The Science of Sleep

Its pretty simple, apparently

Running To The Hills- Iron Maiden Razor Review Inclusive

I know its going to come as a great shock to most of you, but I went to Iron Maiden last week.

It was more than just a gig however, it was a story that took a whole weekend to unfold, after waiting a lifetime for the opportunity to see the band that I have constantly been blown away by since I started listening to music some 25 years ago.

The first highlight was getting involved with the Maiden Fan Club who had organised a bus trip on gig day as a fundraiser for Canteen, to fight cancer affecting kids. What a cause. We even got some kids into the gig, preferential seats, backstage, etc. They deserve every good thing we can give them, what a privilege to be involved.

The first mission was on Saturday to meet the crew of "Ed Force Two" as our bus was lovingly christened, and pick up my t-shirt, et al. Josh and Jordan came along, and did a great job of sweet talking a couple of young blonde lasses. Problems ahead in 15 years I fear....

From there Saturday night morphed into a very nice dinner for Paul who was back from OZ for the weekend. And then out on the town...never before have so many Iron Maiden T-shirts been present in downtown Christchurch. What a night. We even ran into Tall Paul...tramping buddy from the Jaffabowl, who I have a habit of running into in the most unexpected situations!



Ah....the Crew :) As always thats Razor in the thick of it.

This guy from Sweden had the dudes from KISS tattooed on him, thats devotion above and beyond...

So anyway, gig day. People had come from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Australia, and I'm sure many other places just to see the tour. The devotion of Maiden fans is up there with that of the top British soccer clubs, its just complete madness! We had two buses on Sunday, Ed Force Two and Three and did the rounds of ChCh for several hours, including a surreal BBQ at Scarborough where a Brass Band just happened to be playing. Lets just say we weren't sure how popular 100 Iron Maiden Fans were in this setting, but the good folk there really pitched in to the Canteen Fundraising. Hats off.

Eventually it was gig time, and after a long and entertaining drive across ChCh in Ed Force Two (you heard us before you saw us) we set about auctioning off everything that wasn't bolted to the bus, and then in we went. The Obligatory Warm Up Act from ChCh, Tainted, played a solid set. Lauren Harris, Daughter of the Maiden bass player Steve Harris followed with a very tight set- and her guitar player is I swear the spitting double of Zakk Wylde.

Then the main event. I won't dismember it song by song, but suffice to say the sold out Westpac Arena spent 2 and a quarter hours in complete and utter awe. I had high expectations, and they were all met. Some wag wrote in the media that the only problem with the gig was that its going to be impossible to go to any other gigs this year as the bar has been set so high. I completely endorse that statement!

There were more pyrotechnics than I thought possible, especially indoors- at one point they pretty much had the whole stage on fire. Bruce had the crowd in the palm of his hand for the entire set- there aren't many frontsmen in rock who carry that sort of charisma. Loved his two fingered verbal salute to the establishment hot on the heels of Maiden being named "Best Live Act" at the Brit Awards.

All the expected songs were there, outrageous guitars, the galloping bass of the finest technician of the rock world, and Nicko hidden behind his drum kit going berserk for the whole set.

In a nutshell, they delivered the perfect gig. My highlights? Hard to nail out anything in the mix of excellence, but Phantom of the Opera, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner and Hallowed Be Thy Name were my personal high notes among many.

And the best news, they are coming back in 2010/11!

I'm going to stop before I lose my entire blog readership from boredom, but this was special. A concert of a lifetime.

So it has been written, so it has been done. :)

UP THE IRONS!!!!!

Razor Rating: THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE

No I Haven't Been Kidnapped By Iron Maiden

Although the option of a flight to Easter Island with Captain Dickinson was tempting...

No I've actually been away in Dunedin for work and training hard for the Motutapu, and in between having some quality family time.

Review coming tonight for those who were asking!

It's Official- Maiden are the Best!

Just as Ed Force One touches down in Auckland, hot off the press we hear that Iron Maiden have taken out the Award for the Best International Live Act at the British Music Awards. They beat out the bedwetters in Coldplay, The Verve, Scouting For Girls and Elbow to take this prestigious gong.

Three more sleeps and I get to see it all for myself!

Up the Irons!

They dared to go where eagles .....

The Boys First Crusaders Game

Well that box is ticked.

Josh and Jordan have now been to first up wins by the Canterbury Cricket team and now on Saturday they added the Crusaders into the mix. First game for Toddy as coach, first game for the boys. They loved it...all from the luxury of the Corporate Lounge of course!

Couple of other pics included just for fun :)

Spare a thought for Victoria

This video clip on the Sydney Morning Herald is perhaps the single most frightning piece of imagery I have seen of the devastation over the ditch.

And to think that some piece of excrement deliberately caused this, its completely overwhelming.

The wheels on the bus go round and round

One week till Maiden....getting excited now!!!

It looks like I've secured a seat on "Ed Force Two", a fleet of buses that will be travelling around the NZ venues the day of the gigs...and raising money for Canteen, to help the good fight agaisnt kids cancer. What a stunning cause.

Meanwhile, look for Captain Bruce Dickinson who will be piloting "Ed Force One" through your skies very very soon.....

Life is hard at 9.5 months

I'm not sure what the joke was....probably laughing at Dad being a spastic again

It would be good to tap into that uncomplicated enthusiasm for life that wee ones have for all of our three score and ten years though, don't you think?

A Moment of Introspection

Well another weekend ripped by with two 30 degree days. Took the boys out for runs on both days, had a yum lunch in at the long lost SOL Square and revelled in watching the cheating Australians get tipped up by the Black Caps last night. Marvellous stuff.

However, not so good to turn up to work today and hear of the death of a colleague, drowned in the Rakaia River mouth on Friday in a fishing accident. He was a genuine man of the land, like me someone lucky enough to be able to combine his career with his passion for the outdoors.

People say sometimes at least they were doing something they loved. But at only 58 years and with so many things to achieve, well words don't really say it.

However out of such events it serves to remind how important it is to keep living life and following your passions. We are supremely lucky in NZ that if you are into the outdoors everything is only just up the road, whether it be mountains, lakes, rivers, whatever.

A couple of weeks ago I watched an amazing movie that double underlines all this called "Into The Wild." Its a true story with a sad finish but an inspirational message. As my good mate Wazza alluded to recently, if theres a story that sums up how my fabric, nature and motivations are driven by Aotearoa's incredible backyard, then its that amazing tale, although it has to be said the personal motivations of Mr McCandless were extreme, selfish and wrong in regards to his notion of family- not something I'd respect in a person at all.

So, without being preachy folks, don't forget to follow your passions and keep on rocking.