Multi-talented frontman Bruce Dickinson surprised fans by announcing two "secret" solo shows at the renowned Whisky A Go Go, a famous Californian music venue. Taking place on the evenings of Friday, April 12th, and Saturday, April 13th, the shows were the first of his new tour promoting the album The Mandrake Project and his first solo performances in 22 years.
Deep Purple 's Concerto For Group And Orchestra album , doesn't count as a solo career, as he claims to have only been the vocalist for this project.
Tickets for the show, which were under the name The House Band Of Hell , were made available on the morning of the first date, being sold only in person at the venue's box office. The show, which wasn't exactly a secret—after all, it had been announced on the singer's own social media—was met with a huge, almost instantaneous queue and, to the even greater surprise of the fans present, the person selling the tickets was none other than the man himself.
The idea for the performance also came about at the last minute, as Bruce told Blabbermouth.net, " Since we were holed up in our rehearsal studio in Hollywood preparing for the tour, we thought that since rehearsals were going so well, maybe we should have some fun and do something last minute here."
The idea of surprise shows is nothing new coming from Bruce. Iron Maiden have done it several times, especially in the 1980s, when they performed under another name, almost always referencing one of the band's songs, to test the setlist for an upcoming tour or simply to have fun with a select group of lucky fans. Below you can check out some of these performances.
The Mandrake Project in Brazil
Bruce and his solo band have Brazil on their new tour route. Still in April, the singer will perform in Curitiba on the 24th, followed by Porto Alegre, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Ribeirão Preto, and ending his tour in São Paulo on May 4th.
Bruce has always had a very close relationship with Brazil, and that's no secret. This year alone, the singer will do two tours, one solo and another with Iron Maiden at the end of the year, and he may even be named an honorary citizen of Curitiba, thanks to his work with the Bodebrown brewery and his partnership with its Trooper beer brand.
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