Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson explains why less bands are reaching arena-level
Iron Maiden are one of the biggest and most striking rock bands touring today. They are an easy headliner for any promoter with a sizeable budget and desire to draw in a big crowd. However, groups of their stature are becoming increasingly sparse in modern music.
Frontman Bruce Dickinson recently shared his thoughts on why there is a lack of arena-level rock bands today, recounting his conversation with a Brazilian promoter who was frustrated at the lack of headliners in the pool.
During an interview with Swedish radio station Bandit Rock, Dickinson blamed “big corporations”, who he claims “took everything over”. The singer claimed these corporations “propagate the big headliners, but they don’t bring on the bands that create the drama to create the fanbase, to create the dedication to bring it up”.
He continued: “You don’t become a headliner overnight. You become a headliner by doing loads of gigs at loads of places, and fans and people follow you, and all of a sudden, you’re at Wembley Arena, and you’re thinking, ‘Oh my god, these guys are playing arenas’. And the next step up from arenas is, ‘Oh, they’re gonna go and headline a festival. Oh, yeah, great. They’re a festival headliner.’ And at that moment, you go take a step up into that world”.
The Iron Maiden singer reflected on his band’s rise and compared it with the music industry today. Dickinson claimed the way promoters work has changed, as he believes they no longer look to build bands. “I may be unfair, but I get the impression that the scene was much more vibrant in terms of upstart bands that could come up and surprise people.”
Finally, Dickinson cited the decreasing number of small venues as another ongoing problem. “That diminishes the grassroots of people who go out and go, ‘Oh, my God. I went to a live gig the other day. Whoa, it was cool. It was so much better than sitting in front of a screen.’… And you’ve just got to have the places to do that.”
Meanwhile, Dickinson recently revealed he has been working on a new album since 2014. The forthcoming release, titled The Mandrake Project, is scheduled for 2024 and represents Dickinson’s first solo record since 2005’s Tyranny of Souls.
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