The Queen City of Charlotte, North Carolina, welcomed to town one of the kings of heavy metal in Iron Maiden on Wednesday night. Located in the Uptown Charlotte region of the city, the Spectrum Center, which is an indoor arena primarily used by its main NBA tenant in the Charlotte Hornets, played host to Iron Maiden’s latest stop on their Future Past World Tour. I am not sure how popular the Hornets are, but the dedicated and multi-generational Iron Maiden fans were out in droves, lining up in the cool evening temperatures hours before doors even opened for a chance to secure their spot within the general admission arena floor.
Out on the road in support of Iron Maiden was Mongolian folk metal band The HU. Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the band’s name translates to the Mongolian root word for human being. Kicking off their set a bit after 7:30pm with “The Gereg,” The HU immediately displayed their undeniable uniqueness which combined cultural instruments like the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), and Tumur Khuur (jaw harp) with traditional throat singing, creating a musical style they call “Hunnu Rock.” For nearly an hour, The HU mesmerized the early audience with their guttural singing and musical distinctiveness, ending their set with “This is Mongol,” the lead track pulled from their second studio album, Rumble of Thunder (2022). As they say in Mongolian, The HU were simply gaikhaltai (amazing).
The HU
Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar – Lead Throat Singer and Morin Khuur
Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal – Lead Morin Khuur and Throat Singer
Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts – Jaw Harp, Tsuur, Flute, and Throat Singer
Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar – Tovshuur
Touring members
Unumunkh “Ono” Maralkhuu – Percussion, tumur hhuur, backing vocals
Jambaldorj “Jamba” Ayush – Guitars, backing vocals
Nyamdavaa “Davaa” Byambaa – Bass, backing vocals
Odbayar “Odko” Gantumur – Drums
Setlist:
1.) The Gereg
2.) Upright Destined Mongol
3.) Lost
4.) TATAR Warrior
5.) Grey Hun
6.) Black Thunder
7.) Yuve Yuve Yu
8.) Wolf Totem
9.) This Is Mongol
With the stage turn nearly complete and the clock creeping in on the 9:00pm hour, the capacity crowd of an estimated 14,000 was buzzing with anticipation for Iron Maiden’s performance. For context, the theme of Iron Maiden’s Future Past World Tour is generally anchored around support for their recently released seventeenth studio album, Senjutsu (2021), along with a focus on their sixth studio album, Somewhere in Time (1986).
As the house lights dimmed and the crew pulled the covers from the risers, Nicko McBrain briefly appeared and waved to the adoring crowd before taking his seat behind his drum kit. Moments later, Steve Harris (bass), Dave Murray (guitars), Adrian Smith (guitars), and Janick Gers (guitars) exploded on to the stage and launched into their 1986 single “Caught Somewhere in Time.” Then on queue, iconic frontman Bruce Dickinson finally burst out, completing the band’s line-up.
Donning black goggles and a post apocalyptic-looking lengthy jacket, the energetic 66-year-old Dickinson then lead the band into another single pulled from Somewhere in Time, “Stranger in a Strange Land,” for their second tune of the night. Echoing the artwork from that 1986 single release, a giant-sized Eddie (the band’s famous mascot) also made his first of what would be multiple appearances on stage throughout the night, casually leaning up against the risers behind Murray during this song.
While I am embarrassed to admit this was my first time catching Iron Maiden live, I could not have been more impressed. Dickinson’s vocals were just as haunting and powerful as when they blared through my childhood speakers, while Harris, Murry, Smith and Gers all exuded youthful energy with their active instruments in tow. The show’s production was also spectacular, with rotating Eddie-themed background imagery accentuated with an appropriate level of stage pyrotechnics and smoke.
The band’s main set featured four tracks pulled from Senjutsu including “The Writing on the Wall,” “Days of Future Past,” “The Time Machine,” and “Death of the Celts.” However, in the tour theme nod to the past, Iron Maiden also delivered resounding performances of legacy catalog tunes in “The Prisoner” and “Can I Play With Madness,” as well as closed out their pre-encore night with “Iron Maiden” from their 1980 self-titled debut.
Returning to the stage after a brief break, Iron Maiden then started off their encore with “Hell on Earth,” the final track from Senjutsu. Upon wrapping up that tune, the stage backdrop changed to a familiar sight, stirring the fans into a frenzy as the band launched into the iconic “The Trooper” from Piece of Mind (1983). Revisiting the tour’s theme for the final time, Iron Maiden then drew their amazingly exhausting performance to an end with fan favorite “Wasted Years” from Somewhere in Time.
The Future Past Tour wraps up in the United States this weekend, completing this current leg on Sunday, November 17th, at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Iron Maiden
Steve Harris – Bass, backing vocals, keyboards
Dave Murray – Guitars
Adrian Smith – Guitars, backing vocals
Bruce Dickinson – Lead vocals
Nicko McBrain – Drums
Janick Gers – Guitars
Setlist:
1.) Caught Somewhere in Time
2.) Stranger in a Strange Land
3.) The Writing on the Wall
4.) Days of Future Past
5.) The Time Machine
6.) The Prisoner
7.) Death of the Celts
8.) Can I Play With Madness
9.) Heaven Can Wait
10.) Alexander the Great
11.) Fear of the Dark
12.) Iron Maiden
Encore
13.) Hell on Earth
14.) The Trooper
15.) Wasted Years
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.
