This is the show I have been waiting for all summer. Being a Maiden fan for 23 years now. I am doing this show sober, still recuperating from Saturdays "Lynynrd Skynyrd show " not as young as I think anymore" ! Allright enough BULLSHIT. I jump on the train and I am in the city in an hour. I come out of Grand Central Station and there are Metal heads causing HELL every where at last some people I can relate too.

MotorHead, They come on at 7:30 pm sharp. The Garden is about 1/3 full every body is still partying outside. MotorHead is loud as Fuck a little surprising for the usually conservative Garden. Lemmy's voice is crisp he Is singing away like a madman, the rest of the band also sounds good nice and tight and MotorHeads famous jumbled distorted sound. The crowd is defiantly digging this shit. The Garden is slowly filling. The smell of pot has taking over the humid air of the Garden.MotorHead does a couple of old songs along with a new song called "Sacrifice" they close with the classic "Ace of Spades" proving they are still one of the best power trio out there!! Good sound great performance!!!!! They played an 30 min. set.

Ronnie James Dio, Dio comes on at 8:30, the Garden is now packed.Their not as loud as Motorhead and open with "Killing the Dragon" then right into "The Last in Line" The Garden is going fuckin nuts loving ever min. of it and the music just started. Dio's voice is still awesome and powerful as ever! They play some new material and then right into "Stand up and Shout" Ronnie seems to feed off his older material sounding better as every song goes by.They break into"I speed at Night" and then into "Dream Evil" They do some old Rainbow "Rainbow in the Dark" The Garden hasn't stopped going nuts and seems to be getting even louder the Garden is vibrating from the people going ape shit. Dio breaks into "Holy Diver" and nails it with perfection. Ronnie has not lost his spot as one of the most powerful singer still out there it has been nearly 25 years and he does not seem to have let up at all. They go into Black Sabbath's " Heaven & Hell it sound great and brings the Garden again to its knees. They go off stage at 9:30 with no encore. The Garden shows their appreciation with a huge response. It is good to see Dio back at his best. I saw him last year ,his voice was great but his band sucked. Wow what a difference one year made, great performance all around!!!!!!!!!!!

Iron Maiden, There is a small army setting up Maiden's shit. A girl is too fucked up to walk so she is being carried out, boy its good to be back in the Garden. Maiden comes on at 10:00 they open with 'Number of the Beast" the crowd is louder than ever. Every time Bruce sings the part 666 huge blinding lights with 666 light up it take a few seconds to refocused your eyes after ward. Some of the brightest Fuckin lights I have ever seen.Bruce and the rest of the band sound assume, like it was 1980 in the Garden all over again. They go right into the "Trouper" not missing a beat again powerful as ever. Dickerson has his British Flag and Is waving it around like crazy. Dave Murray's guitar work is still unbelievable and is having a blast on stage showing it! The Garden erupts during a break between songs. Maiden then goes into" Die with your Boots On" then into 'Revelations then right into "Gallows Pole" A huge back ground of another Eddie from the # of the best appears. The whole Garden is singing along with Bruce. Dickerson is running all over the stage as if he was 20 again not missing a note in doing so. Iron Maiden is celebrating their 25th anniversary. Bruce starts talking to the crowd letting everyone know besides London, NYC is one of his favorite venues. He also thanks the crowd for years off politely telling everybody to down load Maiden new album and pass it around. He states that Iron Maiden albums always make a ton of money and the band does not mind people sharing music files. He blast the major industry and states "IRON MAIDEN has never kissed any body ass in the business and won't start now." They do a song off the new album not yet out called "Wildest Dreams" It sounds great not like the other new shit bands are playing. Then right into "Your time will Come" again one of many Eddie pictures change in the back ground. They then do "Afraid of the Dark" alimenting blue light fill the Garden showing shadows and the crowd going crazy . They then do their self title "IronMaiden" Eddie rises out of the stage a 2003 addition its head is split open and a brain is lowered into it. Eddie comes alive with the Garden's delight his face is moving and his body is shaking like he is having a seizer. The band is still moving on stage like it was the beginning of the show.They go off stage at 11:10 with the Garden going crazier as ever. They come back on 5 min. later and break into " 2 min. to Midnight" I start making my way out of the Garden the crowd is going no where, but my train leaves at 11:30 it is a sold out show and if you don't leave the Garden early there won't be enough seats on the train for every body. Maiden played 2 more songs I didn't catch. From a 1 to 10 this show was a perfect 10 .This triple bill is one of the best you'll find this summer!!!! It is good too see Metal back in the Garden where it belongs!!!!!

23 years ago a friend Todd Kline turned me on to Iron Maiden, I have been blessed to see Maiden over a dozen times over the years and It is good to see one of the GREATEST BANDS EVER back on the top of their game. Thanks Todd with out your help I would have missed allot of great music. I end with a quote from my old freind. DRINK BEER SMOKE POT IRONMAIDEN !!!!!

By Brandon Dilks
Manager - Nuse

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