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Interview: Iron Maiden on their enduring appeal
Britain's Best Live Act talk success
Chris Vinnicombe, Tue 24 Feb 2009, 3:11 pm UTC
18th February saw Iron Maiden triumph at the Brit Awards for the very first time in an incredible 33-year career. A public vote handed the band the Best British Live Act award, and fanbases don't come much more passionate or devoted than Maiden's.
Back in September 2006, Guitarist magazine's Rob Laing caught up with Iron Maiden's three-pronged guitar attack on the eve of the release of A Matter Of Life And Death, the band's 14th studio LP.
In the following interview, guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers share their thoughts on the band's incredible enduring appeal.
Why do you think you've stood the test of time?
Janick Gers: "We've had our highs and troughs but we've always done what we've believed in and liked. The circle of what's cool comes around, you can't let the tail wag the dog.
"We've just kept going and come out the other end. If you don't, you can end up as one of these bands that just jumps on trends, whether it's hairspray metal or grunge."
"We've always made our reputation as a band on the road." Dave Murray
Adrian Smith: "We played the songs we did in the early eighties on the last tour and because of the way we recorded them, they haven't really dated. You hear some of the music from that decade with a drum machine and you can date it to the year: a studio engineer can listen to it and know what drum machine it is!
"We've never overproduced our albums. It has always been about the playing and we've never hidden behind production so the music doesn't date, it just sounds like us."
Are you surprised that there hasn't been another big metal export from the UK since yourselves and Judas Priest?
AS: "Yes, but it's got a lot to do with timing. The eighties was the right time – a real springboard. There was Def Leppard as well, but they were more of a rock band, Saxon were great and they were doing well in America but I don't know what happened there as they never became really big.
"It's very much right place, right time, with the right management; there are a lot of things involved. Being a team really helps as a band; a lot of bands have a shelf life because they implode with internal problems. But I suppose it is strange that there hasn't been one since to take it to that higher level."
Live After Death is regarded as one of the best live documents ever made. How did you get such a great sound?
Dave Murray: "I was using 50-watt Marshall amps so it was basically a straight sound but I had this Pete Cornish pedalboard with an MXR Phase 90 and Distortion Plus. We're kind of going back to that kind of minimalism now. We've gone full circle to a more pure tone."
AS: "When you listen to yourself live initially you can't stand it. You'll say, that doesn't sound like me! It can be a really painful experience. Most people seem to consider that album a high point but at the time I never really considered it as anything special. It was just us, warts 'n' all – we never did many overdubs on it.
"But I watched the Live After Death video before we did the Dance Of Death album, and I really enjoyed it. Sometimes when you're closely involved with something you can't really see it for what it is at the time. But I think it stands up quite well."
