METAL greats Iron Maiden have clocked up half a century of heavy-duty music — but still play like rockers a quarter their age.
They kicked off the UK leg of their on Saturday to mark ’s 50th anniversary.
At one point, guitarist Janick Gers — who is two years off 70 — had his foot up on an amp that was higher than his shoulder.
Then he was spinning the guitar around his neck before pointing it towards the sold-out crowd at ’s Utilita Arena like a weapon, as bassist Steve Harris provided rhythmic perfection next to him.
Eddie, the band’s mascot, also put in a shift and was stalking across the stage left, right and centre as the metallers thrashed through their 17-song set.
Ahead of the shows, frontman promised fans the concerts would “put a smile on your face and a cheer in your throat”;.
And Maiden did that in spades.
As I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with head-banging fans of all ages, a shirtless man ran from the sound deck towards the front of the stage and screamed: “I would die for metal.”;
And I don’t doubt it, as the band whipped the crowd further into a frenzy with tracks including Wrathchild, Number Of The Beast, Powerslave and Two Minutes To Midnight.
The set list is packed with proper treats for Maiden fans.
The band kicked off the show with Murders In The Rue Morgue, then later played Killers — tracks they haven’t performed live since their Ed Hunter Tour 26 years ago.
Visually, the show was among the most impressive I’ve seen recently, opening with the backdrop of the old streets some of them grew up in.
Classics such as Run To The Hills had the crowd screaming so loudly their energy seemed to push the band on more.
Bruce then dressed as a prisoner sprinting up a staircase, running from a ghost, while Hallowed Be Thy Name played.
Epics such as Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son and Rime Of The Ancient Mariner showcased the group’s musicianship, before they kicked off the first song of the encore, Aces High.
There were mind-blowing visuals of Spitfire battles blasting around behind them.
Vocally, Bruce was on fire.
And given he barely stood still, the show was a masterclass for rising stars who can only dream of emulating the energy and talent he has perfected on stage over the decades.
As well as roaring rock, the band made a point of paying tribute to their longtime drummer Nicko McBrain, who .
And they took the opportunity to introduce new man Simon Dawson, who thrashed the skins so hard from start to finish I’m amazed he didn’t break his kit.
Every show on Iron Maiden’s UK and Ireland run is sold out, with the band selling just over a million tickets for the European leg.
If you’re lucky enough to have a seat at one of the shows, strap yourselves in and get ready for the ride of your life.
It is insanely good.
DANNY IN THE WIGHT MOOD
FRESH from his honeymoon in Greece, The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue was still on cloud nine ahead of the group’s performance at the .
He said of his romantic getaway with : “I’m blessed. I’m a big history buff and it was gorgeous.
“If I wasn’t in the band, I’d be trying to be travelling around anyway.”;
In our exclusive backstage chat, Danny also said his had helped him become a better musician, adding: “I used to get so nervous at festivals.
“There were just so many famous people around and I thought if I got drunk, I’d find some courage. But that never happened.
“I’d have a few beers and l go into myself and want to leg it from the festival.
“Although I’ve made these changes, very few others have, so I still find people I know asleep under tables at these things.”;
They were joined at the festival by acts including Stereophonics, Busted, Razorlight, Amy Macdonald and Sting – who was spotted jumping on the ferry with punters to get to the island.
Last night, Justin Timberlake, Jess Glynne, Texas and Olly Mursrounded off an epic event.
SAM NAN ZOMBIE FILM HELP
ACTOR Sam Locke’s nan was the secret weapon for helping him get a role in Danny Boyle’s brilliant new film, .
He makes his big-screen debut in the zombie horror.
The Welshman popped in to see his grandparents when the call came to shoot an audition tape, and they sprung into action.
Sam said: “My nan read in for the roles.
“I was sitting with my grandfather and he was telling me, ‘If you don’t get the role, don’t be dis-heartened’.
“About ten minutes afterwards my agent rang with the confirmation.
“There was a lot of excitement.”;
Sam revealed he had to be at peak fitness to take on the walking dead, and said: “Luckily, I’m quite active anyway.
“But we had a week of stunt training and that pretty much trained our endurance.
“It helped us gel together.”;
MILEY POPS UP IN SHOP
MILEY CYRUS thrilled fans when she made a surprise appearance at an East London record store.
She was joined by at the Rough Trade shop.
They popped in to sign copies of their single, Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved, on Saturday.
For one night only this Friday, fans can see ’s film Something Beautiful, which accompanies her album of the same name, when it hits cinemas.
I can reveal she blew the budget on the wardrobe for the production, in which she wears a total of 17 outfits.
The film includes videos for every track, along with a cameo by Naomi.
Their song has given pals a laugh, as Naomi says the line: “She never wears a watch, still she’s never late”; – but the model is notoriously never on time.
CHARLI’S DUA DUET
DUA LIPA delighted fans at the second night of her Wembley gig by bringing out .
Dressed in a white lace bodysuit, Dua beamed as she performed her guest’s party track, 360.
Meanwhile, Charli kept things more simple with a white top, tiny shorts and sunglasses.
Bizarre exclusively revealed last week that Charli was being lined up for a special appearance.
Our Jack was in the crowd and he says it was the highlight of the night.
After a short break, Dua will play two gigs at Anfield in Liverpool later this week.
Meanwhile, at Glastonbury this weekend.
SABRINA AND TYLA ARE WINNING CHOICE
TYLA looked sensational on the red carpet ahead of her hosting duties during the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in LA.
who will bring her show to the All Points East festival in London in August, fronted the ceremony, where was the big winner.
She took Favourite Song for Taste, Favourite Female Breakout Artist and Favourite Album for Short n’ Sweet.
Sabrina acknowledged her risque image while accepting the awards in a video message.
The chart-topper, who has come under fire for her raunchy outfits and lyrics, said: “I’ve always wanted one of these ever since I was a little girl.
“This is so special to me and I just can’t thank each and every one of you enough for voting.
“I will continue to make these clean versions of these songs for you.”;
