Iron Maiden clearly isn't afraid to follow a supporting band. The metal legends have many decades worth of being brilliant, and are one of the best live acts in the history of rock. Still, vocalist Bruce Dickinson didn't hesitate recently when asked who the toughest supporting band to follow was.
Speaking with Metal Hammer in the June 25 edition of the iconic magazine, the singer said playing after Guns N' Roses on Maiden's 1988 tour was the most difficult. The reason was that the bands were in different eras from what they were and what they would become.
Dickinson said, "Back in the day, the toughest support act we ever had was Guns N’ Roses in America. They’d just released their first album (1987’s Appetite for Destruction) and were reaching this huge wave of popularity. They were full of angst and venom, where Maiden were a bit proggy – it was around Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son."
Bruce Dickinson delivers some truth that will have Iron Maiden fans nodding
In 2026, many fans might like both Maiden and GNR, but in the late 1980s, the former was a longtime great, but many fans were getting to know hard rock because of the punk-laced metal that Guns N' Roses were providing. When one went to see a show on the 1988 tour, a fan might have been there only to see Iron Maiden, or only to see Axl Rose, Slash, and the rest of the band.
While Maiden still performs with an elite style, GNR long ago began being divisive for fans. They would show up well after a supporting band left, or cancel shows altogether. The band seemed more into themselves than giving back to fans, who were the very source of their income.
No matter, both still tour, though not together. The best part for North American fans is that soon, one will have a chance to catch Iron Maiden, if you can find tickets. The run of shows begins on August 29.
2026 North American tour dates for Iron Maiden:
- Aug. 29 - Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena *
- Aug. 30 - Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena *
- Sept. 3 - Montréal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau *^
- Sept. 5 - Harrison, NJ @ Sports Illustrated Stadium *^
- Sept. 9 - Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
- Sept. 11 - Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live *
- Sept. 12 - Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion *
- Sept. 15 - Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium *
- Sept. 17 - Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
- Sept. 19 - Shakopee, MN @ Mystic Lake Amphitheater *
- Sept. 22 - Chicago, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre *
- Sept. 25 - Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium *^
- Sept. 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium *^
- Sept. 29 - San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome *^
- Oct. 2 - Mexico City, MX @ Estadio GNP Seguros (special guests TBA)
* - Joined by Megadeth
^ - Joined by Anthrax
Add us as a preferred source on Google