S Poddar
In a rare coincidence, Iron Maiden vocalists Bruce Dickinson and Paul Di’Anno met for the first time on July 13 in Zagreb, Croatia. Dickinson was in town for a solo show supporting his album, The Mandrake Project, while Di’Anno was there promoting his debut album with his new band, Warhorse.
A short video of their encounter captures them in conversation, discussing their physical health. Di’Anno, who uses a wheelchair, talks about his limited mobility and how it impacts his mental well-being as he awaits knee surgery. He humorously mentions, “I won’t be getting back on the Harley any time soon,” before parting ways with Dickinson, saying, “Right then, I’m going to have to fly, me old mate!”
Paul Di’Anno, now 66, joined Iron Maiden in 1978 during a time of frequent lineup changes. He was the lead vocalist for their early works, including The Soundhouse Tapes demo, their self-titled debut album in 1980, and Killers in 1981. After disagreements with bassist Steve Harris and manager Rod Smallwood, Di’Anno was dismissed. In 2020, he expressed no hard feelings towards them for the decision.
Bruce Dickinson, 65, took over as lead singer for the breakthrough album The Number of the Beast and remained with the band during their classic era until 1993. He returned in 1999 and has been with Iron Maiden ever since.
In 2022, Di’Anno had a significant reunion with Steve Harris in Zagreb, the first time they had met since Di’Anno’s departure from the band. Following this meeting, Iron Maiden agreed to cover the costs of Di’Anno’s necessary surgery, concluding a fan fundraising campaign. Di’Anno reflected on the reunion fondly, mentioning it was wonderful to reconnect with Harris and manager Rod Smallwood, as well as Harris’ sister Linda after 30 years.
Warhorse’s debut album, featuring ten tracks, is set to release on July 19 via BraveWords Records. The band recently released a video for their lead single, “Here Comes the Night.”
