Marking the 50th anniversary of Iron Maiden, the band looked to celebrate the group’s long history in heavy metal. Helping usher in the new wave of British heavy metal, the band released dozens of albums and sold over 130 million records. But outside of the recording studio, the band knew how to put on a concert. And over the years, concerts have changed. With technology exploding over the last few decades, Iron Maiden watched as fans always had their phones out. Wanting them to simply enjoy the music and experience, the band’s manager urged concertgoers to put them away.
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Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Iron Maiden with the Run For Your Lives World Tour, Rod Smallwood decided to speak directly to fans about the best way to enjoy a concert. “We really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens. The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers. We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band.”
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Fans Put Down Phones For Iron Maiden
Hoping that fans would understand, Smallwood even explained how they would also benefit from a screen break. “Please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your Maiden family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out!! It’s really not a lot to ask is it?”
Apparently, word got out about Iron Maiden’s request. The band posted a collage of pictures from their concert in Budapest. Showing the massive crowd and a night full of heavy metal, Smallwood wrote, “A huge thank you to every one of you who kept your phones down, respected the band and your fellow fans, and embraced the show the way it’s meant to be experienced – in the room with us. That was a great boost for us and the band appreciated it greatly. It is so much better when they can see you unencumbered and that drives them on without that distraction.”
But like any concert, there were a few who didn’t care about the band’s wishes and decided to pull their phones out. Not able to stop them, the manager declared, “For the selfish few that didn’t and just had to keep videoing… I wish you nothing but a very sore arm!”
(Photo by snapshot-photography/H Jarosch/Shutterstock)
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