Iron Maiden – Flight 666

They did everything their way. They never had any radio airtime or commercial media coverage in their own country, yet they managed to 70 million records worldwide. Iron Maiden always does things in their own way, and Flight 666 is a classic example to prove it.

Shot by Canadian filmmakers Sam Dunn and Scott Mcfadyen, the “Rockumentary” shows us how the Somewhere Back in Time Tour was thought of, conceptualized and finally executed, to become one of the most successful tours that the band has ever had. 50,000 miles and 23 venues covered in a span of merely 45 days by the band who traveled in a way that could probably be described as bizarre and rather tiring for an artist – in their own private Boeing 757, rechristened as Ed Force One and redesigned with some incredibly impressive artwork. This is why, even after playing music for over three decades they have never gone out of fashion. They still continue to create brilliant music, and the fans don’t seem to get enough!

Flight 666 is a far-cry from what one would expect from a movie based on a metal band. There are no drugs or sex involved, in fact what you get to see is the band playing golf, soccer and tennis. It captures the foolery they indulge in off-stage, on the plane and even on the bus back to the hotel. But what sets Flight 666 apart from every other movie is the sheer power of the music, and the devotion of the people who listen to it. The footage from their tour which, incidentally, covers almost the entire track list they had for the tour, is breathtaking. It proves their ability to enchant you while they are on stage. It makes you want to just jump out of you’re seat and head bang. However, the best part about Flight 666 is undoubtedly, the fans. More than the music, it’s the fans that make this band so special. It’s just mind-boggling to see the way they fill up every venue and the energy that is created, which helps the band give the performance that is expected of them. As Bruce Dickinson confesses, “We are always under the constant pressure of giving the fans what they have come to see.” The fans in South America are probably the world’s biggest Iron Maiden fans. The energy that they bring into the venues is simply amazing. It’s shocking to see the way people in Columbia actually camped for almost 9 days outside the venue just to get a good place for the concert. Two scenes in particular deserve special mention- one where they show a fan standing post concert, holding on to one of the drumsticks that Nicko threw into the crowd, weeping uncontrollably. Hats off to the man who captured this, it portrays tremendous emotion. The second one being where they talk to the priest who preaches the morality of Iron Maiden lyrics and has a whopping 162 tattoos of Iron Maiden etched on his body.

Flight 666 is refreshingly different. The screenplay is brilliant. The band has matured and mellowed, yet there isn’t a scene where you could say they have lost their flair. The movie captures the role of each member of the band beautifully. This movie wasn’t scripted, and it doesn’t need one either. It was probably one of the most anticipated movies for ardent metal followers and I can safely assert that it lives up to the expectations of the crowd. Flight 666 is going to make you hoot in the theatre, reminisce about your time at the concert if you were there, or make you curse yourself for not being there. It doesn’t take a hardcore metal fan to enjoy this movie. It’s a revelation to those who haven’t heard Iron Maiden, and is going to probably turn non - followers into Maiden fans. Because like they say, Iron Maiden is going to get all of you!