Dance of Death World Tour

Dance of Death World Tour
Tour by Iron Maiden
Official tour advertisement for the band's performance in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, 21 October 2003
Associated albumDance of Death
Start date19 October 2003
End date8 February 2004
No. of shows53 (55 Scheduled)
Iron Maiden concert chronology

The Dance of Death World Tour was a concert tour by heavy metal band Iron Maiden in support of their thirteenth studio album, Dance of Death. The group's eighth live record, Death on the Road, was recorded in Dortmund.[1]

The tour was subject to a short number of cancellations, with the band's shows in Wrocław, Rotterdam and Helsinki being postponed while lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson recovered from flu and laryngitis.[2][3] On top of this, the group's second show in New York was cut short after one audience member dropped a beer on the soundboard,[4] while the final concert was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict.[5]

Set

Throughout the tour, the stage was decorated to look like a medieval castle, with two towers on either side of the runways, featuring Grim Reaper statues and a castle gate between them for the opening song. The stage floor was decorated to look like a twelve-point star, identical to the one featured in the Dance of Death artwork.

The tour was notable for its extensive use of props and other theatrics. Bruce Dickinson would begin "Dance of Death" from a throne on the left podium, wearing a cape and two Venetian masks, and would later sport a Grim Reaper cloak.[6] Paschendale would begin with battlefield sound effects reminiscent of the First World War, during which the road crew, dressed in military uniform, would place dead bodies and barbed wire around the set, and Bruce Dickinson would recite (pre-recorded) the first two stanzas of "Anthem for Doomed Youth" by Wilfred Owen.[6]

A giant Eddie would appear from the back of the set during "Iron Maiden", wearing a cloak and wielding a scythe. The walk-on Eddie would also appear as the Grim Reaper during "The Number of the Beast."[7]

Setlist

"Declamation" served as the intro for the tour.

  1. "Wildest Dreams" (from Dance of Death, 2003)
  2. "Wrathchild" (from Killers, 1981)
  3. "Can I Play with Madness" (from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 1988)
  4. "The Trooper" (from Piece of Mind, 1983)
  5. "Dance of Death" (from Dance of Death, 2003)
  6. "Rainmaker" (from Dance of Death, 2003)
  7. "Brave New World" (from Brave New World, 2000)
  8. "Paschendale" (from Dance of Death, 2003)
  9. "Lord of the Flies" (from The X Factor, 1995)
  10. "No More Lies" (from Dance of Death, 2003)
  11. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982)
  12. "Fear of the Dark" (from Fear of The Dark, 1992)
  13. "Iron Maiden" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
    Encore
  14. "Journeyman" (from Dance of Death, 2003)
  15. "The Number of the Beast" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982)
  16. "Run to the Hills" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982)

Notes

  • With the inclusion of "Lord of the Flies", the Dance of Death Tour would be the last tour to feature Blaze Bayley-era material in the band's setlist until the Legacy of the Beast World Tour in 2018.
  • "Wrathchild" was not played at the first two shows.

Tour dates

List of 2003 concerts
Date City Country Venue
19 October 2003 Debrecen Hungary Phoenix Hall
21 October 2003 Banská Bystrica Slovakia Bystrica Sports Hall
22 October 2003 Prague Czech Republic T-Mobile Arena
24 October 2003 Munich Germany Olympiahalle
25 October 2003 Stuttgart Schleyerhalle
27 October 2003 Assago Italy Filaforum
28 October 2003 Florence Nelson Mandela Forum
30 October 2003 Zürich Switzerland Hallenstadion
31 October 2003 Thonex Salles Des Fetes
1 November 2003 Badalona Spain Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona
2 November 2003 Madrid Palacio Vistalegre
4 November 2003 Frankfurt Germany Jahrhunderthalle
5 November 2003 Rotterdam Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy (rescheduled)
7 November 2003 Wrocław Poland Centennial Hall (rescheduled)
10 November 2003 Helsinki Finland Hartwall Arena (rescheduled)
12 November 2003 Copenhagen Denmark Valby-Hallen
14 November 2003 Stockholm Sweden Globen Arena
15 November 2003 Gothenburg Scandinavium
17 November 2003 Hanover Germany Eilenriedehalle
18 November 2003 Berlin Treptow Arena
20 November 2003 Leuven Belgium Brabenthal
22 November 2003 Paris France Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
24 November 2003 Dortmund Germany Westfalenhalle
26 November 2003 Hamburg Sporthalle
27 November 2003 Leipzig Arena
28 November 2003 Wrocław Poland Centennial Hall
29 November 2003 Paris France Le Zénith (rescheduled)
1 December 2003 Dublin Ireland The Point
3 December 2003 Newcastle upon Tyne England Telewest Arena
4 December 2003 Nottingham Nottingham Arena
6 December 2003 Sheffield Hallam FM Arena
8 December 2003 Glasgow Scotland SECC
9 December 2003 Manchester England MEN Arena
12 December 2003 London Earls Court
13 December 2003 Rotterdam Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy
15 December 2003 Cardiff Wales Cardiff International Arena
16 December 2003 Birmingham England NEC Arena
18 December 2003 Metz France Galaxie Amnéville
21 December 2003 Helsinki Finland Hartwall Areena
List of 2004 concerts
Date City Country Venue
11 January 2004 Buenos Aires Argentina José Amalfitani Stadium
13 January 2004 Santiago Chile Pista Atlética
16 January 2004 Rio de Janeiro Brazil Claro Hall
17 January 2004 São Paulo Estádio do Pacaembu
20 January 2004 Montreal Canada Bell Centre
21 January 2004 Quebec City Colisée Pepsi
23 January 2004 New York United States Hammerstein Ballroom
24 January 2004
26 January 2004
27 January 2004 Hammerstein Ballroom (cancelled)
30 January 2004 Los Angeles Universal Amphitheatre
31 January 2004
5 February 2004 Sapporo Japan Hokkaido Kosei Nenkin Hall
7 February 2004 Osaka Osaka-jō Hall
8 February 2004 Saitama Saitama Super Arena

Reference[8][9]

References

  1. ^ "Iron Maiden announce details of Death On The Road DVD/CD". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 11 May 2005. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Iron Maiden Helsinki Show Cancelled". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 8 November 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Iron Maiden Singer gets the 'All Clear' to perform Copenhagen Show". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 11 November 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Iron Maiden Cut Short New York Set After Fan Drops Beer On Soundboard". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 24 January 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  5. ^ "Iron Maiden: Tonight's Show Cancelled". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 27 January 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  6. ^ a b Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 380. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
  7. ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 379. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
  8. ^ "Dance of Death Tour 2003". Iron Maiden Official Website. Archived from the original on 4 December 2003.
  9. ^ "Dance of Death Tour 2004". Iron Maiden Official Website. Archived from the original on 12 October 2004.