Ripple Theater: Iron Maiden - Flight 666

When it comes to Iron Maiden, there are very few surprises yet there’s still quite a bit of mystery. You know that you’re getting heavy metal that weaves and winds through multiple time and mood changes, and all of it played with the proficiency of gods, but unless you’re family, part of the inner circle, or that ultimate fan who rummages through the bands personal belongings, there’s some question as to what it is that makes this band tick. Thirty odd years of writing music, packing luggage, hopping aboard a tour bus or airline to various places across the globe for months on end, and then doing it all again the following year takes a serious commitment. And Iron Maiden’s fans are the few fans in this sometimes big ugly world that seem to actually appreciate what the band has provided. A legacy. A band driven to outperform itself every night. A band that would rather die than let their paying fans experience something less than perfection. A band that works itself stupid, night after night, to the point of absolute exhaustion. The pay off? Being revered by a whole new generation of metal fan.

In response to this gift the band has given fans over the years, the fans have now returned the favor. Filmmakers and die hard Maiden fans Scot McFayden and Sam Dunn were given exclusive access to one of rock music’s more private bands as they set out to play with their own sort of madness . . . playing 23 concerts over the course of 45 days in 12 different countries. Yeah, 23 shows in 45 days doesn’t sound like a big deal, it’s that 12 countries part that makes you shake your head in disbelief! Then when you think of the logistics going on behind the scenes, well . . . that alone should make even the casual music fan want to run out and see what this is all about!

Banger Productions did a remarkable job of capturing the build-up of anticipation from Day 1 as the band was loading up in England, to the sigh of exhaustion on Day 45 as the band walked off the stage in Toronto, Canada. Fantastic behind-the-scenes footage edited to near perfection with the on stage drama, great interviews with band, crew, and the lucky fans, great camera angles for all of the live footage . . . Flight 666 is a cinematic work of art, and I’m not usually one to spout out high praises for visual works. McFayden and Dunn approached this documentary with as much attention to their film making aspirations and visual elegance as they did from the perspective of the fan. Honestly, who else would you want making a film about your favorite band? A stuffy, pretentious art student or a fan of the music who wants to give likeminded fans all of the cool stuff that was never available before? Yeah. There’s only one right answer.

I started off by watching the documentary first, having seen Iron Maiden about a million and a half times either in person or on video in the past, I wanted to know more about the historic journey that took our heroes to countries that they had never been to themselves. I sat in awe as the feat was unveiled. I laughed at all of the Nicko’s shenanigans. My heartbeat rose with every pyrotechnic explosion and every Dickinson bellowed “Scream for me . . . “ And I shed a tear as I watched the fans in these remote, totalitarian ruled, and extremely poor countries risk imprisonment and death to be a part of the music that they loved so dearly. McFayden and Dunn perfectly captured the importance of the music to the fans, the emotion that these people shed for Iron Maiden, making me pause to think how damn lucky I have been to see the band as many times as I have, and never once did I worry that I would get beaten by an overzealous soldier or trampled by his horse. To see the faces, coz’ folks . . . that’s where these guys captured the true magic . . . to see the face of the fans cheering and singing every single word, and leaving every ounce of energy on the concert floor for their band, it’s a truly moving moment. Keep an eye out for the kid who couldn’t me more than 8 years old singing every word to "Powerslave!" Fucking awesome!

But that emotion wouldn’t be coming out the way it did if the band brought anything less than a hundred percent. Strategically placed cameras all over the stage and through the various venues preserve the performances for all of time. My personal favorite camera angles were the ones stationed just to the left of Nicko McBrain’s throne. This camera caught some marvelous footage of Nicko’s lightening fast footwork and if you’re a drummer, you’ll eat this stuff up! Some of the stand out moments from the live footage is Adrian Smith rockin' the mic as much as he did and his guitar solo in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Steve Harris’ bass work towards the end of “Two Minutes To Midnight,” and Dave Murray’s solo on “The Clairvoyant.” Subtle things, perhaps, but little moments that made me perk up my ears or immediately rewind so make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Plus, there was some pretty cool back stage footage from Los Angeles of the current metal elite, the likes of Kerry King, Scott Ian, Vinnie Appice, Tom Morello, and Lars Ulrich hanging around to pay homage to the great metal beast. Ultimately though, it’s the fan interaction that keeps this video thrilling and one can’t help but feel some elation for these folks who are getting the opportunity to catch the band for the very first time. Watch out for the crowd reaction in Santiago, Chile . . . Lord, how no one got killed during that is a mystery!

As an Iron Maiden fan, I’d love to thank the guys at Banger Productions in person for putting together a documentary that didn’t focus on the minutia, but gave the fans a product that was fun, interesting, and jam packed with emotion. They captured the same sense of excitement that I remember having when I heard and watched Live After Death for the first time. Even though Iron Maiden went somewhere back in time for this tour, it never came across as a nostalgic tour, but more of a continuation of the band in its prime. And having these younger fans (seriously, kids of 13, 14, 15 years old were making up the majority of the audiences) so engaged in the music made me feel easily ten years younger. I’m thinking that Ponce de Leon never found the Fountain of Youth, but instead, McFayden and Dunn found it. They found it in the form of a little ole heavy metal band called Iron Maiden. Flight 666 is an instant Classic. - Pope JTE

buy here DVD: Iron Maiden: Flight 666

buy here blu-ray: Flight 666 [Blu-ray]