Iron Maiden - "Sanctuary"

According to metal-archives.com, yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Iron Maiden’s “Sanctuary”.  This single, oddly enough, did not appear on any studio album.  But the song has become a minor classic, and the band has played the song live for years.  (It has appeared on at least two of the band’s 10,000 live albums.)

It’s fun to trace the evolution of the song live over time.  Below are three videos that show major changes over five years.  The first, from 1980, shows the original Paul Di’Anno lineup bashing it out on a small stage.  The second, from 1982, finds Bruce Dickinson fronting the band at the several thousand-capacity Hammersmith Odeon.  In the third, from 1985, the song gets a gratuitous sing-along section in the middle.  Then again, you’d probably do that, too, if you played to tens of thousands of people at Rock in Rio.  That crowd is immense.

Also, it’s fun to see metal audiences from decades ago.

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Paul Di’Anno, 1980

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Bruce Dickinson, 1982

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5YrCRbNmlU

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Bruce Dickinson, 1985

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