The Iron Maidens – Gig Review 4th May @ Amplifier, Perth WA
The Iron Maidens
Amplifier, Perth WA
May 4th, 2023
Support: Ragdoll
Because I’m an eternal optimist I still have in my Apple wallet a now long refunded and expired ticket for the Perth leg of Iron Maiden’s massive Legacy of The Beast Tour. Although that tour may never make it back to these shores there is a tour which has. All is not lost. The Iron Maidens like the Ancient Mariner before them and with help from The Navigator have sailed across the Sea of Madness and have journeyed once again To Tame a Land.
Their first landfall sees the undisputed queens of tribute bands conquering West Australia. But before we get to the five fair maidens there’s a support act in the shape of Perth’s premier hard rock trio Ragdoll. Full disclosure: I am a big fan of this band. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen them play live. This band always rise to the occasion. Whether headlining or playing support, Ryan, Leon and Cam always deliver the goods. Tonight was no different. The early crowd has swelled in numbers three songs into their set and for good reason. They play balls to the wall hard rock. They might have been playing to an old-school metal crowd but with their influences coming from traditional rock and metal, Ragdoll certainly hit a chord with the Maiden fans.
The break between acts gave me a chance to find a good vantage point. Amplifier is a snug venue at the best of times and tonight it was near capacity in the band room. Covid may have postponed The Iron Maidens from visiting us sooner but it was barely a thought as black clad metal heads stood shoulder to shoulder all eyes towards the stage. As UFO’s 'Doctor, Doctor' sounded out those in the know, that is every single person in the room knew what was coming next. The five Americans hit the stage to a reception usually reserved for six blokes from England. A few others and I came into this with a fair dose of scepticism, but a couple of songs in I was almost embarrassed for having any doubts. You can watch a million YouTube videos and it’s never going to compare to the live experience.
Each member play their part to a tee and it’s not fair to single anyone out but, Kirsten Rosenberg has an incredible voice. It took the frontwoman a couple of songs to get to full voice but once there hold on to your hats. When in full flight I honestly thought Rosenberg was going to blow the PA. It’s been mentioned before, but aside from the obvious difference with a female vocalist, if you close your eyes you could be listening to the “real thing”. The band is just that good. I am willing to face the wrath of fellow Iron Maiden fans and say Rosenberg is able to hit notes the great Bruce Dickinson no longer can.
Once the novelty of girls playing NWOBHM wears off you’re left with a group of blindingly good musicians. The stage craft is honed to perfection. The smaller Amps stage didn’t help when Eddie in a few different guises and The Devil made appearances. But the giant demons somehow managed to avoid crashing into anyone else. Five musicians and a gunslinging oversized Eddie from the future with very little room is a recipe for disaster. But thankfully there was none to be had.
The Perth punters ate it all up, every note, gesture, costume change and every flag waved. I’ve always said, Iron Maiden are the only band who can come to Australia, wave the Union Jack and still get a cheer. Well, you can add The Iron Maidens to that very short list.
Perth was the first stop on this Australian tour all I can say is: Australia, put your boots on because these girls are killer.
Review by Gareth Williams
The Iron Maidens - Australian Tour 2023
