Tuesday, 07 January 2025 06:08

Exclusive Live Show Review: Bruce Dickinson At The Observatory With Night Demon

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Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project https://www.themandrakeproject.com

By John Ivan

I could never say that I used to be a huge Iron Maiden fan, but when I learned that my old-time friend Mistheria, A.K.A.  Giuseppe Iampieri, the mastermind behind Vivaldi Metal Project, is playing keyboards with the great Bruce Dickinson on his 2024 tour in support of Bruce’s new album, “The Mandrake Project,” and they will be playing one of their very first shows of the tour at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA on April 15th, I just couldn’t miss it!

An even bigger surprise hit me when I read that Brian Wilson (Night Demon, Hellwitch, Yngwie Malmsteen), an exceptionally talented drummer, with whom I collaborated on “Never Give Up” feat. Nick Z Marino music video is playing with the Night Demon, a supporting act for Bruce Dickinson on that one and only announced U.S. show!

Seeing two of my good friends and colleagues on such a rare and totally unexpected occasion was just one chance in a million, considering my own life's turbulence and moves around the world in recent years, and I can only see it as some kind of a special sign for something very cool and exciting to happen.

The sold-out show at The Observatory in Santa Ana was preceded by two absolutely surprising gigs at the legendary Whisky a Go Go club in West Hollywood, California, that were rocking the venue on Friday, April 12th, and Saturday, April 13th, billed in total secrecy as “The House Band from Hell,” giving Bruce Dickinson a kick-off start for his first solo tour in 22 years since his appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany back in 2002.  Such intrigue created an extra buzz and electricity in the air in anticipation of seeing Dickinson and set the pace for the entire tour.

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Live photos: John Ivan, Dima Shkarovetskiy

When I got to The Observatory, the venue was completely packed with California metalheads ready to shake the room. The show started with the power trio Night Demon, with my buddy Brian behind the drum kit, setting the stage ablaze with their stirring performance. With high-octane energy and raw intensity, Night Demon took control over the audience's attention from start to finish, igniting mosh pits and headbanging frenzies as they delivered a relentless onslaught of riff-driven raw and explosive heavy metal. Their dynamic stage presence and infectious energy heated up the air, creating a thrilling atmosphere and leaving fans exhilarated and primed for the main course.

After Demon's seven-track steel melting warm-up, the stage became lit in cosmic green, and the deep voice from the late 60’s "The Invaders" tv show was heard, “Now, David Vincent knows that the Invaders Areas here, that they have taken human form.  Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun…” which seamlessly faded into “Toltec 7 Arrival” as a prelude to pounding riffs of “Accident of Birth.” 

This title song of Dickinson’s 1997 album opened a sixteen-song set that spanned through his entire solo career, which, besides hits from aforementioned “Accident of Birth,” included Bruce’s all-time classics from “Balls to Picasso” (1994), “The Chemical Wedding,” (1998), “Tyranny of Souls,” (2005), and, of course, four compositions from the very new “The Mandrake Project” album, debuted live - “Afterglow of Ragnarok,” “Many Doors to Hell,” “Resurrection Men,” and “Rain on The Graves.”

Bruce Dickinson Live at The Observatory With Night Demon Part 1 

“The Mandrake Project” released on March 1st, 2024, is a narrative concept piece written by Bruce Dickinson and described as a "dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius.” The album is paired with a 12-issue comic book series from Z2 Comics scripted by Tony Lee and vividly illustrated by Staz Johnson. 

“What is the Mandrake Project?” Bruce Dickinson proclaims from the stage and fires up the “Afterglow of Ragnarok,” an overture to the suite with opening lines, “I am your very soul, The one you do not know, I am the truth that's playing hide and seek…”

As the story unfolds, Dickinson introduces “Many Doors to Hell,” a story about a female vampire who is “fed up with sucking blood, and she just wants to get laid, and have a fuck, and have an orgasm, and live through her life!”

View the embedded image gallery online at:
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Live photos: John Ivan, Dima Shkarovetskiy

As the show climbs to its climax, Bruce Dickinson and the band enthrall the crowd with a jaw-dropping rendition of The Edgar Winter Group’s 9-minute classic "Frankenstein," with the absolutely blasting drum solo by powerful Dave Moreno and stunning Bruce’s performance on percussions and an absolutely astonishing virtuoso soloing on theremin, bringing this timeless masterpiece to an entirely new level.

While getting closer to the conclusion of the evening, the fans were treated to a beautiful operatic power ballad, "Gods of War" (Balls to Picasso, 1994), an emotionally charged "The Alchemist" (The Chemical Wedding, 1998), followed with stormy  "Darkside of Aquarius" (Accident of Birth, 1997), giving us an exhilarating 3-song encore, finishing with a dexterously complicated tune "The Tower" (The Chemical Wedding, 1998). And no, bassist Tanya O'Callaghan did not break her fingers, completely killing it with her unprecedented precision and speed.      

Experiencing such a mega star in an intimate club setting is always very special when the arena rock power has been thrown at you by a true master like the great Bruce Dickinson. The legendary “Iron Maiden” frontman projected unparalleled energy and conveyed endurance and commanding stage presence throughout the entire program, infused with exhilarating classic heavy metal drive, and showcasing his signature voice in the full range and strength, belting out those high notes like never before, cementing his status as a multi-generational metal icon.

Bruce Dickinson Live at The Observatory Part 2 - Frankenstein

The line-up of Dickinson's powerhouse band, which he introduced as The Mandrake Project, besides already mentioned Italian maestro Mistheria on keyboards, included an amazing bass virtuoso Tanya O'Callaghan (Whitesnake, Dee Snider, Nuno Bettencourt, Orianthi, Michael Angelo Batio, and others), teamed with the legendary drummer Dave Moreno (Puddle of Mudd, and more), and on guitars are Philip Näslund, a multi-platinum certified Swedish-American producer and songwriter (Pitbull, Bad Wolves, Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big, and Daddy Yankee), and session and touring artist from Switzerland Chris Declercq (Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), Dizzy Reed (Guns N' Roses), Josh Freese (Foo Fighters, A Perfect Circle), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, David Lee Roth)).

Their performance was just mind-blowing. Despite the absence of long-time collaborator Roy Z, the band's chemistry was undeniable, creating a sonic assault that left the crowd exhilarated and craving more. The show was nothing short of electrifying as they thrashed and shredded their way through Dickinson's solo material with unparalleled intensity. Their dynamic stage presence and relentless energy left the headbangers in total craze, solidifying their status as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of heavy metal.

View the embedded image gallery online at:
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Photos: John Ivan, Dima Shkarovetskiy

Bruce Dickinson Setlist — April 15, 2024

1. "Accident of Birth" (Accident of Birth, 1997)

2. "Abduction" (Tyranny of Souls, 2005)

3. "Laughing in the Hiding Bush" (Balls to Picasso, 1994)

4. "Afterglow of Ragnarok" (The Mandrake Project, Live debut, April 12th)

5. "Chemical Wedding" (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)

6. "Many Doors to Hell" (The Mandrake Project, Live debut, April 12th)

7. "Tears of the Dragon" (Balls to Picasso, 1994)

8. "Resurrection Men" (The Mandrake Project, Live debut, April 12th)

9. "Rain on the Graves" (The Mandrake Project, Live debut, April 12th)

10. "Frankenstein" (The Edgar Winter Group Cover)

11. "Gods of War" (Balls to Picasso, 1994)

12. "The Alchemist" (The Chemical Wedding, 1998, Live debut, April 12th)

13. "Darkside of Aquarius" (Accident of Birth, 1997)

 

Encore:

14. “Navigate the Seas of the Sun” (Tyranny of Souls, 2005, Live debut)

15. "Book of Thel" (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)

16. "The Tower" (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)

Bruce Dickinson Touring Band / The Mandrake Project:

Chris Declerq (guitar)

Philip Naslund (guitar)

Tanya O'Callaghan (bass)

Dave Moreno (drums)

Mistheria (keyboards)

ABOUT Bruce Dickinson

+Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project

Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He has fronted the band in two separate periods: from 1981 to 1993 and from 1999 to the present, making a successful solo career along the way. Renowned for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and dynamic stage presence, Dickinson has become an iconic figure in heavy metal music.

Outside of music, Bruce Dickinson has explored various ventures. He worked as a commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines, even captaining Iron Maiden's tour plane, Ed Force One. After Astraeus closed, he founded Cardiff Aviation for aircraft maintenance and pilot training. From 2002 to 2010, Dickinson hosted a radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music and has presented TV documentaries. He’s also authored novels and film scripts, created a beer with Robinsons Brewery, and competed in international fencing.

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ABOUT Night Demon

https://www.nightdemon.net/

For more than a decade, Night Demon have defiantly flown the flag of traditional heavy metal, unwavering in the face of shifting industry trends and unscarred by global calamities. With new album OUTSIDER, the band have challenged themselves musically and lyrically, pushing creative boundaries and evolving their sound far beyond their NWOBHM-worshiping origins into something truly singular. 

Night Demon Lineup:

Armand John Anthony - Lead Guitar, Jarvis Leatherby - Bass/Vocals, Brian Wilson- Drums 

Night Demon Setlist — April 15, 2024

1. Outsider

2. Screams in the Night

3. Escape From Beyond

4. The Howling Man

5. Dawn Rider

6. The Chalice

7. Night Demon

 

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Published in Rock, Prog-Rock, Metal
Published in Rock, Prog-Rock, Metal
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John Ivan

John Ivan is an internationally acclaimed progressive and thrash metal guitarist and songwriter, renowned for his virtuosic high-energy shredding style, lightning-fast heavy riffs, intricate solos, and dynamically electrifying performances. He is a creative and innovative composer, a founder of the thrash metal band BESTIA, a member of the Michael Vescera Project, and co-founder of The Voices of Metal Project.

With his successful career, John Ivan has established himself as a formidable force in the world of rock and metal music. He has collaborated with legendary rock vocalists Tim Ripper Owens, Michael Vescera, Nick Z Marino, Mark Boals, Elvin Rodriguez, Neil Turbin, and Edu Falaschi. John worked with the bassist Gorka Alegre, among other high-profile artists.

John’s latest studio album, entitled "The GuitarSlinger," showcases his immense talent and relentless dedication to his craft, solidifying his status as one of the world’s premier and most distinguished guitarists. With each note, John Ivan continues to push the boundaries of guitar-driven music, inspire and influence aspiring musicians, and leave an indelible mark on the world of rock and metal music.

John Ivan GuitarSlinger

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