If you are one of those lazy bums who just can’t sit through the 1285 words of my previous post on the Maiden Gig in Mumbai, this is for you. And for those Maiden Maniacs like me, this is definitely for you. And for those who missed it, burn , burn, burn in ENVY!!!

The Story in Pictures .
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The Pass

The Prophet

The Place

The Playlist

The Percussions

The People

The Pandemonium

IMPORTANT LINKS:
More Pics at Flickr.
Playlist Pic courtesy Slaytan 666
IMAGE COURTESY: abhijeetkin hpiramal Satya’s Multiply Site

In the beginning, there was darkness. And the Devil said,” Let there be Metal”. So Sir Winston Churchill speaketh, “…. we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender,” and the cymbals hit hard with the guitars riffing. Mumbai screams in unison, the bass commands us to Jump, the lights go haywire, and Bruce Almighty jumps out of nowhere , over the monitors in his army cargos, and orders

“Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live. Aces high.”

I was there. HELL YEAH! I look around to see only one reaction, the headbanging, the fingers closed perfectly to show the devil’s horn and the music taking control. IRON MAIDEN ripped us all apart. And when you just wanted to take a breather, the shredder reveals another killer with the drums rolling to the Anti-War Anthem “2 Minutes to Midnight”. The crowd goes frenzy, and chaos prevails. My first bruise, my first kick on a guy’s back (now his T-Shirt reads the mirror image of Size 9), and even more jumps and pushes. Ladies who were expecting some sort of courtesy and ahem, respect, got the unexpected answers. Hilarious it was, when a lady started to roam around searching for her lost boyfriend, and my pal told her, Auntie, you won’t be able to manage yourself in the first row. It took her not more than two minutes to realize that.

Track 3: The very AC/DC-ish Revelations. The crowd responds as Bruce commands and that’s what you expect at a Maiden gig. Personally, not one of my Maiden favorites, and add to that, the great fall of Sujoy. I do a “Konhi to Konhi” (elbow to elbow) Dance to stand up, to be pushed down furthermore. And before I could even realize, I was at row 10 from the barricade. I somehow managed to get a breather when Dicksinson engaged the crowd with his English English. My dear neighbors thought I had passed out , I replied , not yet!! Yeah right! Unaware of what was coming up next. Track 4: “The Trooper” and you know what that means to “We, the Maiden Maniacs”. How many times have we blasted our stereos with that track, how many times have we airguitared to that riff, and how many times have we been scolded by the nasty neighbour auntie- Mrs.Shukla for making her ears bleed. And to see that song come alive in front of me, can be best described as next to Heaven. The crowd goes O-o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o, and I go completely dry, I mean dehydrated. As Mumbai faces the Charge of the Maiden Metal Brigade, I try to somehow keep myself in senses . And as the song descends, I am yet again doing the Konhi to Konhi dance to find a way to the nearest Pepsi stall. 10 bucks for a glass of water, 30 bucks for a glass of Pepsi. Gulped down, I donno how many. And before I could realize, Maiden had already opened the envelope to “Wasted Years”.

Track 5: The Number of the Beast:

I left alone my mind was blank
I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind
What did I see can I believe that what I saw
that night was real and not just fantasy
Just what I saw in my old dreams were they
reflections of my warped mind staring back at me
Cos in my dreams it’s always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair.

And then the inhuman scream that tears every mortal soul. Bruce Dickinson at 49, pierces through every fucking metalhead’s heart with as much ease as he could always.And if you thought you’d get some time to settle down, behold, coz Run to the Hills was next, and for those who missed the United Chorus of MMRDA’s rendition of Run to the Hills, you’ve missed D-Moment.Talking about the showmanship stunts, Bruce rules with his costume changes, dry Brit humor, and his jumps which would put any athletic teenager to shame. Steve Harris and his stunts with the Bass have always been popular, and he doesn’t disappoint us. Adrian Smith – the most sober, the most calm guitarist ever and makes his job look so easy , even while executing some of Metal’s most complicated guitaring. The next three tracks that followed were- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Powerslave , Heaven Can Wait and Can I play with Madness ( never expected them to play that). Some unexpected additions to the playlist, and the crowd grew more and more impatient to listen to the most awaited song –Fear of the Dark, and as the silence ambience resonated to the four hits by Nicko on the Hi-Hat, the guitars lead the path to the crowd’s hum. The most recognized crowd song comes alive, and Bruce says: Fear of the Dark, You…Fear of the Dark. And then, the British Wave washed us down, and I jumped high with my glass of PEPSI. Spilled it on some bloody mindfuck who pushed me. Neither did I, nor he gave a fuck about it, and as the song rose to a crescendo, all of us sang along the O-o-O-o-O, and my head refused to go along, but the headbanging was inevitable and uncontrollable. I knew I had to save some for Hallowed.

This was the time when I actually so wanted to hear to Phantom of the Opera , or may be Bring your Daughter, which Maiden, surprisingly skipped. But then, how much can you ask for. Dickinson says Good Night, Thank You Mumbai, and we aren’t surprised. Because we all know, NO MAIDEN concert is complete without Hallowed, and so before even the most ignorant Maiden Maniac started screaming “Maiden ..Maiden”, we all knew that the Band is gonna come back for their encore. And yes they were.Track 13: Iron Maiden: Eddie is brought back to life, as the 12 feet cyborg Eddie walks around in his “Somewhere in Time” avatar with his muscular system showing and his gun in hand. Mr.Harris lets his bass rest against Eddie’s gun (see below). Now that’s Diabolic.

Moonchild and Clairvoyant play next, and all I can NOT feel now is my legs. Bruce Dickinson continues to go Higher and Higher and run and jump around. GOD, what does he eat (or rather DRINK)? And then…. the final nail in the coffin, the last blow, the Bazooka… as the Bell Rings and Darkness prevails, there comes a blue light, and an image singing to ME-

I’m waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime, Reflecting on my past life and it doesn’t have much time.

And as Dickinson goes from running Looooowwwwwwww to Hiiiiigh…the song ascends to a level which cannot be experienced anywhere else but a Maiden concert.

I stay numb, helpless, not understanding what to do, and awestruck by the sheer power of Metal that can make so many lonely souls, who have been complaining about their mundane daily routines of 9 to 6 jobs, come together and exhale the same emotion and experience the same state of mind, simultaneously. Hallowed Be Thy Name marked the end of the first concert of the Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, but the Metal was far from over. As I walked out of the venue, I see around smiles, angry faces and happy faces and well, T-Shirts soaked in sweat and dirt all emoting “Hell Yeah! I JUST FUCKING SAW MAIDEN LIVE”. If you weren’t there, where the fuck were you? Dream realized! End of Story. Peace!

Coming Up Next: The Story in Pictures.

Prelude: It all begins at the Volvo stand of Pune, near Nandu’s Paratha house, on Jan 31st, the day before the gig. Or is it, umm, Jan 21st, Planet M, MG Road, when I bought the tickets? Screw it. The excitement all began with the first rumors that emerged on various online forums that the Devil’s Official Children-Iron Maiden were coming, yet again, to make our ears bleed and reign our souls with their Metal-this time, not so far from here. I reached Mumbai on the 31st at 1:00 am, thanks to Neeta Volvo’s extremely “relaxed” pace.

Feb 1 Morning:10:00 am. Shit!Shit!Shit! Waking up to a Stomach Upset on a Maiden Concert day. Things weren’t as “green” as I wished they were. I mean the day. I had to rush for breakfast, coz I wanted to reach the venue ASAP. Had Chole Bhature for Breakfast cum Lunch and two glasses of water. Took a Bath, got into the Auto, oh yeah! got dressed, not in that order. Auto Waala was Shaana and knew that I didn’t know squat about Mumbai. So he took me for a RIDE. Ghatkopar West se Bandra Kurla ke beech main 3 flyovers paar kiya. ( He crossed 3 flyovers from Ghatkopar West to Bandra Kurla). And so I reached BKC somehow, amidst all the chaos of Kurla. The Namaaz was going as usual; the Mikes were playing the usual Himmess. And the crowd as busy and lost in the hustle- no one with any idea of the Mayhem that was about to get unleashed. But then, as I approached the venue, things seemed a little more familiar. Auto Rickshaws, Cars, and People Walking towards a Banner that read- To Iron Maiden Concert Venue. And before I knew, I had my devil’s horn on my right hand.

As I stepped out of the Auto and paid him his unworthy 102 bucks, I looked around, and all I could see was Black. No, not as in skin color. C’mon, me not racist! Black as in Uniform. Seemed like March of the Penguins, with denims and cargos below. Almost all of them read Iron Maiden, quite obviously. But then there were certain exceptions too with the very rare appearances of Black Sabbath, GnR, Nirvana, Metallica and even Pink Floyd! What made me wonder was, the variety in the prints of the Maiden T-Shirts itself. I could hardly find any two T-Shirts having the same print. And then I realised, I should stop thinking about it. I was surrounded by an Army of MetalHeads, no Maiden Heads, a proper Eddie Regiment. But yeah, as usual, nothing pisses me more than the fake posing junta that throng such events. I’m talking about the whore-leather booted, micro-minies, black-gothic kaajal, and black nail-polished “woman” flaunting their tempo-tattoos. And yeah, that goes for the guys too! I mean c’mon. Get a life!

4 HOURS TO MAIDEN:

I had the tickets in my hand, and was guarding it with my life as I stood in the queue braving the sunlight, waiting for my friend. And he calls me up to ask for my co-ordinates. I asked him,”What are you wearing?”. And then I realised, that’s why they call me D-Moron. And as you can see from the Picture above, if an aeroplance flew over BKC at that very moment, all they could see was a piece of earth turned completely black. What they failed to notice was that, that piece of earth was now soaked in Maiden Mania, and may be a little Beer too in the queue. I finally managed to locate my friend, and as the gates opened, we rushed to the barricades. Just missed the first row, and we were happy to be in the third row. Well for the time being! And as expected, bloody noisy soundchecks which ticked me off. Parikrama doing Soundcheck. Can’t hear Nitin’s vocals, neither Sonam’s lead. But ain’t bothered. That band from Chennai, Nervewreck, came and went, ain’t bothered. The crowd continues to daunt my confidence to sustain my position in the thrid row. The pushes increase, and the First Fall of the 3rd Row happens. Thankfully, zero casualties.

3 HOURS TO MAIDEN :

First Opening Act: Nervewreck. The same old Alternative Formula sound. They were tight no doubt. But, when you go to a Maiden gig, do you expect your mind to be as accepting as say, a Campus Rock finale. NO! Unless, well you are the next Metallica to take Ozzfest by storm. Won’t waste time by talking about Nervewreck. Only thing mentionable. The crowd went “Hare Raam..Hare Raam, Hare Krishna Hare Raam” (from the Bhul Bhulaiya Soundtrack) on one of their tracks. It was me who started that, and I feel so proud to have been comfortably fit in that into the song’s groove. Collars UP! My friend asks me- How the Fish do they maintain such good and silky hair-style? Look at mine. My reply- Dabur Amla Kesh Tail.( Didn’t sponsor the event, nor this post). Anyway, NEXT!

Lauren Harris- the chick born to -the Steve Harris -the Bassist. Okay, I’ll talk in syllables to describe her band. I hope you get this. Hot Chick- No one Listens-Her Music- Everyone Stares-You Know Where- Hot Leather Pants- Could Count Her Veins on …- Perfectly Shaped Bunnies- Not So Perfectly Shaved Armpits- Rock Chick Formula of Swaying- Bassist straight out from Motley Crue/Poison/Any Glam Metal Band-Only Thing Missing was Panty Hose-Purple Bass with Silver Star-Guitarist–>Zakk Wylde Clone- Drummer–>Some Old Blonde fighting with His Baldness, but hasn’t forgotten “her” Roots. Songs – Umm, something that had to do with, I want YOU, and she climbing up the Monitors and Jumping, and Shaking Her Booty and her well-conditioned Hair, and shouting Mumbai-how are you doing? You know it. All of THAT! NEXT! And sorry guys, no Pics.

Enter PARIKRAMA. Fourth time opening for the Metal Lords. But man, they have come such a long way from the last time I saw them perform live in 2005. An all original set- all kickass songs. How I want the album to get released! “In the Middle” kicks start their set. Rhythm n Blues- my favorite track, follows. By now, am surrounded by a wall of hard rock, and a Berlin Wall of nervewrecking sweaty smell. Soaked in sweat, smelling the dirt, trying to raise my mose to breathe in a fresh breathe of air, only to inhale another draft of exhaled weed. Cough!Cough! And before I could realis, Parikrama were playing their Countdown song-But it Rained. Imraan on Violins just kicks ass. But yeah! I was totaly not in the mood of hearing anything else but Maiden. They play another song -Tears of the Wizard based on Gandalf ala LOTR. Awesome groove man, especially the climax with the Violins and Sonam’s Les Paul doing a Jugalbandhi. And well, Chintan on the bass goes mad and starts playing the bass like percussion, literally. No tapping or slapping, just beating the strings like you’d play a bongo. Ok, now that I’ve let Parikrama tak up enough space, I’m just gonna shut my mouth, on Parikrama ie, and let you know, that it was still almost 45 minutes after Parikrama finished their set, until the METAL of MAIDEN was unleashed.

And what exactly did we do until then? We were fed to the commercials eh! One of the management guy had his 15 seconds of fame by making himself look like Michael Kaemen as the crowd sang to the tunes of the Reliance Mobile Commercial,” You got the Whole World in your Hands”. DNA kept reminding that they have been organising all these events for the last couple of years; round of applause!!!! And SRK and John Abraham on that Pepsi-My Can ad-More on that Ad, may be later (for now, the Ad just sucks). And well, can you believe, even after we all survived the boredom of Nervewreck, when I actually started to have hopes that there wouldn’t be any stampedes or wreckless pushing, me hopes got crushed with my legs, as a lump of 120 kilos rested his arse on my right leg horizontally, with no signs of becoming vertical. Kicked him with my left leg (thank God for my Class 8th Football Games), and managed to get out my right leg just in time. The song is getting louder, and I can barely see the translucent image of the shining cymbals behind the Black Screen. I can see the Huge Backdrop Painting of Eddie and I can also see the crowd ready to be more hostile and metal than ever before. Because what was next, was not for the faint hearted;because what was next was something we will tell our children as -We were There;because what was next, was IRON MAIDEN-First Gig of the Somewhere Back in Time-World Tour.

Next Up:- Mayhem at Maiden- Metal:Somewhere Back in Time