Story by Metal Mike Romcoe
Ozzfest 2005 – Tweeter Center Chicago – Tinley Park, IL – July 30, 2005
Iron Maiden played all the early classics all from their first four albums including: The Trooper, Revelations, Phantom of the Opera, Run to the Hills, Hallowed by thy Name and of course “Iron Maiden”, during Number of the Beast a giant goat monster with devil horns walked onto the stage. The numbers “666” flashed lights above then during the choruses. During the song a giant Eddie in straight jacket walked across the stage and attacked Guitarist Janick Gers, who put up quite a fight, continuing to play guitar the whole time. Then he twirls his guitar round and round his head by the strap, what theatrics. Finally he threw it 20 feet straight in the air then caught it. Janick Gers guitar showboating has been part of Iron Maiden now for past 10 years.
During the show vocalist Bruce Dickinson kept admonishing the crowd for not going crazy. He said they should rip out the seats so people could dance around instead of sitting. The much anticipated encore was delayed because of an over enthusiastic fan who threw a full cup of beer? at Bruce Dickinson, to which Dickinson exclaimed “hey you wanna throw beer? I’ll come down there and punch your bloody face you asshole wipe! I fuckin’ mean it.” He then left the stage followed by the rest of the un-weary and confused band members. This left the crowd screaming for more “Live Maiden: holding up lighters’ chanting etc. banging.
In ten minutes Bruce returned and stated “In all the years we’ve been coming to Chicago my friends, there’s one thing that has never ever fuckin’ changed about this city,” Dickinson began in good humor, “and that is of all the cities in the whole United States, Chicago has a fuckin’ attitude my friends.” Which may have left fans wondering if they would ever appear again? Then, Bruce Dickinson would return, accepting Chicago, IL as a city with an Attitude! That is what inspired him to finish the set, respecting his fans traditionally with, Running Free and Sanctuary.
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