Sharon den Adel , vocalist of Within Temptation , commented on the lessons she learned when her band was the opening act for Iron Maiden .
In an interview with The Metal Voice , she commented: “Well, you know they’ve been around since we were kids and, of course, we were inspired by Iron Maiden. It was the highest compliment to be invited to tour with them in America. Because we do well in America and Canada, but you know, they do [shows] in very different venues than we normally do, of course. So it was a compliment for us to be with them and tour with them.”
The singer added: “But what I learned most is their love for music. I hope to be like Steve Harris when I’m his age or older, he loves music so much, he breathes, eats, talks, he’s constantly occupied with music. Every show we played on stage during that three-week tour, every single time he was behind our equipment watching our show. Apparently he does that with all the opening bands because I think he chooses them, so he really likes the band and then invites them on tour and loves to see them.”
“I also think the interaction is a bit like being thrown to the wolves or the lions. You have to convince an audience that's there just for Iron Maiden that you're worthy of being the opening act. So you have to reinvent yourself, just feeling the vibe of the place. Like, 'okay, what's the vibe, what's happened here recently?' Just being prepared before you go on stage. 'Okay, I'm in this city and this just happened, what am I going to say to people? How am I going to get them on our side? How am I going to win their hearts?' That's the challenge that's always really cool to have, since you're opening for such an iconic band as Iron Maiden,” she concluded.
New album Bleed Out
Within Temptation recently released their eighth studio album, Bleed Out , addressing current issues such as the war in Ukraine.
Regarding this new work, Sharon den Adel commented: “As artists, we are inspired by the world and we have this platform. We are storytellers and I believe that, as human beings, these are issues we should be talking about.”