Well I finally watched Flight 666, the recent Iron Maiden documentary over this weekend. First of all, this is not a ground breaking documentary, but I cannot really say anything negative about it. I am, as I have stated before on this blog, a huge Iron Maiden fan, and this movie should be very enjoyable for the hardcore enthusiast, casual listener or new fan.
It is an all access pass to their unique and ambitious Somewhere Back in Time tour in 2008. The film documents the first leg of this tour in which the band plays 23 shows in 11 different countries over 45 days. What made this possible is a Boeing 757 airplane, appropriately titled Ed Force One, which transported the band, crew and all of the gear required to put off their massive stage show from destination to destination. And the captain of Ed force One was no other the Iron Maiden vocalist and pilot, Bruce Dickenson.
The movie has some fantastic live footage. It shows the band in their travels, bonding with fans and in their off days doing such activities as taking in a round of golf or playing tennis with a former Wimbledon champion. But what I really like about this movie is it served as a reminder of why I love this band and why they are such a treasure.
One of my favorite lines in the movie is “Iron Maiden never cared about being relevant, which is what makes them so relevant”. So true. Here is a band that rose from an era which metal reigned supreme and even dominated mainstream radio. However, Iron Maiden didn’t score top 40 hits like the many successful bands of the time. They did not bend to commercialism and chose not to write the perfect radio rock song or ballad. Yet they found a huge audience and one of the most enthusiastic fan bases ever, as also documented in this film. What is also worth noting is the appeal of Iron Maiden continues to grow. A very large part of their audience is just as young as they ever were.
The fans that embrace Maiden are a big part of this film. Many scenes at the airports show thousands of adoring and over excited fans trying to get a glimpse of their heroes as they chant loudly...Maiden...Maiden...Maiden! Picture a bunch of teens trying to get a glimpse of the Jonas Brothers and it’s not much different except for the makeup of the audience. Some are actually brought to tears after the concert comes to a close. Perhaps the most humorous part of the film is “Father Iron Maiden”, a man who runs a church and bases his sermons on Iron Maiden lyrics. Oh yeah, and he has over 150 Iron Maiden tattoos. He says he is the world’s biggest Iron Maiden fan and we may have to let him have that title.
I love Iron Maiden’s musicianship, lyrics and energy and this movie captures it all. It is also a rare look into life behind the scenes of an Iron Maiden tour and into the personalities that make up the band and crew. Again, there are no edge of your seat or “OMG moments” in this documentary. It’s just a very cool movie about a very cool band! And there is nothing wrong with that. The movie also comes with a second disc that is a complete Iron Maiden concert. This rocks in itself - turn it up and enjoy!
If only on my next vacation I could fly via Ed Force One!!
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