So I’ve been MIA for a while, largely on account of 50 Years of Iron Maiden on Grab A Stack of Rock and another project you’ll see shortly. But it’s Iron Maiden that brings me out of the woodwork today.

Mike, Jake (Not from State Farm) and I are currently in the middle of prep for the Blaze era, and so I’ve been compiling what would go on to become this very post. The short of it is that because Blaze was, let’s be realistic, inconsistent in his performances throughout those tours, it can be difficult to know where to go to listen to his best performances.

That ends now. Before you lies The Listener’s Guide To Iron Maiden Live With Blaze Bayley. Now I’m not trying to say any of these are definitively better than Bruce (except for one), I just wish to put forward that Iron Maiden live with Blaze Bayley might not be the worst thing you’ve ever heard, as a number of retrospective analyses seem to suggest. The darkness his deeper voice brings to songs can bring a whole new level to the sound in places, and Di’Anno diehards will prefer his takes on those songs.

I’m not going to address songs from The X Factor or Virtual XI simply because they really weren’t too different to the studio cuts across the two tours.

SONGS PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY GREAT

Contrary to popular belief, Blaze was not complete shit on the tour, and there were a number of songs that I can be confident in saying that he did really well. I hope that other people, once they cast of their preconceived biases, will think so too. Come in with an open mind and you might find some things to enjoy.

Afraid to Shoot Strangers – Gothenburg, Sweden 1995
You’re probably familiar with this one, being an official release, and widely considered to be the best Blaze ever did a Bruce song

Fear of the Dark – Sao Paolo, Brazil 1996
Post Piece of Mind songs were definitely easier for Blaze to sing, and he would deliver a really solid Fear of the dark night after night. This version is special due to the scream he gives as it kicks off into gear after the intro.

2 Minutes to Midnight – Curitiba, Brazil 1998
A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. It’s a really hard decision between Sao Paolo 1996 and Curitiba 1998 for the best version of this song, but I give it to the 1998 rendition due to the awesome closing shot of Blaze with his fist up cutting to Steve doing the same thing. Goosebumps.

Wrathchild – Tel Aviv, Israel 1995
Needless to say, the Di’Anno era songs were definitely much more in Blaze’s wheelhouse, and he delivers a performance closer to the original then Bruce did. Also listen to that unholy screech he lets out during the closing seconds of the song.

Running Free – Sao Paolo 1996
Not only a good version, but a really fun crowd interaction where Blaze lets out some impressively high screams for his usual range.

Iron Maiden – Nancy, Paris 1998
It’s hard to mess up this song, and the different versions are more or less the same. Enjoy this version for it’s clarity over Curitiba or Sao Paolo.

SONGS PERFORMED QUITE WELL

Most of the time, you’ll get a good, enjoyable take on the song. Other times Blaze will forget the lyrics or otherwise mess up (funny how only being given 1 week of rehearsals manifests itself)

The Clairvoyant – Sao Paolo 1996
Truthfully I’m torn on blaze’s take on the song. Some parts work and others don’t. As with all things in life, it’s best if you make your own decision.

Evil That Men Do – Sao Paolo, Brazil 1996
Blaze brought an undeniable power and darkness that really suited the song, but I’d be lying if I said he was better than Bruce on the chorus. Still, listen to that delivery on “Circle of fire, my baptism of joy at an end it seems”.

There’s also an officially released live b-side version of this song from Gothenburg, Sweden 1995, but this here is my preferred performance of the song.

Murders in the Rue Morgue – Nancy, Paris 1998
A real rarity on the 1998 tour, there’s not many versions to choose from, so enjoy this one, in France itself (other than the messed up lyrics).

Sanctuary – Beunos Aires, Argentina 1998
If you’re not sick of the song, you’ll enjoy this version, even with the bittersweet, in hindsight, crowd interaction segment.

SOMETIMES GREAT, USUALLY NOT GOOD

This next batch of songs are usually done not well by Blaze, but there exists a couple of gem versions out there, as below.

Hallowed Be Thy Name- Nancy, France 1998
Listen to the aggression with which he delivers the opening salvo. The rest isn’t too bad either by his standards, and that NAAAAAAMMMMEEEE!!!!! at the end is phenomenal. Definitely better than Bruce’s struggling on Maiden England ’88.

The Number of the Beast – Curitiba, Brazil 1998
Admittedly still a bit ropey in parts, this nevertheless remains Blaze’s best take on the song, with an awesome scream and generally good sounding work on the verses and choruses.

CONSISTENTLY NOT GREAT

Yeah, you really won’t find a good version of these songs done with Blaze, no matter how many rocks you look under.

Heaven Can Wait – Tel Aviv, Israel 1995
Blaze described this as the hardest Bruce song to sing, and you can hear it in his performances (other than the bridge, of course, which he consistently did well). Other than the botched lyrics, this version stands out as his best take on the song.

The Trooper – Tel Aviv, Israel 1995
Blaze was never really able wrangle this song to his voice, and I can’t think of a version of it that I’d even describe as kind of good unfortunately. Thus the performance I’ve picked here was selected for the insane energy the rest of the band bring. This might be my favourite version of “The Trooper” when talking just about the instrumentationship.

Also, just in general, avoid the infamous spitting gig, Santiag, Chile 1996. Not only was it a dark day on the tour, vocally Blaze is definitely sub-par.

Regarding complete shows where Blaze performed above-average, it should be pretty obvious that Sao Paolo 1996 and Curitiba 1998 (or the other South American 1998 shows) are the cream of the crop. It is from these that a hypothetical dream Iron Maiden live album from the Blaze era would have to be sourced. Here’s hoping. Until then, rock out to these videos on YouTube, and any other great bootlegs you can find.