Bruce Dickinson (support from Black Smoke Trigger) Glasgow Barrowlands Saturday 18th May 2024

It's almost 3 months since Dickinson released his 7th solo album, the aforementioned ‘The Mandrake Project’, to great acclaim, the concept album that examined the “dark, adult story about power, abuse and identity, set against a backdrop of scientific and occult genius”. In a Rockfiend review, this writer described it as “nothing short of breath-taking” and “Bruce Dickinson at his screaming, powerful, storytelling best”. But could the songs work individually in a live setting, alongside the singer’s other solo work?

Support was from New Zealand’s Black Smoke Trigger, a band that I must confess I hadn’t heard of before. With only half an hour to impress the Glasgow audience, the band didn’t waste any time, kicking off with ‘The Way I’m Wired’ from their 2019 debut EP, followed by recent single releases ‘Proof of Life’ and ‘The Way Down’. Audience participation was encouraged through the classic “whoa, oh, oh” in ‘Blindfolds & Rattlesnakes’, whilst ‘Caught in the Undertow’ and the slow burn of ‘Perfect Torture’ showed just how well Black Smoke Trigger can rock out! ‘K.M.T.L.’ brought the set to a close, with several audience members seen to be Googling them as they left the stage. It’s a long way from New Zealand to Scotland; literally half a world away. But I’ve no doubt that Black Smoke Trigger have won new fans in Scotland and will continue to do so in the northern hemisphere with their brand of melodic, yet ballsy hard rock. Their debut, full length album is due for release in July, so hopefully we’ll see them back in Glasgow sooner rather than later.

Bruce Dickinson has assembled a talented, multi-national band for this run of solo dates, with the rhythm section of Irish bassist Tanya O’Callaghan (Whitesnake) and drummer Dave Moreno (Puddle of Mudd) accompanied by Swiss guitarist Chris Declerq and LA-based Swedish guitarist/producer Phlip Naslund. The line-up is completed by an Italian, the eccentric keyboardist Mistheria. As they took to the Barrowlands stage to rapturous applause, there was a feeling that this would be a special night in the sold-out and packed full legendary Glasgow venue… and that was before Dickinson himself energetically took centre stage, sporting a leather jacket (with holes in the armpits) and a beanie hat. Feeling the cold, Bruce?

‘Accident of Birth’, from the 1997 album of the same name, started the set, with Dickinson prowling the stage with his signature theatrical hand movements whilst Mistheria, bedecked in a glittery cowboy hat, threw out various air guitar moves with his red keytar. The frantic, yet melodic, ‘Abduction’ from 2005’s ‘Tyranny of Souls’ album further cemented the tone for the evening, whilst the heavy-riffiness of ‘Laughing in the Hiding Bush’ from 1994’s magnificent ‘Balls to Picasso’ album had the audience in a heavy metal frenzy, with sweat pores opening throughout!

“It’s like Armageddon out there” observed Dickinson, in reference to the 25,000 Celtic fans celebrating their club’s title win in the nearby pubs and streets. The brooding and menacing ‘Afterglow of Ragnorak’ from Dickinson’s latest album seemed an appropriate song to play next, and if there was ever any proof needed that Bruce Dickinson’s music transcends generations, watching the 15-year-old in front of me singing every single word and clearly loving every minute, was affirmation. Well done, Dylan. You’re the future of rock and metal fans! The title track to 1998’s ‘Chemical Wedding’ album went down a storm and it was clear that this album is a fan favourite.

The classic rock intro riff of ‘Many Doors to Hell’ and the spooky, slower temp of ‘Gates of Urizen’ (dedicated to all the dads out there who are as miserable and sceptical as Urizen) led to the Shadows-like intro of ‘Resurrection Men’, with Dickinson’s decades long road-tested voice still hitting the higher notes with ease, whilst the audience headbanged to the Black Sabbath-style bridge midway through the song. Dickinson commented that the theatrical and storytelling ‘Rain on the Graves’ must be set in Scotland as it’s “pissing down all the time” before the band started a jam for a few minutes, which I’m reliably informed was loosely based on Edgar Winter’s famous ‘Frankenstein’ instrumental. After rubbing his face with a towel, Dickinson himself joined in on the jam, “bangin’ on the bongos”, as Dire Straits would’ve said!

‘The Alchemist’ led to a wonderfully atmospheric ‘Tears of the Dragon’, potentially the most emotionally charged song in Dickinson’s arsenal of solo songs, harking back to the singer’s 1994 secret concert in the war-torn and besieged Sarajevo, when the song acted as a kind of bond for those in attendance. ‘Darkside of Aquarius’ brought the main set to a close, with this in attendance soaked in sweat as fists pumped the air under the famous Barrowlands disco ball.

Returning to the stage minus his sweat soaked leather jacket (the armpit hole must not have allowed for enough airflow!), Dickinson and the band played the epic ‘Navigate the Seas of the Sun’ before the equally epic but much longer ‘Book of Thel’ caused much pogoing, headbanging and jumping from the front of the stage to the back of the famous hall. The dancing bassline of the melodic and powerful ‘The Tower’ brought the night to an earth-shattering close, with fists pumping and hands raised throughout. If only a camera had been fixed to that famous disco ball!

As Dickinson left the stage, exclaiming that other audiences on the tour would have to go a long way to beat the night for atmosphere, it struck me that not once did he have to resort to a crowd-pleasing Iron Maiden song. His solo work sits separately from his day job and he’s keen to show that. It’s not supposed to sound like Iron Maiden, nor would the fans necessarily want that… because simply, it isn’t Iron Maiden. In many ways, it’s so much heavier and more urgent than anything he’s done with them and there’s a very different kind of connection with the audience. It was a legendary singer in a legendary venue with a fantastic band on a warm Saturday night in a city steeped in rock music history. What’s not to like? In all my years of attending concerts and seeing many great rock and metal acts, this is one of the hottest, sweatiest and most wonderful nights I’ve ever experienced.

“Scream for me, Glasgow”. No problem, Bruce.