Just months after the conclusion of Iron Maiden‘s monumental “Run For Your Lives” 50th-anniversary world tour, EMP UK has released a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes documentary and you can watch it down below.
“Our EMP x IRON MAIDEN documentary is here!
To celebrate 50 years of Iron Maiden, we’re taking you behind the scenes of the biggest tour ever from the British metal legends.
What does it take to bring a production of this scale to life? We spoke to the passionate crew making it all happen – from planning and setup to that spine-tingling moment when the lights go up and it’s time to scream: “SCREEEAAAM FOR ME!!!”, they said in an Instagram post.
A key focus of the film, and the tour itself, was the band’s dramatic shift in their live presentation. After decades of relying on elaborate, hand-painted physical backdrops and props, the “Run For Your Lives” tour saw Iron Maiden fully embrace the digital age. The tour featured a massive, state-of-the-art screen that displayed a dynamic and ever-changing array of visuals, from a giant sphinx Eddie looming over the band during “Powerslave” to a ship battling a storm during the epic “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
This technological leap did not mean an abandonment of their traditions, however. The band skillfully blended the new with the old, still featuring a life-sized Eddie for his traditional onstage battle with the band during “The Trooper” and a massive, leather-clad version of the mascot for the song “Killers.”
The tour was also a historic celebration of the band’s entire 50-year catalog. The setlist was packed with beloved classics and a stunning number of rarely-played deep cuts, some of which had not been performed in decades. The tour saw the return of songs like “Murders In The Rue Morgue” (first time since 2005), “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (first time since 2009), and, most shockingly, “Killers,” which had been absent from the setlist since 1999.
The “Run For Your Lives” tour was a pivotal moment for Iron Maiden, a tour that saw them welcome new drummer Simon Dawson, embrace a new era of stage production, and celebrate a half-century of unwavering heavy metal dominance.
