Text and photos by Maíra Watanabe
British Lion The Burning last Friday, the 20th, in London. The show featured opening acts by the bands Voodoo Six and Nine Miles Down , who energized the audience with their aggressive and electrifying sounds.
Iron Maiden fans were there. Steve Lewingten , 53, has been a fan since the 80s and first heard snippets of songs from the album The Number Of The Beast in a television commercial and never stopped listening. For him, the sound of British Lion is lighter than the sound of Iron Maiden. “I listened to the first album and liked it, now I'm looking forward to the second. Steve Harris doesn't stop and is full of energy. Even better is being able to watch his show in a smaller venue, you can feel that vibe up close.”
Matt Hillsdon him , his son is following in his footsteps because he listens to Iron Maiden every day at home. “I can’t wait to hear the second British Lion album, but being here in this atmosphere is an incredible experience. Steve Harris loves his fans and especially his music. He plays with emotion; you can feel it when I watch his show.”
Journalist and writer Malcolm Dome , a living encyclopedia of heavy metal , was also there. He was lucky enough to hear the album The Burning firsthand: “I liked the first album, but this one is special. The band took a big step, even with Steve Harris having millions of commitments and having stopped this project seven years ago. The band came back with a lot of energy and brought great lyrics to their songs.”
"And it's clearer than ever: it's a band! The members like each other, they really care about what they do, and they give their best – these are some of the things I love most about this band."
The metal guru describes how the band members are more integrated and how this conveys greater strength in this work. “The lyrics are better and the musicians understand each other better than on the previous album. Before, there was the fact that they didn't know what they were or what they were playing, and Steve Harris interacted with that dynamic.”
“After they went through that phase, the musicians interacted more and brought much better elements to the creation of this new album. Now they realize that they belong to a group and this isn't a Steve Harris project that's going to disappear, it's a real band.”
Steve Harris, in some interviews, comments that British Lion has a more British sound, and Malcolm Dome explains that this style is based on the lives of the English and how they express themselves through music. “If we compare, the American sound tends to be more glamorous, sophisticated, and, in a way, more polished. The British sound, on the other hand, is more genuine; nothing is disguised or altered in a studio, and the lyrics speak more to the feelings that are real to them. The quality you hear on a record, you'll hear the same quality at a live show. That's why British Lion follows this path.”
"It may be considered simple, but it's genuine and very influential with its great music and real performances. What you hear is what it truly is. Furthermore, they express the British way of being, writing in their lyrics about their life stories and their views on the world."
For Malcolm, this vision of British music can also be recognized internationally, including by Brazilian fans. "Through these songs, Brazilians can understand how we live here."
The journalist describes the British Lion show as a unique experience: it's a moment when the musicians connect with the audience and showcase their style. Malcolm describes the style as a hard rock band. “Steve Harris followed that path, took all his ideas and influences and created something completely new and fun. He also likes being close to his fans, which he can't do with Iron Maiden, as the band performs in larger venues with thousands of people.”
“With British Lion, it allows for the option of being in more intimate settings and having the possibility of being close to his fans and reconnecting with them. And that is his highest priority.”
“I love the fact that they are a real band, they are a group of genuine musicians who do what they love most, and what I admire most is that it's a group of people who want to work together. We're not talking about Steve Harris as the leader, because on stage they are all equal. And that's what we see in this show,” says the journalist.
Malcolm laughs when he talks about the idea that heavy metal is dying. “I love music and this is my life, what brings me here is this passion. It’s inspiring to see an audience singing and enjoying the show. Yes, there are new bands bringing new sounds and when we listen to their music, we are surprised because they have a great impact on us.”
The journalist also comments that he is happy to know that there is a website specializing in rock and heavy metal in Brazil like Wikimetal . “The fact that there is a website in Brazil that cares about heavy metal and rock is admirable. Music is a global language that connects people all over the world; nothing connects people more than music. I wish Wikimetal a long life! ”
He also leaves a message for metalheads in Brazil: “To my Brazilian friends, it’s incredible to hear about your passion for music. I always hear that Brazilian fans are the craziest in the world and are the audience that all bands admire. The irony is that Brazilian fans are the ones who inspire us the most here, with all the passion they have for music,” concludes the metal guru.
