As I’ve said many times in these pages, Blaze Bayley is one of the first people I ever saw play live — in fact, the first “gig” I ever went to was Wolfsbane playing about 4 songs at Tressines Rock Club back in 1991. I still have his autograph from that afternoon. So yes, I’ll put my cards on the table right now — Blaze isn’t just an artist I admire, he’s one I’ve grown up with. When he joined Iron Maiden in the mid-90s, it genuinely felt like one of us had made it.
That feeling has never really gone away, and tonight at KK’s Steel Mill, Blaze is here to celebrate 30 years since Maiden’s “The X Factor” — the album that, as it happens, came out the day after my 20th birthday.
Those records, “The X Factor” and “Virtual XI”, were unfairly maligned at the time. Listening back before this gig, it’s hard not to realise how underrated they were — dark, ambitious, and full of depth. That darkness, that honesty, has always suited Blaze, and tonight he makes that clear from the moment he walks onstage.
Before Blaze appears his long-time collaborators Absolva take the stage – as ever they are his backing band — and they sound immense. The twin guitars of Luke Appleton and newcomer Tom Atkinson, backed by Chris Appleton and Martin McNee, set the tone perfectly with a blistering “Doctor Doctor”, which opens the show before Blaze marches on for “Sign of the Cross”.
What follows is a masterclass in power and passion. “Lord of the Flies” and “Man on the Edge” bring the energy, and the darker material — “Look for the Truth”, “The Judgement of Heaven”, and “Blood on the World’s Hands” — reminds everyone how heavy and emotional this period of Maiden really was.
Blaze pours his soul into everything, but nowhere more so than on “2 A.M.” — still clearly personal to him, still raw with emotion. “The Edge of Darkness” closes that first half in magnificent fashion, the crowd chanting his name, and Blaze looks genuinely moved.
After “The Unbeliever” rounds off the “X Factor” section, Blaze dives into what he calls “the B-sides that could’ve made the record”, and he’s right — “I Live My Way” and “Judgement Day” are both highlights, delivered with real fire.
Before launching into “Virus”, Blaze takes a moment to talk about the issue of online scammers pretending to be him and other musicians, urging everyone to stay alert and not fall for the fakes. It’s typical of Blaze — honest, protective, and grounded in the real world. Then comes the song itself, an intense and timely anthem that feels like it could have been written yesterday.
From there, the set powers through “Wrathchild” and the epic “The Clansman”, before “Doctor Doctor” returns to close things in true Maiden style. But there’s still one more surprise — “The Angel and the Gambler”. It’s fun, melodic, and far better than many remember — much like the rest of this era he’s celebrating tonight.
But really, this night isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s a celebration of a man, his music, and the bond with his fans that’s never faded. When Blaze says, “I’m 62 years old and I get to live my dream because of you,” it doesn’t sound rehearsed — it sounds real. Because it is.
I hope he knows for those of us who’ve been with him since that Wolfsbane show at Tressines or anywhere else on the road , it feels like we’ve been living that dream right alongside him.
PHOTOS: RICH WARD
