Paul Stenning - Iron Maiden: 30 Years of the Beast: The Complete Unauthorised Biography

IRON MAIDEN Thirty Years Of The Beast iron_txt_final.indd 1 24/07/2006 16:20:55 Iron Maiden - Thirty Years Of The BeastThe Unauthorised Biography by Paul Stenning A CHROME DREAMS PUBLICATION First Edition 2006 Published by Chrome Dreams PO BOX 230, New Malden , Surrey KT3 6YY, UK books@chromedreams.co.uk W W W . C H R O M E D R E A M S . C O . U K ISBN 1 84240 361 3 Copyright 2006 by Paul Stenning Editor Cathy Johnstone Editorial Assistant Jake Kennedy Front cover design Jon Storey Layout design Marek Krzysztof Niedziewicz All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Printed and bound in Great Britain by William Clowes Ltd, Beccles, Suffolk iron_txt_final.indd 2 24/07/2006 16:20:55 IRON MAIDEN Thirty Years Of The BeastT h e U n a u t h o r i s e d B i o g r a p h y P a u l S t e n n i n g iron_txt_final.indd 3 24/07/2006 16:20:55 iron_txt_final.indd 4 24/07/2006 16:20:55 This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife Islaand of course, Tommy Vance R.I.P. 1941-2005 iron_txt_final.indd 5 24/07/2006 16:20:55 A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s The following people were invaluable in the help given to me in producing this ultimate Maiden tome. I am particularly indebted to the following individuals who are all very nice men and supremely helpful, cheers to: Steve Loopy Newhouse, Neal Kay, Roy Z, Derek Riggs, Chris Dale, Tony Moore, George Matsagouras, Keith Wilfort. Thank you to the following for also contributing valued time and effort: Paul DiAnno, Janick Gers, Maurice Coyne, Dave Lights, CJ Wildheart, Jase Edwards, Bill Leisegang, Barry Fitzgerald, Chris Aylmer, Dave Pattenden, Lauren Roberts, Jeff Hateley, Tony Platt, Baktash Cyrus Houshangi, Jon Hinchcliffe, Dennis Stratton, Samir Puri, Marco Gamba, Vinicius Renner Lampert, Steffen Rogne, Smiler, William Luff, Jonathan Selzer, Michelle Gregson, Brian H. Martens, Oscar Guerra. Oh and thanks to the dickhead who originally got me into the band, no thanks for the bullying afterwards though you know who you are! The publishers wish to thank Joe Geesin for his generous assistance in the production of this book.

Photographs courtesy of: Front Cover: Life, Back Cover: Redferns Inside Photos: Redferns, REX Record covers courtesy of EMI Posters and Programmes courtesy of Iron Maiden. Lyrics courtesy of Zomba Music Publishing Ltd. iron_txt_final.indd 6 24/07/2006 16:20:55 C o n t e n t s iron_txt_final.indd 7 24/07/2006 16:20:55 I R O N M A I D E N iron_txt_final.indd 8 24/07/2006 16:20:55 A b o u t T h e A u t h o r Music author and journalist Paul Stenning is a writer specialising in the genres of Rock and Heavy Metal. He is currently a regular contributor to the hallowed pages of Metal Hammer, Terrorizer, Record Collector and Metal Maniacs, and has previously written for countless other publications and websites. He has interviewed numerous bands and artists from those genres including Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Meatloaf and a host of other top names. His previous books include the only available work on Guns N' Roses, The Band That Time Forgot; AC/DC - Two Sides To Every Glory and My Chemical Romance - Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Paul Stenning lives in Manchester with his wife Isla and can be contacted at czechzebra@yahoo.com. iron_txt_final.indd 9 24/07/2006 16:20:55 iron_txt_final.indd 10 24/07/2006 16:20:55 T h i r t y Y e a r s O f T h e B e a s t PrologueI would certainly not be the person I am today without the existenceof Iron Maiden hell Im not sure Id even be alive! If you are reading thisbook as a fan, the greatest heavy metallers of all time will undoubtedlyhold equal significance within your own personal truth. For me the bandwere important as the first heavy metal outfit I ever heard, having previ-ously been exposed almost exclusively to pop such as Michael Jackson,Pet Shop Boys and Go West. Hearing Piece Of Mind for the first time wasa shock to the system to say the least. Suddenly life changed, and all forthe better. The sound of loud guitars, implausibly high shrieking vocalsand catchy choruses was the future as far as I was concerned, and ap-parently I was not alone in this view.Iron Maiden were not the first heavy metal band, but what an intro-duction! The Maiden initiation paved a path to every other heavy metalband the universe had to offer, there to be discovered like a metallic fam-ily tree.

At the time all I knew was Piece Of Mind and it was the greatestthing I had ever heard in my life. In the following weeks I ran around withWalkman headphones strapped to my ears, replaying the track incessantlyand screaming along with the lyrics, while imagining just how amazingthe people who created this impenetrable sound must be.Maiden has the unique effect of making the listener feel as if he orshe is being played to exclusively as an individual, and you immediatelyfeel at one with the music. On entering the Maiden Kingdom, it is unusualfor anyone to want to leave. I know there are literally millions of peoplelike me, who discovered the band at a young age and who were helpedthrough some very tough times thanks to the Iron Maiden back catalogue.Yet frequently there are new listeners coming through, eager to be at onewith the Maiden phenomenon.Maiden has never been a band to write grunge type lyrics, wherethe listener feels a partner to their pain they didnt need to. There issomething intrinsic in Maidens sound that simply makes you feel better,as if they understand you totally and their lyrics (whatever the subject)resonate with honesty and realism. There is no hardship that cannot belessened by blasting out ten tons of molten metal on a loud stereo, and nobetter band than Iron Maiden to blast it.

They probably dont know it, but iron_txt_final.indd 11 24/07/2006 16:20:55 I R O N M A I D E N this heavy rock fan, now well into adulthood, along with countless otherswould have found life to be a lesser experience without the existence ofThe Maiden. Heres to each one of them and their music, for without it,we are small.Paul Stenning, May 2006 iron_txt_final.indd 12 24/07/2006 16:20:55 T h i r t y Y e a r s O f T h e B e a s t IntroductionOh well, wherever, wherever you are,Iron Maidens gonna get you, no matter how far.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden When one considers the words heavy metal, a number of images instantly spring to mind. Many facets define the genre but whether you picture long hair and tight trousers or deafening over-amplified electric guitars, the chances are, when you think of bands in the field, Iron Maiden would be one of the first which spring to mind. Over three decades this group has managed to keep its image fresh in the public eye. This is the rarest of metal phenomenon, a traditional heavy metal ensemble that actually makes the pop charts in numerous countries, with every new album or single release. As much as the con servative establishment would like Maiden to disappear it simply refuses to, and by sheer virtue of its staying power has become all but accepted as an institution, at last allowed to grace the areas usually reserved for pop acts.

Iron Maiden has travelled beyond its popular 80s metal status with out fading away, unlike many of its peers. In turn, those bands who have managed to prevail, such as Metallica, would not even exist without their Maiden predecessors. The Brits have influenced other musicians since the late 0s and remarkably continue to do so to this day. Even now there are young fans who know little of Maidens exploits in the early years, becom ing hooked on the band thanks to 2003s