LIVE REPORT – IRON MAIDEN STORM DUBLIN WITH 50 YEARS OF FIRE, FURY AND FLAT-OUT METAL MAGIC

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Oran

Malahide Castle played host to a triumphant night of heavy metal history, as Iron Maiden deliver a blistering, career-spanning set on their only Irish stop of the “Run for Your Lives” world tour.

Photo – tnddrummer_photography for www.overdrive.ie

It’s not often you get to say “the sun was shining” and “Iron Maiden were in town” in the same sentence, but that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday night at Malahide Castle, as the heavy metal titans rolled into Dublin for the only Irish stop on their “Run for Your Lives” world tour.

With barely a cloud in the sky (a minor miracle for the east coast of Ireland), a sea of denim, leather, and vintage Maiden tees filled the castle grounds, all buzzing with the kind of excitement only 50 years of galloping riffs and devil horns can bring. This wasn’t just a gig, it was a celebration.

Half a century of Iron Maiden to be precise. Think about that for a second. That’s five decades of Eddie, screaming solos, and Steve Harris doing what Steve Harris does best, being the backbone of one of the greatest metal bands of all time.

The evening kicked off in proper Maiden fashion with the now-traditional Doctor Doctor intro (because no Maiden show really starts without it), followed by the haunting instrumental “The Ides of March”, and then straight into a ripping “Murders in the Rue Morgue”. The setlist was a gift to fans, reaching deep into the vaults (“Killers”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”) while still delivering the absolute essentials, “Number of the Beast”, “The Trooper”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and, of course, “Iron Maiden”.

Photo – tnddrummer_photography for www.overdrive.ie

A special moment for Irish fans was the debut of new live drummer Simon Dawson, stepping in for the legendary Nicko McBrain. Dawson held his own with ease, hammering through the classics on what might be the smallest drum kit to grace a Maiden stage since the early ’80s. It looked almost polite by Maiden standards, but he made it sing. Fair play.

Bruce Dickinson, as ever, was larger than life, leaping, snarling, storytelling, and somehow still hitting every note like it’s 1985. His voice was in excellent shape, whether howling through “Powerslave”, or soaring on their excellent performance of “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”.

Meanwhile, the triple guitar attack was in full swing! Dave Murray and Adrian Smith provided the solid melodic core, while Janick Gers did his usual routine of guitar acrobatics and elaborate prancing. It wouldn’t be a Maiden show without Janick nearly knocking over a mic stand or two.

Steve Harris? Still the engine room. Still running around the stage like a man half his age. Still the heartbeat of the whole operation.

Photo – tnddrummer_photography for www.overdrive.ie

One of the biggest changes on this tour was the stage production, gone are the familiar printed backdrops, replaced by enormous LED screens that added a whole new level of immersion. From flames and battlefields to ghostly seascapes, it all looked absolutely massive. For once, the visuals matched the scale of the music.

The encore hit hard: “Aces High”, “Fear of the Dark”, “Wasted Years”, and a cheeky singalong of their exit classic, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” to close the night with a grin.

All told, Maiden gave us a masterclass. Fifty years in, and they’re still running to the hills, with the rest of us trying to keep up.

Check out the full gallery below. All images tnddrummer_photography

Oran O’Beirne

www.overdrive.ie 2025