Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice spoke to Former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley at the Piranha Bar on May 12 2019 in Montreal, Quebec ,Canada. Bayley spoke about his upcoming 25 year anniversary special Iron Maiden set list at their upcoming Summer festivals. Plus the songwriting sessions in his era of Iron Maiden, as well is his new Live in France album.

Watch the interview here:

When asked about his new Live in France album
“Most of the set revolves around my trilogy, the three albums, one story, it’s about a man called William Black. The Live in France cd has songs from the trilogy as well as songs from my Iron Maiden era. Also what I would like to do over the years is, record a studio album, then tour and then at the end of the tour record the set list and put it out as a live album . This is what I would like to do on future tours and this is what the Live in France is all about. ”

When asked what will he do next in terms of a new studio album
“I’m letting the dust settle creatively and see how I feel.The trilogy is over so I am going to see how I feel and go from there on the next studio album but the tour goes on.”

When asked about his special 25 year Iron Maiden anniversary tour set list
“This summer I am doing a special set at all my festival appearances, it’s 25 years since I joined Iron Maiden. I wanted to celebrate this because it’s a real positive anniversary. I really loved being in the band and I’ve learned so many positive things. The songs in the set list will be my era in Iron Maiden from Virtual XI and the X-factor which will be played at festival in the summer. This will be the last time I’ll do that so many Iron Maiden songs together. ”

When asked about the songwriting process of the Iron Maiden songs in his era

Virus
“It was very unusual from all the songs we wrote that the whole band all five of us contributed to the song Virus. Everyone in Iron Maiden contributed to writing of that song and then we recorded it, like we rehearsed it. However we never played that song live with Iron Maiden. Today I do my own version of Virus, my own arrangement that suits me and the band and it is on the new Live in France Album. ”

The Sign of the Cross
“That songs was a huge challenge at the time because it’s such an involved song that no one could remember how the song went.That was the only song we did together where we said we are going to have to piece this together. We recorded this part and then we record the other parts and then we put it all together. And it wasn’t until we actually heard all the song put together that we knew the song was completely fantastic. We played that song live with Iron Maiden many times and it was incredible, it just has such a great atmosphere and vibe to it.

The Clansman
“That’s huge, in so many ways because I remember Steve Harris coming into studio with a bit of paper and he said what do you think of this idea and he just sang it to me very quiet. I said it was amazing and that was the Clansman. Then we rehearsed it all together and it had a real magic about it. I think because of the subject of the song there were a lot of things against Maiden at that time. A lot of promoters had lost confidence, CD sales were down at that time and to be singing that song and the spirit of that song being about freedom and holding on and not knuckling down felt right. Not changing direction. We would really stay true to quality. Sort of stay true to yourself and that was really special and you could never predict the impact of that now, I’m now fascinated. ”

Futureal
“Steve came to me and said he had his fast tempo song idea and if I had any lyrics for it? And I did had these lyrics I had been working on which were based around paranoia and that’s what the lyrics were about. It was fantastic and it was a set opener on the Iron Maiden set list.”

Man on the Edge
“For Man of the Edge I went to Janick Gers home studio where we sat down and we were going through things. That song is based on the movie Falling Down with Michael Douglas. The movie is about a guy pretending to go to work every day because he is ashamed that he’s been fired from his job he’s been let go from his job. It was similar to my life when I was a very young man and I had a paper route every day and I was fired. I was scared of my stepfather and what he would say if he found out it that I didn’t have my paper route anymore. I was scared sick of my father that I went every day at 7 a.m. to give the appearance I was still working. So when I saw the movie Falling down it really resonated with me and my life. It was the first single chosen from the album and the video was great, for me that was the first hit song, top 10 and it was incredible that I had been a part of it. “