Eddie always impressed me.
I believe that the vast majority of true Iron Maiden must feel a mixture of emotions regarding the Iron Maiden's official mascot.
As a fan of the band for over 35 years and having seen Iron Maiden live 12 times (and counting), plus hundreds of times on video, I've always wanted to know a little more about this legendary figure.
Mick Wall 's book Run To The Hills that a more complete understanding of Eddie's origins emerged.
I'm not referring to that head that framed the backdrop of Iron Maiden shows back in the late 70s, before they recorded their first album. I imagine every fan already knows that part of the story
The head (The Head, in English), stopped being called Head and was shortened to 'Ead', then Ed, and finally Eddie. And that's what the Maiden members affectionately called that head that sat above the drums of Clive Burr and spit out dry ice from its mouth at certain moments during the shows.
No, I'm not referring to that.
I'm referring to the process of bringing to life, in three dimensions, on stage, what would become the greatest mascot of a band of all time.
How did he come to be and follow his destiny to become this mystical being, half monster, half man, who would be present on every album cover, poster, t-shirt, and every piece of merchandise for the band for the next 40 years?
From the pharaoh in Powerslave to the demon controller in The Number Of The Beast ; from the cyborg of the future in Somewhere In Time to a god in Book of Souls ; from a combatant in the Crimean War in “The Trooper” to a World War II pilot in “Aces High”; from a lobotomized madman in Piece of Mind to an electrocuted madman in The X Factor , and much more: Eddie has been everywhere.
Want to know how Eddie was born? Open a beer (a The Trooper if possible) and come with me:
Eddie's story begins on the day Rod Smallwood , the band's manager and the mastermind behind all decisions in partnership with the other boss, Steve Harris, entered the office of John Darnley , an executive at EMI, the record label that had just signed the contract for the release of Iron Maiden's first three albums.
Upon entering the room, a poster hanging on the wall caught Smallwood's attention. It was a drawing made to promote the album of Max Middleton , a jazz artist.
Although he wasn't a jazz fan, the poster was so beautiful that it caught the attention of Iron Maiden's manager, who asked for the name of the artist who had created it.
John Darnley replied that it was by an unknown artist, a former art school student who had dropped out of his studies, named Derek Riggs .
Rod Smallwood called Riggs and went to visit him. The obscure artist, who had unsuccessfully tried to send his artwork to science fiction book publishers, showed him the drawings he had.
And there, among the drawings, was one with this grotesque figure, a kind of punk monster, with a crazy look in its eyes. The cover of Iron Maiden's first album was practically finished. Rod Smallwood only asked that he change the monster's hair: Instead of punk, he wanted longer hair. More heavy metal.
Years later, in an interview, Rod Smallwood explained how important this was to building the Iron Maiden brand. “We never did many TV shows, and we never really got much radio play, but because Eddie created such a strong relationship with the fans, we didn't even need those media outlets. Wearing a t-shirt with Eddie on it became a clear message: Fuck the radio. And fuck TV. We don't care about that. We care about Iron Maiden.”
Rupert Perry , another EMI executive, was also very important in the creation of Eddie. Before one of Iron Maiden's shows, he commented to Smallwood: “Why don't you put him on stage? Not just on the album cover. Not just hanging from the curtain in the background. But a real person, in 3 dimensions.”
The idea seemed good, and to test it out the first few times, Rod Smallwood himself wore an Eddie mask, with a leather jacket and jeans. He would come on stage before the show started and warm up the audience, who went wild at the sight of that figure on stage.
With their success, the band began to do this routine every night. And Rod suggested that Eddie start joining them mid-show, specifically during the song "Iron Maiden," a practice that continues to this day, 40 years later.
Another important aspect in the mascot's growth: Near Christmas 1981, Dave Lights , Iron Maiden's lighting engineer, took his children to a children's play, Jack and the Beanstalk .
Lights was delighted by the effect that the giant in the play, who was basically a costumed person wearing stilts, had on the children, who were mesmerized every time the giant entered the stage.
He then suggested to the band: "We could make Eddie a giant who comes on stage and terrifies the band and the audience." And so, starting with the tour for the album The Number of the Beast, Eddie began to grow.
The rest is history.
Since then, Eddie hasn't stopped growing. Not only in height, but in the magnitude of the success that has conquered the planet.
A lot has changed in Iron Maiden's history since Eddie was born.
The only thing that has never changed and never will change is the electricity that runs through the Iron Maiden audience when Eddie appears on stage.
Eddie is the immortal soul of Iron Maiden, the symbol of eternal youth and the band's stance of never selling out, never betraying their roots and their music.
No matter your age, whether you've been an Iron Maiden fan for over 30 years like me, or you're a kid who just discovered the Iron Maiden:
Eddie represents that part of us that will never stop loving this style of music. Loud, heavy, energetic, thrilling. The part of us that doesn't go with the flow, that won't shrink from adversity, and that will never lose hope. That always believes that better times will come. That's what Eddie represents when he steps onto the stage.
And that's why Eddie no longer belongs to Derek Riggs, nor to Rod Smallwood, nor to Steve Harris.
It belongs to all of us.
READ ALSO : Iron Maiden: the story of Eddie and the mascot's 5 best looks
