Bruce Dickinson in concert at Olympia: we were there, we tell you all about it

Some concerts are not to be missed; firstly for their fiery atmosphere, and secondly for the artist in the spotlight. On Sunday May 26, 2024, these two criteria were met at Bruce Dickinson's only Paris concert. The charismatic Iron Maiden singer was in Paris for his"The Mandrake Project tour", in honor of his excellent new solo opus released on March 1, 2024.

Ahead of his eagerly-awaited show at Hellfest this summer, Bruce Dickinson made a stopover at the legendaryOlympia to defend his new songs. And one thing's for sure: the buzz around the British singer continues unabated, despite the passing years. On this Sunday, the doors of the Olympia are not yet open, but the queue for this sold-out show stretches all the way to rue Scribe, at the junction with rue Auber. To be honest, we've rarely seen such a long queue outside the Olympia! It promises to be a supercharged atmosphere this Sunday.

But before Bruce Dickinson's eagerly-awaited appearance on stage, the Olympia audience was treated to New Zealand band Black Smoke Trigger. Led by the energetic Baldrick, the hard-rock outfit delivered an ultra-dynamic, peppy set, which the entire audience clearly approved of.

Then, at around 8.50pm, the man everyone had been waiting for took to theOlympia stage to thunderous applause. Beanie on his head and sleeveless denim jacket, Bruce Dickinson wasted no time in getting the show underway, surrounded by his 5 musicians. And it's with the old hit " Accident of Birth " that the singer decides to gradually raise the temperature. The artist continued his set with a number of older tracks, such as " Abduction ", taken from"Tyranny of Souls" (2005), then "Laughingin the Hiding Bush ", from the album"Balls to Picasso" (1994), before performing the first track from his new opus, " Afterglow of Ragnarok ". In the Olympia hall, the fans were buzzing. Many of them wearing Iron Maiden t-shirts, but also those of other metal bands (Metallica, Saxon, Iced Earth...), the spectators - mostly male and over 40 - seem to be in perfect communion with the British singer, who returns the favor.

Live, Bruce Dickinson is unfailingly generous. He's hyperactive in life (singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, radio host...) and on stage too. The British singer is a veritable stage beast. Using his arms like a true stage actor, the artist doesn't hesitate to have fun with the audience and address them in (almost) perfect French. One more thing Bruce Dickinson has mastered. Happy to be playing " at home ", as he calls Paris that evening, this is the first time the British singer has played the legendaryOlympia. So Bruce Dickinson made the most of it, despite a slight " flu ". Bruce Dickinson will apologize for his voice on Sunday evening. But we'll see nothing but fire. In fact, the power and accuracy of that very voice, recognizable among a thousand, are incredible. As for his energy, it's infectious from start to finish, to the point of making the pit floor shake beneath our feet!

This is particularly true of Bruce Dickinson 's rendition of " Resurrection Men ", followed by the excellent and rousing " Rain on the Graves ". Two tracks taken from the latest album, but already sounding like real anthems to fans!

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In the background, a screen projected several images, including excerpts from the famous film"Nosferatu". His love of horror cinema was on display several times that evening, as was his passion for the British poet and painter William Blake.

Bruce Dickinson and his talented musicians also indulge in a cover of The Edgar Winter Group, playing the instrumental " Frankenstein ". For the occasion, Bruce Dickinson steps behind the percussion and gives us a fine demonstration of his mastery of the theremin, considered to be one of the oldest electronic musical instruments.

After a thunderous three-track encore that did justice to the old songs, Bruce Dickinson ended his incredible 2-hour set just as he had begun it, to a thunderous applause that was richly deserved!

Setlist
Accident of Birth
Abduction
Laughingin the Hiding Bush
Afterglow of Ragnarok
Chemical Wedding
Many Doors to Hell
Jerusalem
Resurrection Men
Rain on the Graves
Frankenstein
The Alchemist
Tearsof the Dragon
Darkside of Aquarius

Reminder
Navigate the Seas of the Sun
Book of Thel
The Tower