Well, this was something to produce a vibrant season! Longer days and warmer weather arrived with the spring equinox. The warmer it gets now means it is time for more concerts, and I am always ready for more metal. About that, I welcomed the first day of spring 2025 with a full day of music by attending a screening of Becoming Led Zeppelin laid up by seeing the Iron Maidens doing it up at Sony Hall, in Manhattan surrounded by nothing but positive vibes. I know that some of you are ready to let the sunshine in.
To light up a warmer period in New York after a long, cold winter, I ignited my spring season and overall night of hefty delights with one of heavy metal’s blueprints by seeing Becoming Led Zeppelin at the AMC Lincoln Square 13. Some of you reading this are full-on dyed-in-the-wool Zepheads and know everything about Led Zeppelin, but as someone who enjoys learning about classic rock, Becoming Led Zeppelin was marvelous. The unearthed voice recordings of John Bonham giving his insights about his youth and being a drummer while he was alive were an absolute treat to consume. I am hopeful for a sequel so Bernard MacMahon can finish the story. If you are deep into this music like I am, I would not hesitate for a moment to attend a showtime while it is still playing in theaters. It is worth two hours to discover something about one of the most influential rock bands ever.
After a quick meal at the Five Guys in Times Square, the night would finally begin with five female metallic badasses in a few hours. It all started when doors opened at six, and L’Amour’s man behind the decks, Alex Kayne, initiated the harmonious times with a two-hour DJ set as some early attendees were having drinks or sharing a plate of wings in their cozy VIP boxes. Alex blew out some of the classic rock and metal radio standards like Slayer’s Angel of Death and Fox on the Run by the Sweet, as well as spreading out his set with some beastly heavier songs like Kerry King’s Idle Hands, Lamb of God’s Walk with Me in Hell, and Led Zeppelin’s Since I’ve Been Loving You. Zeppelin’s bustling force was strong enough to wave along with spring’s first day. It doesn’t matter if it’s a tribute band or a group that plays original material; it’s always a good time when Alex DJs an event. Alex’s selection from his high-energy record collection prepared the mad muthas of metal in waiting for the Iron Maidens.
SCREAM FOR ME, NEW YORK! At 8:00, the house lights dimmed – a cover of Ufo’s Doctor Doctor blared over the PA to signal the Iron Maidens’ arrival. It’s unimportant if you’re seeing a tribute or Iron Maiden themselves, but the chills you feel hearing Doctor Doctor amps you up like having four shots of espresso with a nitro cold brew chaser. The Iron Maidens do it, and they do it right. What followed was the first many HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOly fuck moments for me, with them opening with an actual performance of the Ides of March instead of coping out of using another intro tape. I am reminded sometimes that the Ides of March isn’t a favorite wordless jam amongst most Maiden die-hards, but I love it. Framing it as a standalone cut, it musically encapsulates the sound of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Of course, the Iron Maidens also fired off their set with Wrathchild, an obvious fan favorite.
The quintet did a great job performing the roles of the classic Maiden lineup sans a female counterpart to Janick Gers. Combining the razor-sharp guitar harmonies of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray via Shani Kimelman and Nikki Stringfield with the unmistakable bass playing of Steve Harris from Wanda Ortiz, filled out by vocalist Kirsten Rosenberg and drummer Linda McDonald. Kirsten presents a dominating vocal performance, switching the acrobatics between the aggressive rasp of Paul Di’Anno and the air raid siren strength of Bruce Dickinson. Some of Kirsten’s stage banter was fun. Minus the rants of Dickinson, Kirsten drips the swaggering pride of Bruce’s stage presence through an Americanized filter. She repeatedly makes it known how glad they are to be playing at Sony Hall and tells us more than once how much she appreciates us. That’s refreshing to hear.
One of the other highlights from the band was watching Linda McDonald behind the drum kit and keeping time all night, especially during the more bombastic Maiden songs like the Number of the Beast. Lisa, paying homage to the drum talents of Nicko McBrain, played with respect and swagger as Nicko did during his tenure with Maiden. If being British wasn’t a faux prerequisite to joining Iron Maiden, it would be a logical choice for Linda to be the heir to the drum throne. Linda knows all the older tracks. The next Maiden tour is based only on the songs from the first nine albums, so it’s a no-brainer. Ah well, c’est la vie.
After opening up with a few well-known songs like Two Minutes to Midnight and Flight of Icarus, the Iron Maidens educated the casual attendees on recognizing the first of a well-curated rare tracks set-list like The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Carefully planning their set-list to appease the casuals and the diehards, it goes without saying that Wasted Years, the Trooper was played complete with front-woman Kirsten Rosenberg decked out à la Bruce Dickinson, donning a red military smock and waving both an American a British flag throughout the song. Everything was perfect for us and for them to up the irons for the immortal Iron Maiden. They continued to surprise the hardcore fans through the remainder of the set with more gems like the unexpected instrumental of Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)! Flash of the Blade! Infinite Dreams! To say that I didn’t think to myself HOOOOOOOOly fuck to see the revival of these otherwise underground tracks played live would be an understatement. Kirsten and the girls sent both sides of the Iron Maiden fanbase home smiling with the electrifying Hallowed Be Thy Name. And that was it. The band seemed radiant as they just completed a nearly hour-and-a-half set.
The Iron Maidens is a band that has earned their extol for having to perform any must-play songs like Can I Play with Madness or Run to the Hills to my knowledge, but this is the most unique Iron Maiden show I’ve seen not being Iron Maiden regarding set-list consolidation. If you are seeing a band for the first time, you want to hear the classic cuts, but when so many tribute bands perform the same songs year after year, a band becomes too sanitized to satisfy casual fans. The Iron Maiden goes in the opposite direction and proves the one fact of Iron Maiden that remains ineffable. The deeper you dig into the deep cuts, the more likely you emerge with a metric fuck-ton of kickass music that draws attention to even the most ambivalent of metal fans. Add that to the excitement of some surprise tracks at any given performance, and you have a fun night out from the Iron Maidens. Infernal hails to the choir performing the hymns of the beast.
Overall, the show was brilliant. The love of music shared between the bands and the fans is simple: next to Lez Zeppelin, the Iron Maidens is the very embodiment of a tribute band showing off the best Iron Maiden has to offer for a triple threat package of great songs, stage presence, the utmost professionalism, and a few appearances from the desiccated cousins of Eddie the Head. With another history tour honoring the first nine albums and a fiftieth-anniversary documentary recently announced, 2025 marks a paragon year for Iron Maiden. Hence, fingers crossed haaaarrrrd for the Iron Maidens to get involved with the celebration with a thematic tour of their own. Maybe performing Live After Death in its entirety? You know, SCREAM FOR ME, LONG BEACH! Nevertheless, as an opener or headliner, don’t miss out on a night with the Iron Maidens. You do not want to miss this group praising the legacy of one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever formed.
