On July 21, 2024, Bruce Dickinson, the iconic voice of IRON MAIDEN, delivered a special treat for fans at the Release festival in Athens, Greece. According to Rockpages.gr, Dickinson performed the legendary “Alexander The Great” during his solo concert, a song that holds a special place in the hearts of many fans.
After wrapping up his regular set with “Road To Hell,” Dickinson surprised the audience by donning an Alexander The Great helmet. Addressing the crowd, he said, “We couldn’t go tonight knowing that we’ve never done this ever in Greece. ‘Cause I know that you like this guy. And so I brought a special hat. And I thought you might like to do a little bit of singing, just for a couple of minutes, just at the end.”
Although IRON MAIDEN performed “Alexander The Great” live for the first time on May 28, 2024, in Ljubljana, Slovenia, their tour did not include any Greek dates. This made Dickinson’s solo performance in Athens even more memorable.
The song, featured on IRON MAIDEN’s sixth studio album “Somewhere In Time,” narrates the life of the famed Macedonian conqueror Alexander The Great. It captures significant historical events such as his victory over Persian king Darius, the cutting of the Gordian Knot, and his eventual death in Babylon.
In a past radio interview, Dickinson humorously remarked that the song had never been played live because guitarist Adrian Smith couldn’t remember the complex solo. He explained that advanced music technology of the time couldn’t decipher the time signature, making it a challenging piece to perform.
Dickinson’s solo tour, his first in over 20 years, officially began on April 15 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California, after two warm-up shows at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood. His current band features Dave Moreno on drums, Mistheria on keyboards, Tanya O’Callaghan on bass, and new additions Philip Näslund and Chris Declercq on guitars. Notably absent from the lineup is longtime collaborator Roy “Z” Ramirez.
Before this tour, Dickinson last performed with his solo band in August 2002 at Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival. His latest solo album, “The Mandrake Project,” was released on March 1 via BMG. The album was recorded primarily at the Doom Room in Los Angeles, with contributions from both Mistheria and Moreno.
Dickinson’s history with IRON MAIDEN dates back to his debut on the 1982 album “Number Of The Beast.” After a brief departure in 1993 to pursue a solo career, during which Blaze Bayley took over as lead singer, Dickinson rejoined IRON MAIDEN in 1999 alongside guitarist Adrian Smith.
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