Back in 2010, I was fortunate to interview four of the six members of Iron Maiden. After all the requisite chatter about the new album was completed, my favorite question to ask everyone was, “What Iron Maiden song have you always wanted to play live but have yet to?” Over and over, “Alexander the Great” was mentioned.
A fan fave since its release on 1986’s Somewhere in Time album, the eight-and-a-half-minute epic is a snapshot of peak-1980s Iron Maiden: part theatrical opus, part history lesson; it remains a rousing, progressive metal track by the British legends. But as founder/bassist Steve Harris told me in between laughs, guitarist Adrian Smith had a devil of a time trying to nail down his guitar part in the studio, namely the middle instrumental section. The big smile on Harris’s face as he recalled his bandmate’s struggles said all that needed to be said. He didn’t want to subject his longtime pal to such torture night after night for fear that Harris might die laughing.
It was a massive surprise when “Alexander the Great” made its live debut in the summer of 2023 when Iron Maiden kicked off their two-year Future Past World Tour. By late October 2024, the setlist was common knowledge among fans. Only the stubbornest people try their best to be surprised by what songs will be played, but when the band are selling “Alexander the Great” t-shirts at the show, it’s a blunt, unavoidable hint. On an unseasonably warm Devil’s Night in Montreal, most people in attendance in the massive Bell Centre knew what they would get and would not be disappointed.
One of Iron Maiden’s strongest markets since the early 1980s, Quebec, Canada, is rabid for all things Iron Maiden, and the atmosphere around the arena on this weekday night was electric, and even more so inside, which was packed to the gills and ready to take in the spectacle. The theme for the Future Past Tour is inspired, leaning heavily on two seemingly disparate albums: 2021’s sprawling Senjutsu album and the tight, energetic, wildly catchy sci-fi hijinks of Somewhere in Time. Contemplating the future of Iron Maiden by celebrating the present and looking back at an album that was all about looking ahead. That’s a good hook. Toss in a few appearances by beloved mascot Eddie, some wickedly cool LED lighting effects, fire and pyro, and Bob’s your uncle.
Iron Maiden know how to work an arena better than anyone. As soon as UFO’s “Doctor Doctor” was cranked on the PA, the roar from the crowd was massive, and it only got louder when the house lights dimmed, and the stage was bathed in neon green from the sleek lighting rig as Hans Zimmer’s score from Blade Runner played for several minutes. Then a third intro kicked in, this time for the overture for “Somewhere in Time”, and the fans erupted even more, the crush of the crowd on the floor ebbing and surging in excitement.
Cleverly angled black lights emphasized the neon colors on the huge Somewhere in Time album backdrop at the rear of the stage, and with a poof of several exploding plumes of smoke, Iron Maiden burst onto the stage as the rampaging gallop of the track kicked into high gear. Harris commanded the stage as he always does, wielding his bass like a machine gun, guitarists Smith and Dave Murray were their usual understated selves, while their stage left colleague Janick Gers danced and posed with the energy of a kid two thirds his age. Not at all visible behind his kit, save for the odd glance of a foot on a hi-hat, drummer Nicko McBrain propelled the song with his distinct, nimble fills.
Coming off two hip replacements in 2021 and 2023, singer Bruce Dickinson looked great – his grown-out silver hair giving elder Rider of Rohan – and sounded even better, belting out the demanding, soaring vocal melodies with his trademark authority. After the wonderfully heavy – and oddly underrated – “Stranger in a Strange Land” continued the Somewhere in Time theme, Iron Maiden focused on three new songs. “The Writing on the Wall” remains a standout track from Senjutsu, a great showcase for Smith’s versatility as a soloist, while “Days of Future Past” and “The Time Machine” more than held their own as worthy additions to the Iron Maiden canon, not to mention fitting perfectly with the tour’s theme. After 1982’s hard-charging “The Prisoner” – a guaranteed crowd-pleaser – the boys got more ambitious, launching into Senjutsu’s ten-minute “Death of the Celts”, which was highlighted by the extended instrumental break midway through, which offered Smith, Murray, and Gers opportunities to exhibit their soloing skill.
Somewhere in Time’s dystopian “Heaven Can Wait” was highlighted by a hilarious, explosive gun battle between Dickinson and the inimitable Eddie staple “Fear of the Dark” turned into a colossal sing-along with the fun-loving crowd (the Quebecois do love to sing), and traditional set closer “Iron Maiden” not only featured the requisite gigantic inflatable Eddie head from behind Nicko’s kit but also a walking samurai Eddie onstage, threatening to gut Gers with his katana. Thankfully, lives were spared.
While “The Trooper” generated the biggest crowd pop of the night, the other two encore songs fittingly returned to the “future past” theme. Senjutsu’s “Hell on Earth” is a latter-day Iron Maiden classic, fully deserving of the live treatment, and the use of swirling flames helped accentuate Dickinson’s dramatic singing. Meanwhile, 1986’s beloved “Wasted Years”, Iron Maiden’s classic song about living in the present, served as a fitting final track, its contagious, celebratory melody brightening the mood of everyone.
But what about “Alexander the Great”, you might ask? Brought out late in the set before “Fear of the Dark” – a logical place of honor for the big show-stopper – the song received a rapturous reception. The scope and drama of the song, to no one’s surprise, is a perfect fit for a huge arena show, and Dickinson commanded the stage as he belted out the tale of the Macedon king while his mates captured the song’s majestic musical arc beautifully. As for Smith? He handled himself just fine, and thousands of fans were euphoric.
Iron Maiden’s immediate future is set with the 2025-2026 Run For Your Lives 50th anniversary retrospective tour in the works, including a much-ballyhooed “home turf” show in London’s East End. Hopefully, some new music is also in the works because, for this restless and highly ambitious band, dwelling solely in the past isn’t exactly their style.