Turning 100 years old this year is a venue many famous bands come to when they want to play an intimate show. This venue is known as The Fillmore Detroit. A place that, from the outside, looks like a normal everyday building. Upon entering, you see it is anything but. Its beauty from ceiling to floor makes it one of my favorite venues to walk into. As a fan, the tiered standing levels that lead down to the floor and stage make it very easy to not have to worry about getting a good view of the stage. Before the event, Bruce Dickinson would comment on social media that “everybody comes here.” He then listed bands like Metallica and Kiss, while having other names on the wall such as My Chemical Romance and Jimmy Eat World. Dickinson would also mention how he loves coming to Detroit and has been coming “Since I first stepped foot on North America, which has been almost 100 years myself!”
Before taking the stage, there would be an opening band by the name of Cowboy Angels. To be honest, I was surprised with an opening band. Everywhere I looked prior mentioned nothing about one. Cowboy Angels have a sound very similar to AC/DC. From the vocalist’s voice, to playing style, and even how the lead singer dressed, it was very reminiscent of them. The band of four, from Bay City, Michigan, played with fast guitar rhythms and easy-to-follow drum beats. It took the crowd a few songs, but they eventually grew into the set and gave the band some love. As the end of the half-hour set came about, they were giving some loud applauses and reactions during and after each song played.
Bruce Dickinson and his band took the stage at 9pm. The band, consisting of six members, would one by one enter onto the stage, with each person getting a little louder of a cheer until The Fillmore Detroit erupted when Dickinson made his appearance. In the photo pit, it quickly became one of my favorite sets to photograph in my 10 years of doing this. Every band member made it obvious to play to those of us lucky enough to photograph this tour. Smiles, guitar pointing, tongues being let out, and more were done to give us some fun photos to tell the story. The band members would walk, run, and dance their way to one another, playing and messing with one another, keeping things spontaneous and fun for the crowd. At one point within the first three songs, a piece of confetti fell down from the ceiling from a previous show, and Dickinson reached out to grab it. To his, and the crowds’, astonishment, he successfully grabbed it. With a smile, Dickinson would then throw it into the crowd, continuing the song as if it never happened. The lighting was great, and there was so much going on, the three song limit came and went like a speeding bullet.
When Dickinson finally did speak to the crowd after the third song, it was met with “Bruce” chants. Thanking the crowd, he moved on to telling the crowd about how many of the songs would be from the latest album, The Mandrake Project. To which Dickinson then began to tell the first of many intro stories. It was then I realized that this set would consist of songs that would tell a story in a world different than ours. A story about life, death, and then what happens after.
The crowd, though shockingly small considering a metal legend was in town, was fist pumping, head banging, and jumping on demand from Dickinson. He commanded the stage, and the crowd would follow his every ask.
The “Resurrection Men” began, which was played roughly halfway through the 15-song set (12 then three encore songs), and it would go down as one of the more metal-sounding songs of the show. With a roaring guitar intro that made headway with thumping bass and drum beats, it was definitely a song that the crowd enjoyed hearing live.
“Rain On The Graves” began with Dickinson talking about a graveyard in the rain and meeting the Devil, which wasn’t as bad as it could have been. He would joke that it wasn’t “The Pope, or Jesus, or the immigration authority.” With some laughs from the crowd, the song began. This song would go down as one of my favorite moment of the show. Dickinson’s voice was shining in this one. With screams, laughs that echoed (some through a delay or reverb), and the notes that were hit, Dickinson killed the song in its live version. Immediately after began a drum solo that led the band into the song “Frankenstein.” With no lyrics, just a jam session, each member showcased their musical abilities. Dickinson would join in playing the theremin, an instrument I’ve never seen live before and was immediately mesmerized by.
During “Book of Thel,” Dickonson would ask again for crowd interaction, this time with some jumping around. This led to a small circle pit forming in the upper front left part of the crowd. The pit continued for the next song, but it quickly ended when a fight nearly broke out due to people not wanting to be in the pit getting bumped and pushed. Security quickly defused that situation without any issues or show stoppage.
The encore arrived with more chants of “Bruce.” They played what I would say was a crowd favorite based on the loud cheer, “Tears of The Dragon.” The sheer amount of phones that were recording, along with the fans singing the song back to the band, made it fun to watch. “Gods of War” and “The Tower” ended the set.
Dickinson announced that the band will be in the studio in January of next year to begin recording a new album. While this tour is nearly over, be sure to check out Dickinson on his own like this show, or with Iron Maiden. You will not be disapointed.
