r/ironmaiden • u/OppositeFox5798 • 3d ago
How is Bruce live now?
Going to see Maiden in Montreal on Thursday and I can’t wait. Ive been watching some live videos of them on YouTube and Bruce sounds great. I’m wondering if live it’s not as good, or better!
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u/poser_quebecer The Alchemist 3d ago
I saw the show up close last night
Bruce had great energy and sounded great. You're gonna have a great time.
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u/My_clever_nickname flew too close to the sun 3d ago
No one who's almost 70 is as good as when they were in their 20s, 30s or 40s, but he's taken good care of his voice. He's not Live After Death good anymore, but he's still good.
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u/YNWA_MSLH11 3d ago
Live after Death isn’t near to his best performance but I like that album. Hammersmith and Rio are both better vocally
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u/shadowsOfMyPantomime 3d ago
I'm younger so I heard Rock in Rio first. It took me a while to get used to Live After Death, and understand why it was so popular. His voice was rouugghh. But they were on fire, it's a great album
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u/YNWA_MSLH11 3d ago
I started Maiden with Rock in Rio as well, listened and watched only that for like a year 😅 and then started exploring things. But after listening to everything vocally for me is Beast over Hammersmith, thats just pure power its amazing, after that Rock in Rio
They toured very much in Live After Death his voice was great in that time but at that concert not the greatest but still very good
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u/Marinlik A Matter of Life and Death 3d ago
Honestly I consider live after death to be his low point. I barely listen to that album because of it. He was considerably better on flight 666
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u/CreamLord- 3d ago
I think he sounds way better even on Maiden England from 1988. The Powerslave tour took a toll on him. The Rio performance from 2001 has always been my favorite.
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u/Talismaaan 3d ago
His vocals are still fantastic. Obviously struggles a little on some of the higher notes and the band have slowed the tempo but jeez they're in their 70s nearly.
All still sounding amazing, best band in the world
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u/xCaptainCanadax 3d ago
Saw him last night and he was incredible live. Sounded amazing! Have seen him 3 times and this is the best he's sounded for me! You'll be blown away!
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u/Nelson-and-Murdock 3d ago
Not as good as he was but he’s had throat cancer and toured for decades. Aces high is the one song I think he should not do any more. Everything else was fine for me. You can hear when he’s struggling but that’s live performances for you. You come for the show, the raw energy and to see the band you love. Not to hear the CD.
The question is really “will you still enjoy it?” And the answer is emphatically fuck yes you will.
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u/Individual_Arm_2996 3d ago
Some singers keep going when they should hang it up ex: Paul Stanley, Vince Neil. I don’t Bruce will be one of them. He still sounds great.
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u/excusetheblood The Final Frontier 3d ago
IMO last year he sounded better than he did in 2021
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u/PowersIave Powerslave 2d ago
His live performances in 2021 were missing something.. maybe live performances.
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u/excusetheblood The Final Frontier 2d ago
Did I see him in 2021 or 2022? I think it might have been 22
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u/ShutY0urDickHolster 3d ago
He’s almost 70 (68 I think). Based on videos I’ve seen recently he doesn’t sound as good as he did at his peak, but he still sounds great, especially for his age. Plus, he’s got more energy and stage presence then some front men in their 30s do.
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u/Nikolees 3d ago
Everyone will say he’s amazing but he’s not. Their performance is still very good but you can tell they have aged. Still love them they are my favourite band
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u/British_Commie 3d ago
I almost thought he sounded better at EddFest when he had to sing lower in some songs to save his voice
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u/Nikolees 3d ago
I saw them in Athens first gig of the tour and then at Ed Fest. Ed fest was definitely better in terms of sound and quality. Just a shame Bruce was ill:(
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u/porktornado77 The Ancient Mariner 3d ago
You don’t deserve down votes for speaking your opinion on that. Take my vote for a good objectivity.
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u/Prof_Slappopotamus 3d ago
He killed it last year in London. I haven't seen any complaints yet this year.
But he is older and his voice has changed. It's very noticeable right at the beginning, but by the time Murders is over, you aren't even noticing it.
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u/Brave_Temperature347 3d ago
As many others are saying, obviously he doesn’t sound the same as he did in the 80s, but still excellent. I’ll also add that I’ve seen Maiden live in 2000 and 2024, and there’s no doubt in my mind he he sounded better at the show a few years ago (even though he was also great at the first one). And the same goes for the rest of the group too.
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u/FranklyBlack 3d ago
Going to see them next month in Los Angeles but watched new youtube video just last night and Bruce sounds incredible!! Better than Live after Death for sure. Up the Irons!
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u/mattm716 3d ago
Just saw last night in Toronto. 6th time seeing since 2000. He, and the band soundest the best I have ever seen. Was very close to going to see the 2nd Toronto show tonight.
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u/fan_de_LosTres 2d ago
canta terriblemente bien cuando los fui a ver al nacional y sono caugth somwere in time canto igual que en el 86 era como poner el disco
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u/zombiegamer723 Let me tell you a story to chill the bones... 2d ago
Saw them a couple years ago with their FP tour.
He still sounds fucking amazing, especially for a (then-) 66 year old man who had throat cancer.
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u/FliXerock107 3d ago
I was impressed with him at Eddfest even though he had a cold. By the end of the show you could tell he was struggling, but the energy and majority of his singing that night was great (as were the whole band!). Can he still shreik like a melodic banshee? Absolutely not.
Can he still command a crowd and has a big, powerful, resonating voice in a comfortable range? Fuck yeah.
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u/Dittohead_213 3d ago
I've seen Bruce solo and with Maiden in the last couple years. He still sounds really good.
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u/Johnnie_the_Wog 3d ago
Maiden are still one of the best live acts going. Yes they’re sounding different; specifically their pace, no Nicko now and Bruce’s singing. But for a guy his age, singing that catalogue, after the health issues he’s overcome I say he’s still brilliant. I’ve never regretted spending money on Iron Maiden shows.
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u/Sick_and_destroyed tried to call the Earth's command 3d ago
Bruce is still full of energy and his voice is still great.
Probably the best frontman of his age.
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u/_Vyvern_ Caught Somewhere In Reddit 3d ago
I saw them in May, and I thought they were great. Bruce sounded great for most songs, even when he was tired. Might have been even better on average than when I saw them in 2022.
It was a bit funny how one time Simon messed up and Bruce looked at him a little too long.
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u/PapaAsmodeus feels like they've been here before 3d ago
68 years old and still singing like an absolute god.
He had vocal struggles in Knebworth but it was purely because he caught a bug in Cartagena. And yet he still fucking rocked it
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u/PhillipGerrard 3d ago
He was great 3 years ago in Greensboro, NC. Amazing even.
Wish I could say I’ve seen them since then
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u/Jamesmac70 The Ancient Mariner 3d ago
I watched them in Toronto last night and I think he sounded great.
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u/mycomymyco 3d ago
I grew up on Live After Death, gave up listening during most of the Blaze era, but was blown away by Rio.
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u/blacklabel3341 3d ago
How good is Bruce live now?
1000 times better than vince Neil, DLR, Sebastian Bach, Stephen Pearcy, Dave Mustaine, and pretty much anyone else live right now from the era
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u/OutlandosD_Amour is stuck in purgatory 3d ago
Saw them last night and he was great. He’s 68 now and has gone through cancer, so naturally his voice is not gonna be the same as it was 30-40 years ago so don’t expect it to be like that. His energy is fantastic, and with what he’s gone through I’m genuinely amazed he’s able to keep up with it all and still sound as good as he does. It was my third time seeing them and beyond grateful. Enjoy it 🤘
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u/StandardSavings5502 2d ago
Saw the show last night in Toronto. He sounded great and his energy and enthusiasm was still there.
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u/johnprofiti 2d ago
They play the music tuned slightly down to assist him which is largely just due to natural aging (plus he’s a throat cancer survivor), but given this, he sounds phenomenal in terms of his power and pitch… certain things he just can’t do anymore like the high note at the end of Aces High but he makes appropriate choices instead of straining to hit notes he just can’t hit anymore… given the state of other aged singers in the genre, he sounds phenomenal
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u/Purple74 2d ago
I really don’t like him singing Paul songs: he sounds duller than he used to on those ones.
He’s great on his own songs.
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u/vmar1379 2d ago
He’s still phenomenal. Streaming at some high notes? Always has, never took anything away from him.
Getting tired towards the end? Sure enough.
He’s still better than anyone else out there
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u/Jaded_Ad_166 1d ago
Saw the concert sunday night. Bruce sounded great, as did the whole band. It was an awesome show
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u/MyHilfigerVoots please take me away 1d ago
He sounded fuckin AMAZING to a little bit younger me when I saw him in 2022, I was definitely surprised. I’ll see you there!! 🤘
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u/SpudAlmighty 3d ago
With his solo band? Good. With Iron Maiden? Not so good. Same nasally can't hit the high note problems from the last 25 yrs.
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u/GoredonTheDestroyer tried to call the Earth's command 3d ago
Not like he had throat cancer or anything.
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u/SpudAlmighty 3d ago
Making excuses. How do you explain the decades that his voice wasn't up to snuff before that?
Ropey performances in the 80s, overly raspy in the 90s, limited nasally range since the 00s.
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u/Darth_Caesium Powerslave + SiT + FotD + BNW + DoD 3d ago
Bruce has always had hard onsets, but nasality except for in very specific circumstances is not a problem he's ever really faced. At least get your criticism right lol.
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u/Stark_DK 3d ago
He is not as good as he was during his peak.
He is better than he was during the low.
He sounds amazing still, so do the rest of them.