Are you going to the Sonisphere show at Knebworth this summer? Watch the skies!
The official Iron Maiden website has announced that singer Bruce Dickinson will take part in The Great War Display Team’s air display above Knebworth prior to Maiden’s headline appearance at the Sonisphere Festival on July 5th.
The team will stage a World War 1 style air “battle”, in commemoration of the Great War and the incredible achievements and sacrifices of those who fought the war in the air above Europe.
Hopefully, Bruce will be safe on the ground for Maiden’s concert that night, which is the final show of the 2012-2014 Maiden England tour, and thus their final ever History show.
Maiden Revelations 
There’s a bit of fuss in the UK at the moment about marking the anniversary of the start of WW1. Our government seems to want to celebrate the start of a vicious war run by idiots and fought by fathers, husbands and sons, just because we ‘won’. What I like about this air display is that it commemorates the bravery, skill and ingenuity of the engineers and combatants who built and flew these planes. It looks like it will be awe-inspiring without (hopefully) stoking the worst sides of British jingoism.
Plus, it looks like it will be an amazing show, it just proves Bruce is a hell of a guy, and he’ll have that extra shot of adrenaline to carry into the gig that night!
I hope it will come off in the right way! In my mind commemorating the end of a war makes sense, while commemorating the start of one seems rather strange…
What war isn’t vicious, my friend? We celebrate July 4th every year because we won a vicious war. *shrug*
I agree that this kind of display (Goddess, I wish I could be there!) is more of a testament to the warriors’ prowess, skill, and bravery than a commemoration of spilling blood and I’m glad you see it that way, too.
With due respect, that’s a terrible comparison, Ms. Ray. The war of independence was certainly vicious, but you celebrate winning your independence and freedom from tyranny. That’s very different from commemorating the START of the utterly pointless First World War. Hooray, we started a pointless war 100 years ago that took millions of lives! 😉
Point well taken — and no offense meant. I guess what I was trying to say, (obviously very badly), is that no war is worth celebrating, start or finish. Frankly, I can’t wrap my head around celebrating the start of one in any circumstance. On the other end, even though we gained independence, it was a horrific bloodbath on both sides. I don’t think there should be fireworks and barbecues, but somber reflection. Freedom’s not free.
I apologize for the faux pas.
@2Mins: I wholeheartedly agree with your response.
It does sound like it’s going to be a spectacle, I’m just surprised Mr Smallwood is letting Bruce take to the skies for a dogfight on the day of a major concert.
Ha! I’ll give you three guesses how much choice he probably had. Bruce (and probably the whole band) is so jazzed by this, I doubt all of Olympus could’ve talked him out of it. But, I’m with Christer, hoping it all comes off right. I’m squeezing my butt cheeks and white knuckled just thinking about it…But, what I wouldn’t do to be able to be there and see it, though!
*sigh* “Scream for me, imagination…” 😦
I will be there so I will post something after the show.
Please do!! \m/
I am sure others will as well but yes I will definitely post something. Should be a great show. Saw them in 2010 at Knebworth and it is a cool outside venue. Doing the Bergen and Luxembourg shows as well.
Maiden Revelations would be happy to publish a review or something of the Knebworth spectacle, if anyone would like to do one.
I might have a go at that Christer… Slightly depends at what time of the morning/afternoon the first Trooper starts going down…
Personally I don’t see any problem with people celebrating the END of a war. The day Nazi Germany let go of my country is certainly worthy of celebration, even if the war was terrible and must be otherwise reflected upon. However, as 2Mins pointed out, marking 2014 is odd in that it’s the anniversary of the START of a terrible war, not the end of one. (Not that the Bruce display is intended to celebrate the start of a war, it’s clearly commemorating those who fought and died in the skies.)
I guess that being 100 years from the start of the war can also act as a poignant reminder of the futility of it all.
In the UK we celebrate the end of the war evey year on 11th November, or more precisely, we remember those fallen.