I was sure that Gagarin 205 Club would be packed that night. All Iron Maiden (and related) fans would attend this show, since a member of the Iron Maiden family was playing live there. I am talking about the live show of Blaze Bayley, the ex-Iron Maiden singer, who had scheduled a visit to Athens on the 8th of November 2024. Myth of Rock was there and shares with you its opinion about what happened that Friday!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
Before proceeding to the event, I would like to note that “The X Factor” (the first Iron Maiden album with Bayley on vocals) was one of the first Iron Maiden albums I ever bought, and the live show of Iron Maiden with Bayley in Peristeri was one of the first metal shows I ever experienced. So, you can imagine how touched I was just minutes before Bayley’s concert at Gagarin 205. All those memories came flooding back, and I was looking forward to seeing Bayley on stage again!
Warming-up duties were handled by Absolva, which is actually Blaze Bayley’s band. The Appleton brothers and their company stormed the stage, and for 45 minutes, they delivered an excellent concert filled with their compelling songs. Their sound was compact and clean, their passion undeniable, and Absolva successfully won the crowd over. If you enjoy good, modern, and melodic British heavy metal, you will love Absolva! Chris and Luke Appleton played their guitars effortlessly, and together with the rest of the band, they delivered melodies, riffs, and solos to the eager fans. We all enjoyed their powerful songs, headbanged, and cheered for Absolva, true representatives of top-notch, fresh, cool, and straightforward melodic metal music. The quartet was confident and mature on stage, but as we reveled in Absolva’s performance, time flew by, and soon the stage was empty, waiting for Mr. Bayley…
Blaze appeared on stage on time, furious and confident, eager to perform for his fans! Since it was the 30th anniversary of his joining Iron Maiden, we expected many Iron Maiden songs in the setlist, and that’s exactly what we got! Bayley was in great shape and a cheerful mood, clearly excited to play for his Greek friends. Accompanied by the members of Absolva, Bayley sang beautifully and passionately, delivering a selection of songs from his time with Iron Maiden and his solo albums, inspiring awe among the audience.
“Lord of the Flies” marked the beginning of a marvelous show, offering incredible moments of pleasure and joy to the fans. Bayley’s band was flawless, providing the perfect foundation for him to give it his all—and he did just that, delivering a masterful performance. His singing was heartfelt, soulful, and sincere, something we all deeply admired and felt. His words to the crowd were captivating and moving, making us smile while offering life lessons from his personal journey. We all felt a connection to what he was sharing.
Bayley performed for two hours, delivering moments of pure joy with a setlist that included “Sign of the Cross”, “Fortunes of War”, “Virus”, “Man on the Edge”, “The Clansman” “The Angel and the Gambler”, “Futureal”, “When Two Worlds Collide” and many more. Undoubtedly, one of the most magical parts of the show was his cover of “Wrathchild”, a tribute to the late Paul Di’Anno. It was a mesmerizing concert, filled with an amazing atmosphere, excellent songs, and a whirlwind of emotions!
We left Gagarin 205 feeling so happy and satisfied, reflecting on everything Blaze Bayley had shared with us. I will never forget him speaking about our dreams and the importance of fighting until they come true one day. Blaze Bayley knows a lot about making dreams come true, so we’d better take his words to heart! What a blast!
