Bruce Dickinson @ Copenhell 2024
Something old, something new...
Seeing as how Bruce Dickinson is the lead singer of Iron goddamn Maiden and all, it seems to me that his solo career is somewhat overlooked. Especially given the high quality of most of his output by far.
As such, this year's "The Mandrake Project" is one of the most expected albums of 2024 among fans, its masterful predecessor "Tyranny of Souls" hailing all the way back to 2005. I mean, that's some Axl Rose-level shit right there.
And even though his newest release doesn't manage to live up to its 19-year-old sibling, it still makes for an occasion to get the Bruce back on the road with his solo material. For years, some of us have been anticipating this more than a new Maiden album.
To get it outta the way up front, it's impossible for a man like Bruce to deliver anything less than a good concert, whether or not his bass player is Steve Harris. Speaking of which, in his current solo group, his bass player is gorgeous, dreadlocked, spandex-clad Tanya O'Callaghan who's also in Whitesnake. Yeah, I'd give her babies if she asked me to.
Anyway, one major point of criticism is exactly that Bruce as a solo artist is so overlooked, making for a sparse turnout. I'm fine with the fact that he's only getting Copenhell's second-biggest stage, but how is the inner barrier only half as packed as it was for Gloryhammer two years ago??
On the plus side, though, perhaps the relatively low attendance makes for a bit of a fittingly more humble Bruce than we're used to, cracking jokes and requesting us to scream for him as usual, but not, for example, bitching about the camera crane like he did last time he was here.
I must admit that I haven't been revisiting his solo albums as much as I'd have liked to. As such, I have a bit of a hard time recalling some of tonight's songs. One lovely revisit, though, is the sneering heaviness of "Laughing in the Hiding Bush", one of the better songs from the otherwise a bit uneven and disregarded "Balls to Picasso" ('94). Another is the soaring gallop of set closer "Darkside of Aquarius", showcasing more than most other inclusions the main character's tremendous vocal faculty, his voice magically seeming more steady and powerful tonight than in years. Shit, he's singing better than at several Maiden shows I've seen.
It's impossible for a man like Bruce to deliver anything less than a good concert, whether or not his bass player is Steve Harris.
The arguable climax would have to be the title track from the man's arguable magnum opus, the universally acclaimed "The Chemical Wedding" ('98). The crowd is one big singalong; the release of a decades-long wait among several of us is palpable in the air. And as the intertextual "The Alchemist" throwbacks to said title track, this is a small glimpse into the creative genius of tonight's main character.
As for the newer inclusions, they're expectable, and they work as well as possible. Like my trusty guest reviewer rightly said about "Afterglow of Ragnarok", it's more of an afterglow than it is the fires of the dying gods and giants. But "Rain on the Graves", the definite peak of "Mandrake...", is a high point as well, its equal parts dramatic and memorable hook line complementing a heavier-than-thou Black Sabbath feel.
The greatest and most merciless point of criticism: Since this is a festival set, they cut it short. No encore. No fucking "Tears of the Dragon". Everyone's been talking about this – before, during, and after the show. That is a minor goddamn scandal right there, and it detracts from my rating. Especially seeing as how the Bruce spends precious time messing around with a goddamn theremin, and the band, for that matter, spends precious time messing around with that cover of Edgar Winter Group's "Frankenstein".
There are other songs I'm missing as well, though. As one out of apparently no other people whatsoever, I personally consider "Tyranny of Souls" as great of an album as "Chemical Wedding". Imagine how its title track would absolutely slay in a live set. Imagine experiencing the majestic thunder of songs like "River of No Return" or "Kill Devil Hill" right in your dumbass face. But no. Because apparently, it's more important for the booking department at Copenhell to have a big name on the bill than to acknowledge and respect said name as the legend it is by giving it the time it deserves.
So, yeah: This is a bitchy as I can get while still giving a positive rating. Here's to hoping it won't happen again.
Rating: 4.5 out of 6
Genre: Heavy metal
Venue: Copenhell, Hades stage
Date: Wed., June 19th, 2024
Setlist:
- Accident of Birth
- Abduction
- Laughing in the Hiding Bush
- Afterglow of Ragnarok
- Chemical Wedding
- Resurrection Men
- Rain on the Graves
- Frankenstein (Edgar Winter cover)
- Book of Thel
- The Alchemist
- Darkside of Aquarius