Iron Maiden were forced to play a shortened set in Paris recently as a massive power cut happened across the city.
The heavy metal icons took to the stage at La Défense Arena in the French capital on Monday night (June 22) for a phone-free gig, but power outages in the area interrupted the performance, leading to it being put on hold for around an hour.
Usually, there is an 11pm curfew at the venue, but this was pushed to 11:35pm to allow the band to play to fans after power was restored. Venue operators informed fans that they were unable to push back the curfew any more as all local transport in the area stopped by 12.15am – meaning concertgoers would not be able to get home otherwise.
To meet the 11:35pm deadline, Iron Maiden were forced to cut three songs out of their set: ‘Aces High’, ‘Fear Of The Dark’ and ‘Wasted Years’.
In response to the affected show, the band shared a statement that read: “Last night Maiden returned to La Défense Arena in Paris. Having played two sold out nights there last year in the 37,000 capacity indoor stadium, home of Racing 92 rugby club, this return a year later was specifically to film the show for posterity and future release, and an indoor stadium and exuberant French fans were ideal for this.
“However, about 50 minutes into the set towards the end of ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’, a total power cut brought everything to a stop.”
Frontman Bruce Dickinson shared a statement too, sharing that the set was being recorded for a concert film, and explaining that Iron Maiden are looking for a way to get the project finished despite the hindrances.
“Despite everything the audience and atmosphere last night were fantastic and, like every other challenge Iron Maiden have faced over the years, we’ll find a way to deal with and overcome the missing songs in the encore when it comes to the final film,” he said.
The singer also added that “no one is more frustrated than the band and crew” to see the show affected, particularly as they “know that many [fans] travelled long distances and waited patiently throughout the interruption”.
“What we will remember most from last night is the incredible spirit inside the arena,” he concluded. “Your patience, understanding and unwavering support through an extremely challenging situation meant the world to us. The energy in the room was remarkable and is exactly what we have to come to expect from Paris, and a reminder of why we always love playing here.”
French national newspaper Le Figaro reported that “officials are investigating whether the outage was linked to the extreme heat”, and manager Rod Smallwood said that it was “as high as 44°C that day” in the city and the power cut in the venue led to the air conditioning being shut off.
While it isn’t yet clear if it was the heatwave that caused the power outage at the venue, there is a strong possibility that it was behind the malfunction – as around 68,000 households in France were left without electricity due to the extreme weather (via France24).
The outlet also reports that Tuesday (June 23) was the hottest day on record in the country, and as a result, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum restricted visiting hours, and transport was severely delayed.
Ahead of the Paris show, Iron Maiden told fans that they would be implementing a no-phones policy for the gig as it was being filmed professionally for a concert film.
“The standing/General Admission area in La Défense Arena will be entirely phone-free to make sure the experience is optimal for the live recording of the Run For Your Lives Tour film,” they shared. “Yondr pouches will be provided upon entry to the venue to store your mobile device during the show. Your device will be locked in the pouch on arrival and unlocked when you leave at the end of the night.”
The ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour continues at Copenhell in Copenhagen tonight (June 24), and will conclude with a stop at Knebworth House on July 11. The latter will be a headline set as part of their own two-day festival, Eddfest.