Paul Di'Anno , vocalist for Iron Maiden between 1977 and 1981, received a posthumous tribute during Keep It True Rising V. The festival took place on October 2nd in Wurzburg, Germany. Di'Anno passed away on October 21st, 2024 , at the age of 66.
Blaze Bayley stands out , who was a member of Iron Maiden between 1994 and 1999. In addition to Bayley, the following musicians were present: Tino Troy ( Praying Mantis ), Terry Wapram , Terry Rance , and Thunderstick ( Samson ). The last three were part of the band's initial lineup [ via Blabbermouth ].
Also participating in the event were all the members of the backing band that accompanied Paul on his last shows, coming from Norway: Rikard Nilsen (guitar), Jon Vegard Næss (guitar), Are With Gogstad (bass) and Henrik Haugsnes Kaupang (drums). Additional vocals were provided by Roger “Stocky” Stockbroeks ( Powervice ).
Paul Di'Anno received a tribute from Iron Maiden at a concert
The day after Paul's death, Iron Maiden had performed in St. Paul, USA, as part of The Future Past Tour . On that occasion, Bruce Dickinson , who replaced him in the band in 1981, gave a beautiful speech to honor the singer .
Before announcing the song “The Time Machine”, Dickinson stated that Di'Anno played an “instrumental” and “innovative” role on the band's first two albums and that he had an “incredible voice” and “was devoted to rock and roll until the last minute of his life” ( via Loudwire ).
He then asked the fans for a moment of silence, again recalling "those early albums where, obviously, I wasn't in the band," and mentioned Di'Anno's work after leaving Iron Maiden, including his band Battlezone .
Bruce encouraged everyone to close their eyes for a few seconds in silence, emphasizing that, regardless of beliefs, the important thing was to express gratitude: “Just believe in what you believe and say, ‘Thank you, boss, for everything you’ve done.’”
The vocalist concluded by saying, “So, Paul, if you’re listening, this is a little message from Minneapolis to wherever you are, up or down, Minneapolis, for Paul Di’Anno, shout it out to me.”
READ ALSO: Lobão says Iron Maiden is "tacky" and compares fans to Corinthians supporters.
