No, I can't think of Jagger doing stuff like this but maybe would react somehow if there was something similar going. As the various witness reports tell, Bruce has been behaving strangely and weird on some dates on this tour..not sure what, but maybe there's more to this that we don't yet know. Hopefully it will be solved some soon and Im pretty sure that Harris gave some words after this show.
I side with Bruce aswell. I think the main problem is the people who bring these flares to concerts and all sorts of happenings. Normal intellectual and clever person going to the show wouldn't even think of bringing flares to them. These concerts must have poor security as people still somehow sneak in these prohibited things. Have you seen the 1999 footage from Athens, Greece? I think that tells it all about some people's attitude there.
Other than throwing in the "Greek" part I don't have a problem with any of it. When I saw Bob Dylan the first time some idiot threw their shoe at him around the fourth song. I would have walked off stage and not come back.
I don't understand them at the Tour de France either. It's hard enough to race up a mountain without having to go through flare smoke.
For those saying that Bruce has been acting strangely during this tour, what are some of the other examples? I haven’t really heard of anything other than this incident.
I have only seen some videos from the early shows and various clips from later ones, witnessed one live show here in Finland, but also I've seen some comments from persons that have actually looked through the footage from the whole tour so far. Some shows that some people have witnessed themselves, mentioned that Bruce felt unmotivated, didn't much at all move or even had little sour face. He has been said as talking lot less than usual. Some said the whole presence on stage felt like looking back to times of 1993 (last tour with Bruce). Bruce seemed to be kind of grumpy, all in all ways different and you know this if you have seen them live someday. I think it was mentioned right among the first shows that he wasn't much at all moving and so..but in Rockfest, Hyvinkää he just moved around as usual. People might be looking to this and making it a bigger thing than it actually is, or maybe there's something. Not sure, but as this has been seen by few people it must be something.
It must have been tiny bit of smoke going to the stage while he sings and it wouldn't have been good thing for cancer survivor. Same thing that happened there during earlier tours (best example Athens, Greece 1999). The footage from those shows really tell it all. He just had to react as it would probably mean increasing smoke. People shouldn't be able to bring those flares to concerts.
After Donington ‘88, I can understand Maiden, of all bands, being concerned as to crowd safety. And personally speaking, I’m not convinced of the wisdom of uncontrolled flares being set off in the middle of a crowd in an indoor venue.
They shouldn’t, but neither should he be calling someone a Greek **** in a stadium full of Greeks in the middle of the capital of Greece, that’s just beyond stupid.
Safety first. That's the most important thing and so some people failed to follow simple safety rules and guidelines. And also, I hope that the management somehow gets involved and talks with the security, as it seems that every time they are playing in Greece this same thing goes on. By the way, the venue wasn't fully indoor as it was partly open, but it still wouldn't help and justify the use of flares. Bruce might have had to use other nicer word here (perhaps), but Im waiting for that particular clever person in the audience to come out and apologize to everyone in the venue. It was amazing to see that when Bruce left the stage, the band played on like nothing happened at all..maybe this indicates something else too, is there some friction between the members. I hope not. Maybe all the people in the internet are just looking too deep into the whole mess.. Maybe this could have been handled with more delicate as Eddie Vedder did: Eddie Vedder Ejects Pearl Jam Fan From Show - 'I'm Sorry Ma'am, There's No Violence Allowed'
What a shameful moment in Athens... I hate flares. Just hate them. The smoke spreads really far and makes breathing hard; it feels like inhaling sulfur. Whoever lighted those flares should be banned from attending concerts for life. BUT... ...what Bruce did was absolutely unacceptable. His outburst of anger or even the use of aggressive language may be justified considering the circumstances, but with "Greek ****" Dickinson took it to another level. It was awful, unforgivable and very dangerous. Those words could have caused a riot.
Me either - I am guessing those of a certain age that still use it. I am thinking of Pete and Roger (The Who) and Roger Waters. They have 15 or so years on Bruce.
Bruce's timing is impeccable: "What did I see?" being seamlessly and effortlessly followed by this tirade. Of course Bruce has every right to be annoyed. Still.... the "Greek" bit is strangely at odds with Dickinsons frequent introduction to "Blood Brothers" ("We don't care where you're coming from!") and "c-sucker" is a downright faux pas. It obviously shows that an Englishman of a certain vintage was very, very angry but we all know that Bruce is neither racist nor homophobic. So he should apologise for it and everybody can move on.
I think he lead that word slip out from his mouth a bit easily...perhaps could have waited a second or 2 and then say it somehow more politely directed only to the person. But also have to think that we all could have been in similar situation, something annoying or distracting happens which makes us upset or angry, then we might say something out of the blue that we don't even mean or actually mean. Also, things like this have happened before in concerts and so, I definitely stand by Bruce and of course understand his outburst for the whole mess caused by the person in the crowd. It perhaps could work well if he apologized, then some would believe that it is genuine and some would still say it isn't so..this is difficult thing. This is whole thing is not black and white, it's little complex and so..I think have to follow and see if anything happens.
I was there at the barrier. Wind was blowing towards the stage. Mire than 100 flares were lit through the entire gig. No security at all. I am greek but i dont feel offended, nit even slightly, bwhat bruce said. The guy(s) that lit flares weregreek cnts. Naf said. The comment was descriptive. Anything else is stupid. You are blowing this out of proportion.
For myself who's first Maiden show was NOTB Maiden warming up Priest and every following tour for decades. This is a shell of that 80 to 88 band . But Good God give the kids a break their old men now. Iron Gramps.
Yeah pretty much. Maybe they play all the slow boring songs like Sign of the Cross and The Clansman and the Senjutsu (Japanese for snoozefest) material all in the same show because their fingers get tired playing the fast good songs. Glad I saw a bunch of shows on the 07/08 Somewhere Back In Time tour. No desire to see them again. It’s 75% the same show every year just with different artwork on the tarpaulins.
