Bruce DICKHEADSON speaks again[views:3657][posts:29]________________________________________ [Jul 30,2005 6:19pm - subjugate shn ""] Metal Edge magazine recently conducted an interview with IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson. An excerpt from the chat follows: Metal Edge: In past discussions, you've expressed a strong distaste for "greatest hits" tours. Yet now you're doing another one on Ozzfest. Why do you have such an issue with them? Bruce Dickinson: "'Greatest-hits' tours are very seductive things, but what annoys me is, when we do the 'hits' tour in Europe, it's got a different perception. When you do the 'hits' tour here [in the U.S.], the audience is smug, and there's a sense of self-satisfaction, like, 'We got what we wanted…' In Europe, there's a sense of celebration, an ecstasy that goes with it. If I'm looking at an audience that is self-satisfied and happy and fat, and getting what it wants and isn't prepared to get off its ass, what am I? A cabaret? Am I dancing bear that just performs in little circles and they clap? I cannot exist for longer than about five minutes like that. Every now and again I don't have any objections to it, but if it becomes a regular thing, that's not why I got involved. I got involved to become a creative artist. I know human nature, and I accept that people like to hear songs that they know, but not withstanding all that, seeing people who are spiritually dead, applauding not because you did a great version of a song, but only because they're familiar with it, is soul destroying. For all of us in MAIDEN, we put so much into the performance… We're actually better, and more effective, now, physically, than we were when we were 25. When we were 25, we were young, dumb and stupid, drunk all the time and hung over. We appreciate what we can and can't do now, and we feel like we owe it to ourselves to give people 100 percent of our heart and soul. When it's the audiences that are apparently just there for the ride, for a while it's disappointment, then it just turns to anger. Why are we doing this to ourselves when the people apparently don't care? They want to see some pastiche shit, and they don't seem to understand that this is our life!" Metal Edge: That's America, though. This country doesn't want a challenge, they want to be spoon-fed. Bruce Dickinson: "I understand that's America, but we don't have to tolerate it. It's not a question of being childish and trying to punish them, but if people don't understand what we really do, why do we beat ourselves up by coming here to do it, only to torture ourselves? Because you need the money? We are permanently astonished, in the band, by the different reactions throughout the country, and we can't make any sense of the whole pervasive influence of corporate U.S.A. When you can talk to kids, one on one, it's a completely different than when you get 6,000 of them together. I don't know how we're going to approach America in the future…" Metal Edge: Does it bother you that people are so driven by the hits that they don't give new material a fair shot? Bruce Dickinson: "We're very philosophical about it, because we're very aware… Going back to the earliest days of IRON MAIDEN, our first label said we'd never happen in the States, because we were too aggressive, and too out of left field. This was even before I was in the band. Then when we had 'Number of the Beast', people thought we'd convert to TWISTED SISTER and be a flavor of the month. In reality, though, we have more in common with the GRATEFUL DEAD — that's more of who we are. A GRATEFUL DEAD now would be impossible in the United States. The closest you'll get is PEARL JAM, or maybe NEIL YOUNG. We're going to do what we do, which is what we have done. Europe, South America, they've embraced MAIDEN, and to a certain extent, it's unbelievable how the fifteen-, sixteen-year-old kids continue to embrace us there. Where in America we headline a 6,000-seat [venue], in Europe we'll headline a 50,000-seat stadium. For example, French Canada is such an amazing market for us, we deliberately go back there and return the favor. But if people think they just want to see a rock version of 'David Letterman', why should we go there? The money is irrelevant. We can make more money with a two-month hits tour in America than we can touring Japan and Europe. Yes, it's about making a living, but it's about making a living with dignity. Do we really need to go down on bended knee to people that don't care that much about the band? I hate Walmart, and I hate the corporatization of everything in America. I despise it. People need to have their minds made up for them, at this moment, and they need to liberate themselves from that. It drives me nuts… And it's not just America." Bruce Dickinson's entire interview with Metal Edge is available in the magazine's September 2005 issue, out on the stands now. |
| __________________________________________ [Jul 30,2005 6:59pm - BestialOnslaught ""] What a prick... Like the 6000 people that show up to see them in a US city really care less than the 50,000 in Rio or Germany. |
| ___________________________________ [Jul 30,2005 7:20pm - Al_Ravage ""] he always says stupid crap that makes no sense |
| ________________________________________ [Jul 30,2005 8:33pm - ATNFAC_Vokillz ""] dude cmon. hes British. he doesnt know any better |
| ___________________________________ [Aug 1,2005 12:40am - the dude ""] shut up kato kaylan! you make no sence |
| _______________________________________ [Aug 1,2005 1:09am - ArrowHead nli ""] Bruce's entire argument would hinge on one important assumption: that current Iron Maiden material is as good as past Iron Maiden material. The 15 and 16 year old kids aren't buying brave new world and saying "This is the best shit I've ever heard", they're hearing the maiden riffs in current trendy bands, and seeing them wearing maiden shirts, and they're checking out classic albums from years gone by. I'm not saying the new albums suck, but if I pay for a ticket to see maiden, I expect to see the songs that made me love maiden in the first place. |
| _________________________________________ [Aug 1,2005 9:41am - largefreakatzero ""] What is this fag's problem? OK, so you're not getting the same "sense of ecstacy" in the US as when you play elsewhere, so what, you're getting paid top dollar to tour, this is your job! The rest of us have jobs that we fucking hate! Get over yourself. And shame on the fag from Metal Edge: "That's America, though. This country doesn't want a challenge, they want to be spoon-fed". If you are from this country, you need to be deported. I knew there was a reason I didn't read that fucking magazine. I like Maiden, but Bruce needs to shut up. |
| ________________________________________ [Aug 1,2005 11:04am - death2all NLI ""] largefreakatzero said:What is this fag's problem? OK, so you're not getting the same "sense of ecstacy" in the US They make a pill for that. |
| ______________________________________ [Aug 5,2005 9:39pm - Fucking Frog ""] I agree with Bruce, America needs to be woken up. Open your eyes. Come out of your shell and you'll understand. |
| ___________________________________ [Aug 5,2005 11:12pm - the dude ""] the new iron maiden cd was dog crap |
| ___________________________________ [Aug 5,2005 11:16pm - metalguy ""] I don't know.. I really don't like the way people in America view music either. And it is all quite literally spoon fed to the public. I kind of have an idea of what he is talking about. He might be saying that the people in America are listening to them play the song and not really realizing that the people who actually wrote the music are standing there playing it for them. Kind of acting like they are some kind of jukebox. To tell you the truth.. I get excited when anyone inspires me musically. If I go to a show or something like that I fully appreciate everything that is going on, on the stage. Even if the guy has a 9-5 job just like me. And I don't think that this is something a prick would say. Just because he isn't candy coating the truth you know. It doesn't make him a bad guy. Just honest. |
| ________________________________________ [Aug 6,2005 11:07am - Distrust-Kevin ""] I just wanna fly - BRUCE AIR |
| __________________________________ [Aug 6,2005 12:08pm - powerkok ""] never trust a guy named DICK IN SON. |
| ____________________________________ [Aug 21,2005 3:54pm - anonymous ""] I truly like Iron Maiden & I do like their new material as well as their old, but I am truly tired of this stupid reasoning that we Americans don't appreciate the arts Maiden brings to the world. I was an American serviceman. I got to see maiden overseas as well as in the US, (just recently at Ozzfest 95). In truth American fans are no different than European fans or those worldwide. However the way things are managed in a US gig than those worldwide are much more different. Bruce has to remember that his act is competing with thousands of other acts just to manage to play in any US venue. I can respect Bruce's opinion, but one must remember that it is only that. He really should thank America for his success. Playing in this country really helped shape Iron Maidens destiny into a secure one. Trying to insult the American public or fans really does not help things. After, why did they even perform at the Ozzfest if money in America was not really an issue. Sharon Osbourne even called him a prick at the conclusion of their set, but I thought that was unwarranted from her as well. The idiot who from Metal Edge magazine is really something though. Saying that the American audience wants to be Spoon fed. That was very unprofessional & unobjective from him though. Especially since most of their subscribers & readers are American. Time to get over the hate of this country. You can thank us or you can hate us, but saying negative things will eventually only hurt more. |
| _____________________________________________ [Aug 21,2005 4:06pm - DrinkHardThrashHard ""] Bruce, how about just shutting the fuck up, play your goddamn shows and be a fucking rockstar. It's such a hard life, really...and you've got it so much worse than everyone else. |
| ____________________________________ [Aug 21,2005 11:11pm - Dissector ""] This just in: Last nights Ozzfest (Aug 20 in San Bernadino) saw the conclusion of Iron Maiden's stint on the summer music trek. Maiden put on a killer show despite being pelted with bottles, ice, grass and anything else the audience usually saves for Marilyn Manson. Bruce was visibly frustrated that security did little to stop or the projectiles from entering the stage and he even told the crowd to 'break the arms' of those seen throwing items. After the set, the Emcee started chanting 'Ozzy, Ozzy' while Bruce was still talking. So Bruce started chanting 'Maiden Maiden'. Moments later, Sharon Osbourne came on stage (why she wasn't pelted with ice i'll never know). Sharon Osbourne took over the mic and informed the crowd that they absolutely loved IRON MAIDEN and their crew and stated that they were all wonderful but that their singer Bruce Dickinson was a prick and had disrespected Ozzfest since they began their stint with the touring summer festival. This of course came as a shock to those of us in attendance and the there was ample confusion and speculation from audience members there after. |
| ___________________________________________ [Aug 22,2005 10:44am - dan_bloodblister ""] powerkok said:never trust a guy named DICK IN SON. haha or maybe that should be the only person we can trust? |
| _____________________________________ [Aug 22,2005 10:55am - anonymous ""] He was talking about the ozzfest compared to playing outdoor shows in Europe, come on we all know how shitty ozzfest is and how it is nothing more then a big mall |
| _________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 2:40am - Deimos ""] anonymous said:He was talking about the ozzfest compared to playing outdoor shows in Europe, come on we all know how shitty ozzfest is and how it is nothing more then a big mall /agree |
| ________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 7:15am - retzam ""] I'll read the posts of this thread that I didn't read later, but I don't really see how he's an asshole to say this. It seems to make a lot of sense. And why should the interviewer be deported because he says that people in America want to be spoon-fed? Isn't it true? For the vast majority I'd say it definitely is. |
| _____________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 9:46am - Morbid_Mike ""] powerkok said:never trust a guy named DICK IN SON. He makes a helluva point! |
| ____________________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 4:25pm - ConquerTheBaphomet ""] Bruce DickHEADson........ SHUT THE FUCK UP. |
| ______________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 6:44pm - Anthony nli ""] the dude said:the new iron maiden cd was dog crap The artwork definitely was dog crap, but the CD was pretty rad. Granted it's not Piece of Mind but that was over 20 years ago. Maiden are awesome again now that Bruce and Adrian are back. MAIDEN: Dianno Albums: Incredible NOTB - SIT: My favorite Maiden albums. The best years. Seventh Son - Fear of the Dark: Meh, I still enjoy them though. Bailey albums: Some of it sucks, some of it is mediocre, but it is mainly just boring. Last two albums: Both incredible albums. Not like the old Dickinson stuff, but unique and great. |
| ___________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 8:21pm - contagion ""] good. dont come back here, your band sucks anyway. |
| ________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 8:27pm - retzam ""] Anthony nli said:the dude said:the new iron maiden cd was dog crap The artwork definitely was dog crap, but the CD was pretty rad. Granted it's not Piece of Mind but that was over 20 years ago. Maiden are awesome again now that Bruce and Adrian are back. MAIDEN: Dianno Albums: Incredible NOTB - SIT: My favorite Maiden albums. The best years. Seventh Son - Fear of the Dark: Meh, I still enjoy them though. Bailey albums: Some of it sucks, some of it is mediocre, but it is mainly just boring. Last two albums: Both incredible albums. Not like the old Dickinson stuff, but unique and great. I pretty much completely agree with this, except I'd put 7th Son in the same category as NOTB-SIT. I don't understand why so many people refuse to accept their past two albums. They are both soooo good. I'm willing to bet most of these people had their minds made up before they heard it. |
| ______________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 8:39pm - Anthony nli ""] contagion said:good. dont come back here, your band sucks anyway. huh? |
| ______________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 8:39pm - Anthony nli ""] ohhh i see you were responding to Bruce Dickinson |
| ______________________________________ [Jun 12,2006 8:43pm - Anthony nli ""] retzam said: I pretty much completely agree with this, except I'd put 7th Son in the same category as NOTB-SIT. I don't understand why so many people refuse to accept their past two albums. They are both soooo good. I'm willing to bet most of these people had their minds made up before they heard it. yeah i think i was being harsh on Seventh Son, it is awesome. Its been a long time since I've heard it, thats probably why. |
| _______________________________ [Jul 26,2006 6:46am - adam ""] i agree with bruce, seeing vids of shows in america there isnt a strong vibe in the crowd and if i imagine being in bruces shoes, it would be hard to perform when everyone just sitting and clapping, you need everyone going nuts to get the band at their best. |
| _____________________________________ [Jul 26,2006 10:43am - PatMeebles ""] If Iron Maiden shows were done like real shows were, and had all the seats in the general seating area taken out so people can be in a crowd and go crazy like they should, maybe Bruce wouldn't be whining so much. |