
IRON MAIDEN INTERVIEW
When you're talking Heavy Metal, you're talking Iron Maiden!
While it's true they didn't invent the style, it almost seems like it. Their career has spanned 22 years now and they've sold something like 45 million albums. They've toured the world many times over with massive stage shows, winning fans over again and again. Guitarist Dave Murray gave us an in-depth look at the history of the band.
Q: The last time I recall seeing Iron Maiden was way back in 1982. Would that have been when the group was at its peak of popularity? Are you still playing the arenas?
A: Well, actually I would say more '86, '87. That time, '82, was the first tour we'd done of America. In fact, I think we were supporting Judas Priest then. Right about '83, we came over and started headlining. From '83 to about '87, we had a really good run in America. Each album released in that time was doing really well.
Q: Iron Maiden was formed in 1977?
A: '75 actually. I joined in '76. During that time it was a case of going out and doing the clubs and the pubs and hoofing it up in the U.K. (laughs)
Q: Is Heavy Metal or Hard Rock still popular outside of the U.S.?
A: In Europe it's still very popular. It's thriving. We've been made to understand in American it's really dropped off. There are still rock fans out there, but not as many as there were 10 years ago.
Q: Where did you sell most of your records? In what country?
A: In America really, Now the ball has kind of been headed back to Europe. (laughs) Over the whole period we've probably sold the most albums in Europe.
Q: When you are in between tours, and in between CD's, what do you, Dave Murray, do with yourself, and how do you get the money to do it?
A: We've got families, kids. The normal stuff really. Because you spend 7-8 months on the road, it's nice to do normal things, go down to the shop and buy a newspaper. These sort of things you don't often get to do when you're out traveling around. So really, it's back to reality.
Q: And you're living on royalties from past records?
A: Yeah. That's right. It all comes in over a period of time.
Q: Iron Maiden now calls CMC its record label. You always recorded for Capitol Records. What happened?
A: Well, they really didn't want to take us on board, I think. I don't really know the politics that goes down between the management and the record company. We get on with the music and let them deal with the business side of it. CMC is a really good label. They're really looking after the band. They're really into it. They're very enthusiastic. You need somebody that's gonna be behind you, and be a team, and we're playing on the same team. They're an independent label, but they're really pushing the band, and also releasing the back catalog. Now everything we've ever recorded is on CMC. They've got everything we've ever actually put down on tape. They feel good about having us with them and we feel vice versa.
Q: How did you raise the money to release your EP, "The Soundhouse Tapes" on your own label, Rock House Records?
A: Well, that was done between two guys in the band really. We were working at the time doing day jobs. We were always putting money back into the band, as far as getting equipment and petrol. You gotta pay to play nowadays. You always had to really, especially in the early days. So, we just self-financed it really.
Q: Was it expensive?
A: Well, yeah. We couldn't actually afford to buy the master tapes, which would have been nice to have now. We just scraped up enough money to do the recording. But, to actually buy the reel of tape would've cost more and we couldn't afford that. So, unfortunately that's gone. (laughs)
Q: What happened to it?
A: They just re-recorded over it, the next band that goes in. Unfortunately, it's gone to magnetic heaven. (laughs)
Q: Did you make any money off of that E.P.?
A: Well, we only had 5,000 made up, and gave a lot of them away. It was more of a promotion thing really. I gather they're very hard to get hold of and are going for $300-$400. (laughs)
Q: Was it hard to find a suitable replacement for Bruce Dickinson? Did a lot show up for the audition?
A: No. We had about a thousand tapes sent in, and we had about 12 people come down for the audition.
Q: Rolling Stones Encyclopedia of Rock 'n Roll has stated that Iron Maiden had a fascination with violence and destruction. Is that true?
A: No. That's complete B.S. Absolute crap. We're not interested in what they have to say. (laughs) We're just a rock band playing music, and there're fans that come down to listen to the music, and that's it. If you want to see violence, just turn on your t.v.
Q: I want you to explain something to me. How is it that The Beatles could change their image and change their music and still meet with acceptance by the fans? Why is it that once a metal group is locked in with the loudness and leather, you can't change?
A: I don't think the image has much to do with it. I think it's the music really that has to say it all. Anyone can get dressed up in a monkey costume. (laughs) It's the music. It's the integrity. It's the songs. It's the depth of the music. That's more important than what the band actually looks like.
Q: Could Iron Maiden play rock-a-billy and get away with it?
A: No. Obviously not. There's a certain sound and a certain image that they're into. That's why they're into it. They just like that whole scene. If we started playing rock-a-billy or country, they'd just walk away.
Q: Does that bother you that you can't change?
A: You see, we're kind of happy doing this music. If we weren't, we'd just quit
Biography
There are multiple artists with this name:
1) Iron Maiden is a New Wave of British Heavy Metal or nwobhm band from the United Kingdom. They formed in London, 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, they are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal genre, selling over 80 million albums worldwide. The band has so far released fifteen studio albums, four “best of” compilations, nine live albums and four limited boxed-sets. They have also won the Ivor Novello Award for international achievement in 2000.
The band has changed their line-up several times up to 1999 when Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith returned to the band.
Their current line-up is:
Steve Harris (1975-): bass, backing vocals, studio keyboards
David Michael Murray (1975-): guitar
Paul Bruce Dickinson (1981-1993 1999-): lead vocals (see also Bruce Dickinson, Samson)
Nicko McBrain (1983-): drums, percussion (see also Trust)
Janick Gers (1990-): guitar (see also Bruce Dickinson, White Spirit)
Adrian Smith (1980-1990, 1999-): guitar, backing vocals (see also Bruce Dickinson and Psycho Motel).
Former members:
Doug Sampson – drums, percussion (1977–1979)
Dennis Stratton – guitars, backing vocals (1979–1980)
Paul Di’Anno – lead vocals (1978–1981)
Clive Burr – drums, percussion (1979–1982)
Blaze Bayley – lead vocals (1994–1998)
Dennis Wilcock - lead vocals (1976–1977)
Barry Purkis – drums, percussion (1977)
Paul Day - lead vocals (1975–1976).
Iron Maiden’s work has inspired other sub-genres of heavy metal, including power metal and speed metal, and is generally thought of as an influence to any “metal” music containing dual-guitar harmonization. One example of their far reaching influence is that many bands from virtually every rock and metal sub-genre list Iron Maiden as one of their influences.
Iron Maiden’s mascot, Eddie, is a perennial fixture in the band’s horror-influenced album cover art, as well as in live shows. Eddie was originally drawn by Derek Riggs but has had various incarnations by Melvyn Grant. Eddie is also featured in a first-person shooter video game, Ed Hunter.
Many of the band’s songs are based on history, folklore, movies and books, such as “Aces High,” “Brave New World,” “The Trooper,” “The Clansman,” “The Wicker Man,” “The Prisoner,” “Where Eagles Dare,” “Out of the Silent Planet,” “To Tame a Land” (based on Frank Herbert’s Dune) and “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” – in which words from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem are incorporated into the song.
The band has headlined several major events in its career, notably Rock In Rio, Ozzfest alongside Black Sabbath, Donington’s famous “Monsters of Rock” and “Download” Festivals and also the “Reading” and “Leeds” Festivals. Recently the band played to a 30,000 strong crowd at EDD-FEST’2007 in Bangalore, India. This was the first visit of the band to the country.
Iron Maiden released their latest album “The Final Frontier” in 2010.
http://www.ironmaiden.com/
2) Iron Maiden (later aka The Bolton Iron Maiden) is a late sixties doom-band. This Iron Maiden was formed in 1964 by Barry Skeels, Steve Drewett, Chris Rose and Alan Hooker as an acoustic band in Basildon, Essex that eventually evolved into a band called Iron Maiden. By 1966, the lineup was Skeels (bass), Drewett (vocals/harmonies), Rose (lead guitar), Tom Loates (rhythm guitar) and Stan Gillem (drums); they played Rolling Stones and blues numbers under the name “Growth”. Reduced to a two-piece, Drewett and Skeels played blues under the name of “Stevenson’s Blues Department” in pubs and clubs in Essex and London. They supported a number of up and coming bands including Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac, The Groundhogs and King Crimson.
In 1968, Drewett and Skeels were joined by Paul Reynolds (drums) and Trevor Thoms (guitar). They released an acetate (God of Darkness/Ballad of Martha Kent) under the then risqué name of BUM. When they signed to the Gemini label in 1970, the name was changed to the less risqué Iron Maiden. They recorded their debut album Maiden Voyage. Reynolds was replaced by Steve Chapman on drums and Iron Maiden released the single Ned Kelly/Falling. This coincided with Mick Jagger’s film “Ned Kelly”. A planned Australian tour fell through. The Gemini record label also folded (with the loss of the debut album master tapes) and Skeels left Iron Maiden. The band carried on without him for a while, but the debut album was not released until 1998 using duplicate tapes owned by Skeels. This “original” Iron Maiden is often considered by fans as one of the earliest ‘true’ doom metal bands.
However, soon after the “original” Iron Maiden was re-discovered , their name was officially changed to ‘The Bolton Iron Maiden’ since the Iron Maiden led by Steve Harris already had the name ‘Iron Maiden’ trademarked.
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