Metal Guru

Oh I forgot to mention in the previous post, I saw Manowar at the airport when we landed in Istanbul. There was a three day metal festival here and though I didn't go (there were only a few bands I'd really like to see but not worth it for only a little bit. Plus I had no one to go with on the day they played and going alone just makes me feel like a bigger loser than I usually do on a regular basis), I was completely in awe. Big men hauling equipment covered in tattoos and metal shirts. My people!

Of course, when I went over to talk to one who was standing around I got a raised eyebrow, the universal sign of, "How do YOU know who these bands are." Well sir, I might be wearing lace tights and a pretty dress and my cool, green glasses and I might be a little girl but that doesn't mean I can't like metal. Hmmph, the cool kids never let me play.

So we'll move on to a nicer band. My darlings, Iron Maiden. They're the band I've seen most often (mind you 3 times might not be a lot but I grew up in Turkey where no one ever played) and I adore them. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was their first album I bought when I was in high school (and cue another instance where I'm in a girly dress and pigtails and the guy behind the register is unsure whether I know what I'm doing as I present him with my purchases. There was an Alice Cooper CD too), and it was after I saw it on a program on VH1 called Friday Rocks. Every Friday night, from 12-2:20 this program would give me all kinds of metal and the first time I saw the video for, "Can I Play With Madness?" it floored me. I think my exact thoughts were, WHAT IS THIS I MUST HAVE IT THIS IS WONDERFUL!! Since then my collection of paraphernalia ranges from Vans sneakers with with Piece of Mind and Powerslave (my favorite artwork as it's Eddie, their mascot, in Egypt), enough t-shirts and tops that I could wear a different one everyday for two weeks, and of course, records, CDs, and even a tapestry (shh, I'm not a hippie I promise).

They remind me of all the adventures I've had with my boyfriend and other friends as they provided the soundtrack. Driving to Long Island from Boston singing along to Rainmaker the only song we like from the dance With Death album, traveling from Istanbul to Athens to see them in concert and hitchhiking back to the city while our kind driver blasted, "The Prisoner," getting drenched while seeing them in Boston but watching in awe as lightening filled one corner of the sky while a rainbow appeared in the other, and so much more. They were even the reason I got my own column for a while at a certain music site because of a piece I wrote about them.

Iron Maiden always seemed like the cool older brothers you wish you had and could hang out with. Everything I've read about them, every interview I've seen, and every account I've heard just proves how, well there's no other way to put it, cool they are.

I'm still sour because as much as I loved watching their documentary, Flight 666 I really wish I could've been on that plane too.

I have both script and book idea that of has Iron Maiden as the anchor to it (kind of like Detroit Rock City. It's my favorite movie, about 4 boys doing their damnedest to get to a Kiss concert Kiss is in it for maybe 30 seconds at the end haha), so who knows? Maybe the cool kids will notice me in the end. Off to listen to their new song now.

Also, I really think they should do an India theme as their next artwork. Eddie has a maharaja. I'd probably wet myself in excitement. I think Ottoman Eddie is a little far-fetched but the Taj Eddie? Are you listening Maiden?