Iron Maiden’s legendary frontman Bruce Dickinson has shared an amusingly decadent tale from the band’s storied history, celebrating 40 years since Iron Maiden made rock history by becoming the first Western band to tour Soviet Europe with a full-production show.
In a recent interview with The Independent, Dickinson recalled a particularly wild episode from their 1984 European tour, during which they were approached in their hotel by an enterprising salesman offering a sack of caviar that had “fallen off” a Russian ship. In the midst of their revelry, the band couldn’t resist the allure of the bargain bin of luxury.
“The guy shows up with this huge bin liner full of caviar,” Dickinson recounts. “We were all pretty drunk and asked him how much. He pulls out a half-kilo tin and says, ‘$100.’ I’m thinking, ‘$100? That’s ridiculously cheap!’”
Photographer Ross Halfin, who was documenting the tour, managed to negotiate the price down to $50 per tin. “We asked him if he had more,” Dickinson continues. “He came back with an enormous oil drum full of caviar. Everyone went wild. We probably had about 10 kilos of it. It was utterly insane.”
Dickinson describes the experience as “the most decadent thing I’ve ever done”—eating caviar by the tablespoon and washing it down with vodka, a scene straight out of *Tommy*, but without the baked beans.
As Iron Maiden currently rocks out on their Future Past world tour, featuring tracks from their 1986 album”Somewhere In Time” and 2021’s “Senjutsu”, Dickinson’s caviar escapade adds another colorful chapter to their legendary story. The band will be hitting stages across Oceania, Asia, and the Americas from September to November, so fans can catch the electrifying performances.
Dickinson has also recently made waves with his solo album “The Mandrake Project”, released in March after a 19-year hiatus.
Catch Iron Maiden on their 2024 tour dates:
Australia/New Zealand:
– Sep 01: Perth RAC Arena
– Sep 04: Adelaide Entertainment Centre
– Sep 06-07: Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
– Sep 10: Brisbane Entertainment Centre
– Sep 12-13: Sydney Qudos Bank Arena
– Sep 16: Auckland Spark Arena
Japan:
– Sep 22: Aichi Sky Hall
– Sep 24: Osaka-Jo Hall
– Sep 26: Tokyo Garden Theater
– Sep 28: Kanagawa Pia Arena
North America:
– Oct 04: San Diego North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
– Oct 05: Las Vegas Michelob Ultra Arena
– Oct 08: Los Angeles Kia Forum
– Oct 12: Sacramento Aftershock Festival
– Oct 14: Portland Moda Center
– Oct 16: Tacoma Dome
– Oct 18: Salt Lake City Delta Center
– Oct 19: Denver Ball Arena
– Oct 22: St Paul Xcel Energy Center
– Oct 24: Rosemont Allstate Arena
– Oct 26: Toronto Scotiabank Arena
– Oct 27: Quebec Videotron Arena
– Oct 30: Montreal Centre Bell
– Nov 01: Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center
– Nov 02: Brooklyn Barclays Center
– Nov 06: Worcester DCU Center
– Nov 08: Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena
– Nov 09: Newark Prudential Center
– Nov 12: Baltimore CFG Bank Arena
– Nov 13: Charlotte Spectrum Center
– Nov 16: Fort Worth Dickies Arena
– Nov 17: San Antonio Frost Bank Center
Central/South America:
– Nov 20: Mexico City Foro Sol
– Nov 24: Bogota El Campin Stadium
– Nov 27-28: Santiago Estadio Nacional
