Lokacin da na tambayi Steve Harris, wanda ya kafa kuma mai buga bass na Iron Maiden, game da gaskiyar cewa ƙungiyarsa ta wuce fiye da rabin karni, ya yi kamar ba ya fahimta, kamar ya ajiye wani abu kuma ya manta inda ya barshi. "Ya wuce da sauri sosai. Kana tafiya yawon shakatawa na 'yan watanni kuma yana kama da yana tashi da sauri, amma abubuwa da yawa suna faruwa. Dukan aikinmu shine ci gaba da hakan – na shekaru 50."
Yana tunani game da yadda ya jagoranci ɗaya daga cikin mafi tasiri – kuma mai zurfin bambanci – ƙungiyoyin Burtaniya a tarihi. An tura shi zuwa matakin farko na ƙarfe na 80s tare da kundi masu sauri, na wasan kwaikwayo, masu yawan platinum kamar The Number of the Beast, Powerslave, da Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Iron Maiden ba wai kawai ya tsira daga faɗuwar tsakiyar 90s da ta shafi ƙungiyoyin ƙarfe da yawa ba, amma ya zama ma fi nauyi da buri.
Shekarar da ta gabata, sun yi bikin cika shekaru 50 tare da yawon shakatawa na Run for Your Lives, wanda ke ci gaba har zuwa wannan Nuwamba kuma ya haɗa da manyan wasannin su na Burtaniya har zuwa yau a nasu EddFest na kwana biyu a Knebworth a watan Yuli. Wata mai zuwa, kuma akwai fitowar fim ɗin Burning Ambition, wani shirin gaskiya wanda ya shafi shekarun da suka gabata wanda ya ƙunshi hotunan tarihi da ba kasafai ba tare da haɗe da tambayoyi daga mutane kamar Tom Morello, Chuck D, Lars Ulrich, da – ba zato ba tsammani – Javier Bardem.
"Magoya bayan Maiden masu tsauri za su ce: me yasa ba sa'a 10 ba?" In ji mawaƙi mai kuzari Bruce Dickinson lokacin da na sadu da shi shi kaɗai a wani otal a Soho na London. "Amma da fatan zai zama tafiya mai nishadantarwa."
An kafa Maiden a London a 1975 ta Harris, ya bi ta hanyar canje-canje da yawa na layi kafin ya zauna a kan Paul Di'Anno a matsayin mawaƙi a 1978, kuma ya yi yaƙi don zama kan gaba a sabon raƙuman ƙarfe na Burtaniya (NWOBHM) ta hanyar yin wasanni akai-akai. Wani motsi mai tsauri da aka sani da wasan kwaikwayo na ban mamaki da halin DIY, NWOBHM ya yi wasa a mashaya na bayan titi ga taron jama'a a cikin denim da fata na musamman, duk a lokacin tsananin punk. Saboda saurin ƙungiyar da tushen East End, masu sukar wani lokaci suna kwatanta punk da Maiden, amma "Na fi son share tituna da yin wannan shara," in ji Harris a cikin Burning Ambition.
Dickinson ya kasance mai zurfin shiga cikin NWOBHM tare da ƙungiyarsa Samson, waɗanda suka yi rikodin a ɗakin studio kusa da Maiden lokacin da suke yin kundi na 1981 Killers. "NWOBHM! Ya kasance kamar: OK, idan za ka iya rubuta shi, za ka iya faɗi shi," in ji Dickinson. "Amma a matakin farko, duk mun kasance: me kake magana akai? Wannan ya kasance shekaru da yawa." Ya ambaci Marquee Club a Soho da Music Machine (yanzu Koko) a Camden, arewacin London, a matsayin "kololuwa, inda kake son zama. Kafin haka, kana yin ɗan kafet a kusurwar mashaya."
"Abu ɗaya da ƙarfe ya ɗauka [daga punk] shine ra'ayin 'Mu yi shi da kanmu.' Mutane sun fitar da nasu waƙoƙin, sun sami yarjejeniya da lakabi masu zaman kansu. Sa'an nan punk ya canza zuwa sabon raƙuman da sabon romantic, amma ba mu canza zuwa wani abu ba – mun ci gaba kawai."
Kundi na farko na Maiden mai suna kansa ya shiga jadawalin Burtaniya a matsayi na 4 a 1980. Duk da haka, a lokacin da suka fitar da Killers, Di'Anno ya ƙone. Wani mutum mai taurin kai wanda yake son giya da kwayoyi, ya bar ƙungiyar a 1981 bayan dogon yawon shakatawa mai matsananciyar damuwa. Dickinson ya shiga bayan wani "tattaunawar sirri" mai ban dariya da Rod Smallwood, manajan Maiden, wanda aka gudanar a ƙarƙashin wani babban haske a tsakiyar wurin liyafar a bikin Reading. Wani hali daban daga Di'Anno, Dickinson yana da abin da ba da daɗewa ba ya zama ɗaya daga cikin alamun kasuwanci mafi saurin ganewa a ƙarfe: murya mai girgiza octave, mai yawan vibrato da aka gina don yin tasiri. Ya kuma kasance mai horo, tare da ƙarfin da ake buƙata na watanni a hanya.
"Ya kasance kamar zama ɗan wasan gaba na Conference kuma suka ce: je ka yi wasa a gaba da tsakiya ga Man City," in ji shi. "Amma na kasance mai yawan ƙarfin gwiwa saboda ina da shekaru 21." "Tabbas zan sami aikin, saboda zan iya yin daidai abin da kake so da kuma fiye da haka." Na san yadda Steve yake da buri, kuma na fahimci inda yake son kai waƙar. A bayyane yake cewa ƙungiyar na iya zama babba sosai. Ina son yadda suke da fasaha a matsayin mawaƙa — babu iyaka, a fannin kiɗa.
Labarin Dickinson mai haske — abin da yake kira "wasan kwaikwayo na hankali" — ya zama mabuɗin sa hannu na Iron Maiden. Ya cika da nassoshi na adabi marasa iyaka, daga Rime of the Ancient Mariner na Samuel Taylor Coleridge zuwa Brave New World na Aldous Huxley, har ma da gaskiyar zamantakewa na 1950s na Alan Sillitoe tare da The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Akwai kuma yawan yaƙe-yaƙe na tarihi, gwagwarmayar siyasa mai girma, da yanayin tashin hankali, da ake ji a waƙoƙi kamar Paschendale, Alexander the Great, da The Trooper.
Iron Maiden ya zauna don yin rikodin The Number of the Beast (1982). Tare da manyan waƙoƙi uku nan take — waƙar take, Run to the Hills, da Hallowed Be Thy Name — tare da waƙoƙi masu zurfi kamar The Prisoner da Children of the Damned, kundin ya ba da abin da Maiden ya taɓa nuna kawai amma bai taɓa cika ba: ƙarfe mai girma da wasan kwaikwayo wanda yake da ƙarfi a cikin waƙa kuma danye, mai tashin hankali, kuma nan take.
"Lokacin da ka shiga tare da tarin waƙoƙi, ba lallai ba ne ka yi tunanin ka yi kundi na gargajiya," in ji Harris a cikin yanayinsa na rashin ƙarfi. "Ina kawai tunani: da kyau, mun yi kundi mai kyau sosai, kuma mutane za su so shi ko ba za su so ba."
Duk da yawan ambaton Coleridge, rubutun waƙar da aka yi wahayi daga Charge of the Light Brigade, Harris yana da hali mai tsayayye, mai tushe, kamar mai horar da ƙwallon ƙafa mai natsuwa — ya bambanta sosai da Dickinson mai ban sha'awa, wanda ra'ayinsa game da The Number of the Beast kusan gaba ɗaya ne. "Shin mun san yana da mahimmanci? Ee, mun sani! Muna zama a ɗakin studio bayan haka muna sauraron baya. Muna zama a can muna shan Watneys Party Sevens" — ƙaramin keg mai rahusa na fam bakwai da ake iya ganewa nan take na zamanin. "Mun gina katanga daga waɗannan abubuwa kuma ba za mu isa gida ba sai karfe hudu na safe bayan mun daina rikodin a karfe takwas ko tara. Sauran lokacin muna zama a can muna cije kanmu, muna cewa: wallahi, wannan ba mai kyau ba ne?"
A cikin farkon 80s, an kafa tsari: rubuta da yin rikodin kundi kowace shekara, yawon shakatawa, sa'an nan kuma — idan sun yi sa'a — samun 'yan makonni hutu don Kirsimeti. Don kundi na gaba Piece of Mind (1983), sun yi iyakacin ƙarfinsu. Smallwood ya yi caca ta hanyar yin ajiyar wuraren wasanni maimakon gidajen wasan kwaikwayo a duk faɗin Amurka — ciki har da Madison Square Garden. Ya biya. Maiden yanzu ya zama ƙungiyar wasan kwaikwayo mai sayar da platinum, kodayake har yanzu suna aiki a waje da al'adun masana'antar kiɗa: babu bidiyo masu kyalli, ƙaramin wasa a rediyo, har ma da ƙaramin ɗaukar hoto na kafofin watsa labarai na yau da kullun.
"Lokacin da kake cikin shekarun 20, yana da ban mamaki yawan azabtarwa da jikinka zai iya ɗauka," in ji mawaƙin guitar Adrian Smith ta hanyar kiran bidiyo. "Amma ƙungiya kamar Maiden dole ne ta ci gaba da wannan jadawalin saboda ba mu taɓa samun babban waƙa ɗaya ba kuma muna jiran kuɗin sarauta ya sauka a kan tabarma. Mun fita can kuma muka kawo waƙar ga mutane. Yana biya daga baya, duk da haka, saboda mutane suna tuna hakan. Amma mun kai matsayin da ya kamata mu huta... yana kama da kai."
Yawon shakatawa mai wahala, mai suna mai ban tsoro na Duniya don tallafawa Powerslave na 1984 ya kasance misali mai kyau. A ƙarshensa, ƙungiyar ta gaji, musamman Dickinson.
"Wannan tabbas ya kasance lokaci mai wahala a gare ni," in ji shi. "Ba ni da rayuwa. Ya fara jin kamar keji na zinariya. Kuma hakan ba zai iya zama daidai ba. Na fara tunanin: shin yana da daraja? Domin ina da ƙarfin yin wani abu dabam. Ina tunanin barin aikin don zama malamin wasan takobi. Ina so in..."Tafi, saboda hakan ya fi rasa ranka da duk abin da ke tare da shi." Ya damu cewa yana rasa "dalilin da ya sa na shiga kiɗa da farko: saboda wani nau'i ne na labari mai ban mamaki."
Yayin da magoya bayan Iron Maiden masu sadaukarwa za su iya sanin abin da ya zama jerin karatu mai nauyi, shin yana dame su cewa masu sauraro na yau da kullun ba su da masaniya game da zurfin abin? "Ba zan ce yana da ban haushi ba, hakan yana da ƙarfi," in ji Dickinson. "Amma yana da ban haushi lokacin da mutane suka ce, 'Kai kawai gungun wawaye ne marasa zurfi, kuma shi ya sa kuke yin irin waƙar da kuke yi, saboda ba za ku iya yin wani abu dabam ba.'"
Duba hoto a cikin cikakken allo
Dickinson yana yin wasa a Ozzfest 2005 a Hyundai Pavilion a San Bernardino, California. Hoton: Karl Walter/Getty Images
Zuwa 1990, kiɗa mai nauyi yana canzawa. Ƙungiyoyin rock masu ƙarfi kamar Guns N' Roses da ƙungiyoyin thrash metal kamar Metallica sun kasance manya, kuma labarin Maiden mai wuce gona da iri yana cikin haɗarin jin an riga an yi amfani da shi. Bayan kundi na ra'ayi na 1988 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, No Prayer for the Dying na 1990 an yi nufin komawa ga ainihin sautin Maiden. An kafa wani ɗakin studio mai motsi mai girgiza, wanda Rolling Stones ta taɓa amfani da shi, a filin gidan Harris a Essex. Kundin ya haɗa da "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter," wanda ya zama ɗaya daga cikin waƙoƙin ƙarfe masu nauyi kawai da suka taɓa yin kololuwa a jadawalin waƙoƙin Burtaniya. Amma ba duk abin da ke tafiya daidai ba ne, kuma Smith—ɗaya daga cikin mafi sauri kuma mafi kyawun mawaƙan guitar na zamanin—ya yanke shawarar barin.
"Waɗannan abubuwa ba su taɓa bayyana sarai ba," in ji shi. "Amma ina cikin wani yanayi na tashin hankali. Ba zan iya fitar da wani abu ba... Seventh Son, na gamsu da hakan, kuma yana girma. Amma ban sha'awar komawa zuwa sautin gareji ba. Suka ce, 'Za mu iya gaya maka ba ka da farin ciki daga yanayin jikinka.' Muka yi taro. Shi ke nan."
A lokacin, Dickinson ya kasance babban mai son Alice in Chains da Soundgarden, wanda ya kira "mai ban tsoro, na kiɗa, da kuma motsin rai." "Akwai wannan babban tafki na hazaka, kuma ina kallo ina tunanin: shin har yanzu muna da mahimmanci, ko kuma kamannin Iron Maiden ya fara jin an gama amfani da shi? Kuma babu wanda ya damu." Don haka shi ma ya bar a 1993. "Lokaci ne na tunani da shakkar kai. Ganin cewa na kasance wani ɓangare na wata cibiya tun farkon shekarun 20 na kuma ban san yadda zan yi wani abu dabam a waje da ita ba—na ga hakan yana da ban tsoro sosai."
Harris ya tuna cewa rashin sadarwa a cikin ƙungiyar a lokacin babbar matsala ce. "Ya kasance kusan kamar: 'Lafiya, zan tafi.' 'Oh, OK—to, shi ke nan.' Ba mu yi magana sosai game da shi ba. Ana iya kauce masa, amma za ka iya jayayya cewa mutane suna buƙatar tafiya su sami nasu wurin."
Bayan hawan grunge sannan kuma nu-metal, 90s sun zama ma wahala ga yawancin ƙungiyoyin ƙarfe na 80s, ciki har da Maiden. Sun ci gaba ba tare da Dickinson da Smith ba—dukansu sun yi aiki a kan ayyuka daban-daban na solo da ƙungiyar, wani lokaci tare—kuma suka kawo Janick Gers (yanzu ɗaya daga cikin mawaƙan guitar uku a cikin layin 2026, tare da Smith da memba na dogon lokaci Dave Murray) da mawaƙi Blaze Bayley, wanda ya kasance daga Wolfsbane. Kundin da suka yi rikodin a wannan lokacin—The X Factor da Virtual XI—sun kasance masu ƙarfi, amma shaharar Maiden tana raguwa, musamman a Amurka, inda a karon farko cikin shekarun da suka gabata suka yi wahala su cika gidajen wasan kwaikwayo, balle wuraren wasanni.
"Yana da wahala a Amurka," in ji Harris. "Amma ƙarfe yana fama a ko'ina. Tare da dogon aiki, kana koyon hawan sama da ƙasa, amma kana ci gaba ko da menene."
Dickinson da Smith suka koma ƙungiyar a 1999 kuma suka yi rikodin Brave New World mai ban sha'awa. Dickinson ya tuna wani taron sirri tsakaninsa da Harris, wanda manajan ya shirya. "Na sami dukan abin..." "Mai ban dariya," in ji shi yana dariya. "Matakin tsoro game da ni da Steve ana ganinmu a wuri ɗaya a bainar jama'a—ina nufin, ya kasance kamar wani abu daga littafin Len Deighton. Na ce, me yasa ba mu hadu mu yi magana ba? Kuma Rod Smallwood ya ce, a'a, a'a, a'a! Don haka muka ƙarasa yin hakan a wani kulob na jirgin ruwa a tashar jirgin ruwa ta Brighton, inda Rod ya kori kowa."
Duba hoto a cikin cikakken allo
Iron Maiden a kan mataki a filin wasa na PGE a Warsaw, Poland. Hoton: John McMurtrie
Wannan ya kai ga Iron Maiden mai ƙarfi, mai kuzari ya jagoranci bikin Rock in Rio na 2001 a gaban mutane 250,000. Tun daga wannan lokacin, kundin sun zo a hankali fiye da na 80s, amma ingancin ya kasance mai girma, tare da wani ɓangare na ci gaba mai hankali, mai girma a hankali ya zo a gaba. Dukansu Harris da Dickinson magoya bayan prog rock ne na dogon lokaci, suna ambaton ƙungiyoyi kamar Jethro Tull, Van der Graaf Generator, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, da Genesis. Amma yayin da waƙoƙin na iya zama tsayi da rikitarwa, sau da yawa suna da nauyi kuma. Kundin bayan karni kamar The Book of Souls na 2015 da Senjutsu na 2021 sun tabbatar da cewa haɗa salon su mai ƙarfi, mai kuzari tare da wasan kwaikwayo na prog ba tare da kunya ba zai iya kiyaye su a matsayin masu mahimmanci—kuma a cikin buƙata—kamar koyaushe.
'Dole ne ya zama danye da haɗari' – Def Leppard, Saxon da Venom akan ƙarfe na Burtaniya na 80s
Kara karantawa
Harris mai farin ciki koyaushe ya yi kusan baƙin ciki a tunanin yawon shakatawa na yanzu yana ƙarewa. "Yana kama da muna ɗaukar hutun shekara mai zuwa," in ji shi. "Ni da kaina, ban so ba, amma ni kaɗai ne. Ni ɗaya ne daga cikin mutane shida, ko da menene wani ya yi tunani. Ba duka suke yin abin da aka gaya musu ba," in ji shi yana dariya. "In ba haka ba, da muna yin abubuwa a shekara mai zuwa kuma."
Game da sabon kiɗa, "kowa zai iya magana game da abubuwan farko, amma menene amfanin yin Run to the Hills Part Two ko The Trooper Part Two?" Amma ba zai ba da cikakkun bayanai game da yiwuwar kundi na gaba ba. "Yawancin lokaci muna haduwa a cikin karatun, muna yin taɗi, muna ganin abin da kowa yake so ya yi, kuma muna ci gaba daga can."
Dickinson, a halin yanzu, yana ba da wannan amincewa da yake da shi a matsayin ɗan shekara 21, ko da yake yana shan kofi a wani otal mai kyau. "Kowace waƙa a duniya, idan ka ba da ita ga Iron Maiden, koyaushe za ta yi kama da Iron Maiden," in ji shi. "Wannan yana da ban mamaki. Ka ba Rolling Stones wani abu kuma 'ya Allahna, Rolling Stones ne!' – to, Maiden ma haka yake. Kar ka tambaye ni yaya, kar ka tambaye ni me yasa, kar ka tambaye ni inda sihiri ya fito – a wannan lokacin, ƙwarewar bincike na ta fita ta taga. Yana kawai."
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition yana cikin sinima daga 7 ga Mayu. Eddfest yana a Knebworth, Hertfordshire, 10 da 11 ga Yuli.
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawa
Anan akwai jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawa bisa ga labarin game da aikin shekaru 50 na Iron Maiden da aka rubuta cikin yanayin tattaunawa na halitta
Tambayoyi na Matakin Farko
1 Menene wannan labarin yake game da shi
Tambayar tarihi ce tare da Iron Maiden yayin da suke bikin cika shekaru 50 Suna magana game da tarihin ƙungiyar, wahalar yawon shakatawa, rashin jituwarsu da aka sani, da yadda suka kusa rushewa
2 Jira wani ya kusa barin aikin ya zama malamin wasan takobi
Ee Wannan shi ne manajan ƙungiyar Rod Smallwood Kafin ya sarrafa Maiden, shi malamin wasan takobi ne Ya ce ya kusa barin sarrafa ƙungiyar a farkon kwanakin don komawa koyarwa
3 Me yasa labarin ya ambaci ƙwarewar sadarwa mara kyau
Membobin ƙungiyar suna da gaskiya sosai game da yadda ba safai suke magana game da ji ko matsalolinsu ba Sau da yawa suna ci gaba da aiki ko kuma suna jayayya ta hanyar kayan kikinsu Wannan yadda suka tsira – ta hanyar rashin yin tunani da yawa game da abubuwa
4 Menene game da rayuwa mai wahala
Suna magana game da jadawalin yawon shakatawa mara iyaka, dare marasa iyaka na shan giya, gajiya, da lalacewar jiki daga shekaru na kiɗa mai ƙarfi da tafiya Sun yarda ba koyaushe lafiya ba ne
5 Shin Iron Maiden yana ci gaba da yin kiɗa
Ee Har yanzu suna yawon shakatawa da rubuta kiɗa Labarin yana mai da hankali kan tsawon rayuwarsu da yadda suke ci gaba bayan shekaru hamsin
Tambayoyi na Matakin Tsaka-tsaki
6 Yaya ƙungiyar ta sarrafa manyan canje-canjen layi kamar lokacin da Bruce Dickinson ya bar a 1993
Labarin yana nuna cewa sun ci gaba kawai Ba su yi taro mai tsawo ba Bruce ya bar, suka ɗauki Blaze Bayley kuma suka ci gaba da aiki Daga baya suka sake haduwa ba tare da yawan farin jini ba – sun fara yin wasa kawai
7 Menene sirrin rayuwarsu bisa ga ƙungiyar
Suna cewa hadin taurin kai ne, soyayya ga kiɗa, da kuma wani amana mara magana Ba su zama abokai mafi kyau da ke yin hira ba amma suna da aminci ga ƙungiyar a matsayin aiki
8 Labarin ya ambaci rayuwa mai wahala Shin akwai wani daga cikinsu da ya sami matsalar lafiya mai tsanani
Ee Bruce Dickinson yana da ciwon daji a harshensa a 2015 Ya ci nasara Steve Harris ya yi magana game da wahalar jiki na buga bass na sa'o'i uku a dare a shekarunsu Labarin yana nuna cewa duk sun kasance kusa
