Bruce Dickinson revealed that he received advice from the band Bad Religion during at The Town festival on Sunday, September 7th, in São Paulo, where both artists performed.
Bruce was invited to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner," the United States national anthem, before the NFL game that took place last Sunday, September 14th, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The game was between the Pittsburgh Steelers , the home team, who extended the invitation to Bruce, and the Seattle Seahawks .
However, during his solo show days before the game, last Wednesday, September 11th, at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts, Bruce rehearsed the national anthem in front of the audience that night. Before starting to sing the anthem, the Iron Maiden said [transcription via Blabbermouth ]:
“So, I’m going to tell you a dirty little secret that’s going to happen on Sunday. I’ve been asked to sing the American national anthem at a Pittsburgh Steelers game. Now, I’ve never done that before in my life, and I’m trying to avoid the embarrassment of reading the fucking lyrics off the back of my hand. Look, no writing on the back of my hand, or not being able to read the automatic cue because, damn it, there’s no such thing as an automatic cue, right?! So, because today is the kind of—it can’t have escaped your attention that today is September 11th, right? And on this day, on that day, I was in New York and witnessed all the shit that happened.”
The tip Bruce Dickinson received during a show in Brazil.
He continued, informing them that he would be rehearsing the American national anthem with the audience that night: “So, normally I sing a little bit a cappella — just me singing alone — a part of 'Revelations' [ an Iron Maiden song ]. But I thought, with your kind permission, that I would try the American national anthem, because it's the only time I'll rehearse it. We were in Brazil [for a performance at The Town, in São Paulo] and I was talking to the punk band, my friends, Bad Religion . And the guy asked: 'Oh, are you going to sing the anthem?'. He replied: 'Damn, make sure you start with a low note'.”
Next, Bruce Dickinson sang a few verses of "The Star-Spangled Banner," accompanied by the fans.
Bruce Dickinson continues to promote his latest album, The Mandrake Project (2024), marking his triumphant return after 19 years without releasing new music. This also marks his return to the stage, this time as a solo artist, after more than two decades.
Bruce Dickinson in The Town
Bruce Dickinson returned to Brazil, just over a year after his last show , for an exclusive performance at The Town 2025 festival, which took place on Sunday, September 7th, at Cidade da Música, in the Interlagos racetrack, in São Paulo.
The show is part of The Mandrake Project Live 2025 , which is touring the United States. However, the Iron Maiden made time to come to Brazil and perform an exclusive show at The Town, celebrating the 40th anniversary of his first performance in Brazil with Iron Maiden at the first Rock in Rio.
Bruce Dickinson presented essentially the same setlist he's been doing in his shows. He balanced the new album with classic solo songs – in fact, without any major surprises compared to the show in Brazil in 2024. The vocal performance and energy of the singer were other highlights, who, despite being 67 years old, maintains sharp vocals, still being considered one of the greatest in the genre.
READ ALSO: Bruce Dickinson sings an a cappella version of Iron Maiden's "Revelations" at a solo show in Brazil
