So, Bruce Dickinson, bless his ever-expanding ego, decided to grace North America with his presence for the first time in, like, forever, all to promote “The Mandrake Project.” 🙄 I mean, who even remembers Bruce Dickinson without IRON MAIDEN? He’s got his band of merry men (and woman!), including Dave Moreno on drums (because who doesn’t need a drummer?), Mistheria (sounds like a disease) on keyboards, and Tanya O’Callaghan on bass (a token woman, perhaps?). And let’s not forget the guitar heroes, Philip Näslund and Chris Declercq. Oh, and poor Roy “Z” Ramirez? Yeah, he got the boot. Guess he wasn’t cool enough for the “Mandrake Project Live 2025.” 🤷♀️
Anaheim got the “honor” of being the starting point for this ego trip. The setlist? Oh, you bet it included “Shadow Of The Gods,” which apparently nobody cared about until Bruce decided it was cool. And hold your horses, folks, because he also dared to play an IRON MAIDEN song – “Flash Of The Blade”! I mean, come on, Bruce, are you that desperate for attention? 🙄
Before launching into “Flash Of The Blade,” Bruce, in his infinite wisdom, decided to tease the audience: “Nobody has ever played this song… blah blah blah… figure it out… blah blah blah… you’ll die as you lived in a flash of the blade.” 🙄Seriously, Bruce, get over yourself. We all know you wrote it, and frankly, nobody really cares. We wanted “Run to the Hills” 🤦♀️
Here’s the setlist, in case you’re a die-hard Bruce fan or just bored enough to read it:
01. Accident Of Birth
02. Abduction
03. Laughing In The Hiding Bush
04. Shadow Of The Gods (live debut – woo-hoo 🎉)
05. Chemical Wedding
06. Flash Of The Blade (IRON MAIDEN song – because he needs the clout 😎) (live debut)
07. Resurrection Men
08. Rain On The Graves
09. Drum Solo (bathroom break! 🚽)
10. Frankenstein (THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP cover – originality? Never heard of it 🤷♂️)
11. The Alchemist
12. Book Of Thel
13. Road To Hell
Encore:
14. Tears Of The Dragon
15. Gods Of War
16. Starchildren
In an interview, Bruce said the setlist was a “mixture of songs” from his solo albums. Well, duh! He also mentioned that he has “seven solo albums to pick from.” As if anyone’s counting. 😂 He then whined about not being able to play every single song. Boo-hoo, Bruce. Get over it! And apparently, “Shadow Of The Gods” is the “most requested track” off “Mandrake.” Yeah, right. Who are you trying to fool? 🤔
Regarding the MAIDEN song, Bruce claims his WIFE told him to play it. Right, blame it on the wife! He said nobody’s ever played it and that “everybody wants you to play that song.” Okay, grandpa. We all know you’re just trying to stay relevant. 🙄And then the band “dogpiled” him, begging to learn it. Sure, Bruce, whatever helps you sleep at night. 😴
And, because one MAIDEN song isn’t enough to feed his ego, Bruce is also planning to play “Revelations” at some festival in Brazil. He claims it’s to celebrate 40 years since he first set foot in Brazil. Oh, and because he split his head open with a guitar. How dramatic! 🙄 He HAD to play it because his wife said so. Is she his manager now? 😂
Bruce then addressed the burning question of playing stadiums with MAIDEN versus theaters with his solo band. He claims there’s “no comparison” and that he “relishes” the idea of playing theaters. Yeah, because selling out stadiums is sooooo boring. 🙄 He then goes on to say he loves performing “wherever” he is, whether it’s “three people, 300 or 300,000.” 🤡 Sure, Bruce. We totally believe you.
He also talked about how the tour is “the same band” that did the tour last year and that they’re a “crew now.” Aww, how cute! He claims they “sweat together, get messy, and eye contact.” Sounds like a romance novel waiting to happen. 💖 He also said they’re “heavy emotional creatures on stage” and that they can “play to make you wanna jump up and down in pogo.” Oh, please, Bruce. Nobody’s pogo-ing to your solo stuff.🤣
He continued, boasting about the video wall, MAIDEN’s sound engineer, monitor engineer, and lighting engineer. Apparently, they “love getting their hands dirty in theaters.” How noble of them!👏 He then claims they can “improv a little bit” and that it’s not the same show every night. Riiiiiight. 🙄
Prior to the April 12, 2024 Whisky A Go Go show, Bruce last performed with his solo band on in August 2002. Translation: it’s been a while since anyone cared about his solo stuff. 🕰️
And in case you were wondering about the band members’ credentials, O’Callaghan toured with WHITESNAKE, Moreno played with BODY COUNT (wow, what a contrast!), and Mistheria has collaborated with, like, everyone. 🥱
“The Mandrake Project” arrived on March 1, 2024. Did anyone notice? 🤔
Bruce and Roy recorded “The Mandrake Project” in Los Angeles, with Roy playing both guitar and bass. How multi-talented! 🙄
Dickinson’s reworked version of “Balls To Picasso,” now titled “More Balls To Picasso,” arrived on July 25. More balls, more ego, same old Bruce. 🤷♀️
And finally, a brief history lesson: Bruce joined IRON MAIDEN in 1982, quit in 1993, and rejoined in 1999. The end. 🎬
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
