Wanted: Tour Reports

I am looking for concert goers and Maiden authors! For various reasons I do not hold a ticket for the current tour (yet?). So I am looking for reports and opinion pieces I can publish in here. I am looking for stuff like: How well did this weird mix of Japanese themed and Christian church …

Off-Topic: Veteran Fencing Championship

This is somewhat off-topic, my apologies. Rumour has it that Bruce Dickinson will participate in a veteran fencing championship in Germany in late May. I have indeed located such an event, the European Veteran Team Fencing Championship in Hamburg, 25. - 29. 05. 2022 and, to my big surprise, my further inquiries revealed that the …

The Shakespeare Quote Shunned by the BBC

Did you know that... The BBC shunned a Shakespeare quote? True story. This bit is one of my favourites in the history of Iron Maiden. I am talking about no other song than "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter" (No Prayer for the Dying, 1990) which started out as a solo song by Bruce Dickinson …

Alphabetical Index and Hashtag

FYI, this blog has now an alphabetical index of the songs mentioned in here. Check it out! I have also branded the hashtag #aircraftalbatrossandabeast.

Urizenic Restrictions

I am proud to say that my research article on "Gates of Urizen" and William Blake's The [First] Book of Urizen was accepted by Blake / an Illustrated Quarterly, a scholary peer-reviewed journal. However, my article will be behind a paywall for the next couple of years, that is why I kept the link from …

Old Testament, New Testament, and the Archive of Dickinson’s Lyrics

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSINThe Bible, NIV, Daniel, 5 In case these four words puzzle you, you are in good company. The same happened to king Belshazzar. These four words are nothing but the original "writing on the wall." The song "The Writing on the Wall" (Senjustu, 2021) is no less complex than the eponymous inscription …

Guest Article: London: A Legacy – A Maiden London Walking Tour (abridged)

I am thrilled to say that I can present something very special today: a Maiden themed self-guided city walk through London! This is an abridged version; to access the full version (for free), please visit London Beyond Time and Place. As mentioned before, I have teamed up with Philipp Röttgers of London Beyond Time and …

Guest Article for “London Beyond Time and Place”

I've written an article on how Maiden function as ambassadors of the English culture for London Beyond Time and Place. PS: This is an exchange project, which means that we will get something cool in return. Stay tuned. Update: Click here for a Maiden themed self-guided city walk through London.

Medieval History: Mysticism, Gnosticism, and the Siege of a Castle Atop a Mountain in Southern France

“Montségur” (Dance of Death, 2003) is not only based on a historical event, namely the siege of a castle in France of the same name followed by a massacre, but also the myths surrounding it. As I will show, it is as well deeply rooted in the belief system of the Cathars, the owners of …

Chess in Music

The title of the single “Stratego” (Senjutsu, 2021) reminds of the game of the same name, which is a version of chess in the meaning that it is played by two, is coined by strategy, and involves pawns inspired by elements of war. It was also a picture of this board game which was used …