BAND QUOTES:
"I was immediately attracted to fencing because it seemed like a romantic, melodramatic form of combat."
"I'll be arriving at the last possible minute and walking on stage raging and pillaging and then disappearing immediately afterwards."
"I was asked to sign a bunny, a real one! I am not an aficionado of bunnies."
"The more guitars we have onstage the better, as I'm concerned."
"I shall refract myself, yes, I shall no longer be known as the prism."
- Bruce Dickinson
When Bernard Butler, the original guitarist from Suede, went to his school to tell them him was leaving to play in a band, his headmaster told him that he’d had a similar conversation with another pupil some ten years before. That pupil was none other than Bruce Dickinson, the operatic visionary behind Iron Maiden. As the headmaster confessed, “the lad didn’t do bad for himself”. For proof of this you need only consider that Iron Maiden have even had a computer game made about their mascot (a giant zombie called Eddy). If that wasn't enough, they were also mentioned in a Wheatus song.
Among their many achievements Iron Maiden can proudly claim to have both the highest number of roadies with ‘mad’ as their middle name, and the highest number of songs with the same riff. Despite Dickinson’s efforts to steer the band towards a respectful image of sinister ghoulery, he was always held back by his band-mates who seemed intent on wearing only a mixture of demin, tracksuits and big white trainers. At times however, Bruce managed to incorporate their rather plebeian garb with his preferred style of lycra leggings and medievalised leather jackets, resulting in a unique doom-sportswear look.
Such differences eventually led to Bruce’s departure and he was replaced by a magician for a while until he decided he wanted to be in the band again. In the interim he pursued a solo-career, wrote a book, became a fencing champion and trained as a pilot for British Airways.
| Collective spandex ratio: | 2.3/4 |
| Degree of OTT operatic vocals: | 9 |
| Twidley notes during solos: | 18p/s |
| Dedication to fulfilling the prophesy of Spinal Tap: | 8 |