How one Iron Maiden concert changed Lady Gaga’s life
Every music lover has attended a catalogue of gigs responsible for changing how the world is viewed. For many people, Lady Gaga is the artist to who they owe that feeling, but for the singer-songwriter herself, it was an Iron Maiden concert which made Gaga buy into the beauty of live music.
The divine energy transmitted during live concerts can be as powerful as any drug on the planet. These shows can prove to impressionable audience members they are part of something bigger than themselves and have a shared view on life with the thousands of others who are also in attendance.
Interestingly, Gaga was already an established star selling out arenas when she first saw Iron Maiden perform in 2011. However, the concert single-handedly made the ‘Born This Way’ singer re-assess what she wants her fans to feel from a live show.
Speaking to Rolling Stone (via NME), Gaga recalled watching the British veteran rockers in Florida: “We were dancing and singing, and everyone was just so into it. Jumping and dancing… I mean, it was like absolute no judgment, no prejudice, [just] freedom and love for music. It doesn’t matter who you are; you don’t need to know anything about music to love it. Everybody was hugging me, high-fiving, fist-pumps in the air.”
She added: “The devotion of the fans moving in unison, pumping their fists, watching the show, when I see that, I see the paradigm for my future and the relationship I want to have with my fans,” she said. “Iron Maiden’s never had a hit song, and they tour stadiums around the world, and their fans live, breathe and die for Maiden, and that is my dream. That is my dream.”
Despite the stark musical differences between Iron Maiden and Lady Gaga, their frontman Bruce Dickinson is also a fan of her work. In fact, during an interview with Corus Radio, Dickinson claimed she was better than Madonna.
“I think she’s great, and I agree with her: she’s not the next Madonna; she’s way better than that,” Dickinson said. Elaborating on why, he added, “First of all, she can sing — she’s got a belter of a voice — [and] she’s a really good instrumentalist. And, I mean, she’s got a great sense of drama. And anybody that could turn up to an awards ceremony dressed as a bacon sandwich gets my vote. I mean, she’s great.”
Over the decade since Gaga confessed she wanted her shows to feel similar to Iron Maiden, she’s elevated her level as a live performer, as she proved on her critically-acclaimed Chromatica stadium tour. If Gaga had doubts about her shows in 2011, it’s almost certain those worries have now ceased to exist.
