New Maiden DVD Looks Like Da Shiznit

Doctor J

“The History Of IRON MAIDEN - Part 1; The Early Days double DVD is to be released on Monday, November 8th on EMI, appropriately almost exactly 25 years to the day since the band first signed to the British label.

The Early Days is a unique collection of archive material packed onto 2 DVD’s that covers the beginnings of the band’s career from the struggle to get gigs in East End pubs through to becoming within just five years a band capable of headlining arenas anywhere around the World and achieving this without any radio support to speak of at any time.

The first DVD contains nearly 2 hours of archive Maiden live concert rarities that demonstrate the energy and power that propelled them to the forefront of World Metal. The first program of DVD1 is Maiden’s first ever concert video ‘Live at The Rainbow’ which was produced by EMI back in 1980 shortly after they were signed and was one of the first ever concert VHS releases. This title has not been widely available for some time so fans can now see the band fronted by Paul Di’Anno singing such classics as ‘Killers’ and ‘Phantom Of the Opera’. The rest of the footage on DVD1 consists of two shows neither of which has ever been fully available. Beast Over Hammersmith was filmed at the beginning of the Beast On the Road tour that to many fans at the time was the first introduction to Bruce Dickinson. Songs like ‘Hallowed be Thy Name’ and ‘Number of The Beast’ have proved to become regular features in the Maiden live set since this was first recorded in 1982 and now thanks to some modern reconstructive work fans can enjoy the highlights from this rare footage. To complete the first disk is ‘Live At Dortmund’, a massive concert in Dortmund in December 1983 originally filmed for German TV with Maiden headlining a stellar Metal bill as part of their World Piece Tour. Originally the show was broadcast live across Europe but has not been seen since until now. Research into the footage shows that all the original film has since been destroyed so this is truly now a rare piece of Maiden history.

DVD 2 includes the feature length (90 minutes) documentary titled The Early Days with extensive interviews and photographs and historical detail. The documentary which forms the basis for the title contains over 90 minutes of extraordinary interviews with the colourful cast of characters involved with Maiden over this early period - current band members, a whole host of ex band members, managers, agents, journalists, photographers, EMI execs past and present, crew, promoters, fans - all of whom have their own perspective of the events and process that led up Maiden’s Worldwide success, and the fun and hard work involved. It chronicles their early struggles in the mid to late 70’s in London’s East End where the hardest thing was just keeping a line-up together for more than a couple of pub gigs, through the early successes of their eponymous debut album and “Killers”, their first World Tours, the colossal impact on the Rock World that was The Number of the Beast and through to the end of their first full headlining World Tour - Piece of Mind - in 1983. A very honest and revealing (but also entertaining) insight into just what it was like early on in the World of Eddie and Maiden, its also a guide book to the problems faced and attitude and talent needed to get a band off the ground and to the pinnacle of Worldwide success - and then to keep it there!!! It is a fascinating and compelling story for any music fan. Also on Disk 2 is a 30 min TV Documentary by LWT shown in 1980 on the rise of Heavy Metal featuring the band and footage of them performing at The Marquee in 1979 and an insight into the new breed of music fan that arose out of the ashes of the punk era. Possibly one of the rarest items on The Early Days is a 45 minute home video recorded by the band of them performing at The Ruskin Arms in East London. This footage was originally feared lost forever however by complete chance a surviving copy was found in Steve's Harris' home and the delicate tape was processed and now included in it's entirety. With the exception of a very short clip used in 12 Wasted Years this has never been seen by anyone except the band themselves making it such a rare gem for the collector. Extras include rare TV appearances like their first 'Live' performance on Top Of The Pops and Rock and Pop on German TV, Special photo gallery revealing never before seen personal pictures taken by the band and crew and a thorough overview and detail of all the bands artwork, tour programmes and imagery both on tour and their studio releases, plus of course some hidden goodies.

The Early Days is the first of what will eventually become a series of DVD's to be released over the coming years. Each release will extensively cover a period of the bands career to become a collection of not only re-mastered footage but also previously unavailable and unseen material taken directly from the bands own personal collections, along with extensive interviews.

Plans are currently being put together for Iron Maiden play some festival and stadium dates next summer and bring the 'Early Days' back to life. The band will be linking in the look and feel of their beginnings in the stage set as well as performing some classic tracks from that time which haven’t been heard live for a while!!. Dates will start to be announced in the near future.

The next in series will be the spectacular Live After Death which will cover the bands legendary four sold out shows at Long Beach Arena in 1984 through to the Somewhere in Time tour in 1987. For more details and preview video clips check out www.ironmaiden.com

The full contents of The Early Days are: Documentaries (115 min); The Early Years – 90 minute Feature Documentary; 20th Century Box – Heavy Metal (1980) – 25 minute feature; Live At The Rainbow – 1981 (35 mins): ‘Ides Of March’, ‘Wrathchild’, ‘Killers’, ‘Remember Tomorrow’, ‘Transylvania’, ‘Phantom Of The Opera’, ‘Iron Maiden’; Live At Hammersmith 1982 - Beast On The Road (45 mins): ‘Murders in The Rue Morgue’, ‘Run to The Hills’, ‘Children Of The Damned’, ‘Number Of The Beast’, ‘22 Acacia Avenue’, ‘Total Eclipse’, ‘The Prisoner’, ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’, ‘Iron Maiden’; Live at Rock & Pop Festival 1983 Dortmund - World Piece Tour (35 mins):

‘Sanctuary’, ‘The Trooper’, ‘Revelations’, ‘Flight Of Icarus’, ‘22 Acacia Avenue’, ‘Number Of The Beast’, ‘Run To The Hills’; Live at The Ruskin Arms – 1980 (40 mins): ‘Sanctuary’, ‘Wrathchild’, ‘Prowler’, ‘Remember Tomorrow’, ‘Running Free’, ‘Transylvania’, ‘Another Life’, ‘Phantom Of The Opera’, ‘Charlotte the Harlot’; Extras (40 mins) - Live on Top Of the Pops: ‘Running Free’ and ‘Women In Uniform’; Live on Rock and Pop – Germany TV: ‘Running Free’; Promo videos: ‘Women In Uniform’ / ‘Run To The Hills’ / ‘Number Of The Beast’/ ‘Flight Of Icarus’ / ‘The Trooper’; Rare and unseen Photo gallery featuring over 150 pictures and images; Full tour listings/Discography/Tour programmes and artwork galleries.

Sarky

Kinda makes you want to impregnate someone so you have a firstborn to sell...

superconor

:eek:

*fwaps*

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*creams*