Paul Di'Anno's final interview to appear in Iron Maiden documentary
Band members past and present including Di'Anno, who sang with the band between 1978 and 1981, take part in the untitled Iron Maiden feature documentary, which comes out in the band's 50th anniversary year.
The heavy rockers, formed in 1975 in east London, have sold more than 100 million records, and performed over 2,500 concerts in 64 countries across six continents.
Later this year they will add to this number as the band embark on their Run For Your Lives Tour kicking off in Budapest, Hungary, in May.
Rod Smallwood, manager of Iron Maiden, said: 'We're proud Universal Pictures Content Group has chosen to share the unique story of Iron Maiden with the world. We have given them unrestricted access to the band, our fans and musical peers.
'We trust that they will excite not only music fans but also anyone who loves a story of an underdog beating the odds to become and remain one of Britain's biggest musical exports since our first record released 45 years ago.'
Fans were also interviewed for the film along with famous faces such as No Country For Old Men and Skyfall star Javier Bardem, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and Kiss musician Gene Simmons, while the band's ghoulish mascot Eddie is brought to life via animation.
For most of the last few decades, guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, lead singer Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, and drummer Michael 'Nicko' McBrain, who has been replaced with Simon Dawson for the latest series of concerts after retiring in 2024, have been the main line-up.
Previous members have included singer Blaze Bayley, drummers Barry 'Thunderstick' Purkis and Doug Sampson, guitarist Dennis Stratton, and keyboardist Tony Moore.
Di'Anno featured on their 1980 debut album and its follow-up Killers, singing on songs such as Running Free, Sanctuary and Remember Tomorrow, and later had guest appearances with Iron Maiden, after being replaced by Dickinson.
The film is promised as 'an emotive journey through Iron Maiden's 50-year history told from the perspective of both the band and some of their most devoted followers'.
Helen Parker, executive vice president at Universal Pictures Content Group and executive producer, said: 'We're thrilled Iron Maiden have entrusted us to bring their legacy to cinemas around the world.
'Working closely with the band and their passionate fans has been an unrivalled experience allowing us to tell their story in a unique way and celebrate their incomparable fearless creativity in their 50th anniversary year.'
It is directed by Malcolm Venville, who directed the Netflix docu-series Churchill At War, and produced by Dominic Freeman, who worked on the Depeche Mode film Spirits In The Forest.
Iron Maiden has had a number one in the UK with 1988 single Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter and 35 songs in the top 40, according to the Official Charts Company.
They have also had five number one albums including Fear Of The Dark, The Book Of Souls, The Final Frontier, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son and The Number Of The Beast, with the latest record, 2021's Senjutsu, making it to number two in the UK charts.
The Universal Pictures Content Group said the film is set for an autumn 2025 release in cinemas internationally.
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bruce Dickinson reveals 2027 solo album plans, says Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris loves it
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson hopes to release his next solo album in 2027 – and bassist Steve Harris already loves the new material. Talking exclusively to Metal Hammer, Dickinson, who released his latest solo album The Mandrake Project in 2024, reveals that solo LP number eight will be out in two years' time, after Maiden have played their as-yet-unannounced live dates in 2026. The vocalist tells us: 'We've got, like, 18 tracks demoed, which I did in April. We're going to do a new album – not for next year, obviously. We're busy next year with other things, obviously Maiden things and everything, which is great, but '27 that's when it will come out.' The singer goes on to describe what we can expect from his next release, teasing 'bone-crushingly heavy' songs as well as moments that 'are just like tugging at the heartstrings'. 'If it's heavy, it's heavy,' he adds, 'but if it just happens to be acoustic, it's acoustic. That's the deal, you know? 'It's whatever the song dictates, whatever the story is you're trying to tell, but it's really exciting. I'm so stoked about these tracks. I played the demos to a few people in the record label and stuff, and everybody is like, 'Wow!'' Another fan of the upcoming music is Harris, who founded Maiden in 1975 and has served as the band's de facto leader and primary songwriter ever since. According to Dickinson, the bassist just so happened to overhear some of the new stuff, catching it as the singer played it for some of Maiden's team in the next room over. 'I was playing the demos to the team, the management, because I've got it on a little tablet,' Dickinson remembers. 'So I said, 'You want to hear some new stuff?' 'I didn't realise Steve was having his physio in the room next door. And he came out and he went, 'Is that your new stuff?' I went, 'Yeah.' He goes, 'That's the best stuff you've ever done. That's the best stuff I've ever heard from you!' I went, 'Well, thank you very much, boss!'' The three-year wait for new Dickinson music will be nothing compared to the gestation period for The Mandrake Project, which was released 19 years after its predecessor Tyranny Of Souls. The singer explained the wait during an interview with Classic Rock. 'It's been on the boil since 2014,' he said. 'Then I got diagnosed with throat cancer [in late 2014], then we had fucking Covid, so there were two years when I couldn't go to the USA. So by the time I reconvened with [guitarist and producer] Roy Z, everything had moved on.' Last week, Dickinson reissued his second solo album Balls To Picasso, originally released in 1994, with the new title More Balls To Picasso. The reissue features remixed overhauls of the original recordings, as well as live-in-the-studio takes of the songs God Of War and Shoot All The Clowns. Listen below. Meanwhile, Maiden recently wrapped up the European leg of their 50th-anniversary tour, Run For Your Lives. The trek is expected to extend into 2026, but no upcoming dates have been revealed at time of publication. Solve the daily Crossword
Chicago Tribune
07-08-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Donna Vickroy: Chicago's long history with grisly killings, and why we're so fascinated
We're obsessed with murder. Murders in the building, on the Orient Express, in the Rue Morgue. From Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot to Steve Martin's Charles Haden-Savage, murder detectives are among the most celebrated of fictional characters. But nothing captivates like true crime, whether we're a shocked and outraged member of the audience or an amateur sleuth trying to get to the bottom of things. Chicago historian Clarence Goodman gives all kinds of presentations, from talks about the Black Sox to a look at the Kennedys in Chicago, but when the topic is murder, 'the place is packed.' Goodman, a musician and radio personality, presents 'A Killer Among Us (Part 2): Killers, Stalkers, and Creeps of Chicago's Modern Era' at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Tinley Park Public Library. And, same as Part 1 a year ago, he expects the audience to take notes and ask lots of questions. 'The obsession with murder in this country is something I have been acutely aware of ever since I got into this about 20 years ago,' Goodman said. He started as a tour guide covering all kinds of topics in Chicago history but whenever the subject turned to grisly killings, he said, 'people hang on every word.' According to a recent YouGov poll, 57% of Americans say they consume true-crime content. Popularity is high across all demographics, but mostly among women under age 65. It's not just an entertaining topic, the poll reveals, 'it is seen by many Americans as having the potential to change how people understand crime and the criminal-justice system.' More than half of the fans say true-crime entertainment makes people more vigilant and safety-conscious, improves understanding of the criminal justice system, increases empathy with victims, and helps to solve cases that wouldn't have been solved otherwise, the poll states. Goodman says women are the biggest fans, perhaps because throughout history they have been extraordinarily marginalized and mistreated by a lot of men. And most often, men are the ones doing the killing. 'Maybe that's the root of the fascination,' he said. 'Women and gay men seem to be the most common victims.' Goodman said, 'Maybe our fascination with death begins as little children. But then we learn about murder, about taking someone's life, about exerting that control, imposing one's will and power on another person. 'The most arrogant act in the world is killing another human being,' he said. Goodman divides his coverage of killers into three distinct presentations: The Gilded Age killers, from the notorious H.H. Holmes to organized crime; the post-War 1940s and on, which features the horrendous acts of John Wayne Gacy, Richard Speck and The Unabomber; and political/social manifestos, the people who serial and mass kill from a distance using rifles and bombs. At the Tinley presentation, he will focus on the second school of Chicago-area serial killers — killers of the modern era. Beginning in post-war 1940s, he said, there has been an incredible timeline of murders in this country, almost always with a Chicago thread. John Wayne Gacy, Richard Speck, Theodore Kaczynski will be discussed, as will Ed Gein, Wisconsin serial killer upon whom 'Psycho,' 'Silence of the Lambs' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' were based. Goodman, who gives his presentations at Chicago-area libraries and retirement homes, says he isn't trying to be the definitive voice, just one of the many delving into dark matter. 'People like to do their own digging, they get more excited about it. I want to get people excited about this, explain to them why this city is important. Among all the wonderful things Chicago gave us, it also gave us this,' he said. Why Chicago? Goodman said, 'It came of age during the Industrial Revolution. It blossomed like no other city in American history hitherto. So many people from so many different walks of life. It grew from a mudhole to a megalopolis overnight practically. 'The biggest confidante the serial killer has is anonymity granted by cities of a million or more people,' he said. In a town of a million or more, it's easy to go unnoticed, he said. It's easy to not care about neighbors. In addition to the Tinley gig, Goodman will present 'A Tale of Two Chicagos: The White City and the Murder Castle of Englewood' at the Helen Plum Memorial Library in Lombard on Oct. 1. For more information on these events and others, go to his website at or visit his Facebook page Is he ever taken aback by the evergreen popularity of Chicago's most notorious stories? 'I understand the interest,' he said. He opens his presentations with a brief explanation of what he's going to talk about: the most horrific killings. Then he scans the audience and, seeing everyone on the edge of their seats, chuckles and asks, 'What's wrong with all of you?'
Gizmodo
04-08-2025
- Gizmodo
In This Look Inside the New ‘Bad Batch' Novel, the Emperor's Name Counts for a Lot
From Rebels to Andor, we've met different types of people that make up the Empire's sinister intelligence forces in the Imperial Security Bureau. We've seen agents like Kallus realize the extent of their role in the Empire's evil, and agents like Dedra Meero consumed by the system they created. Now, in the latest Star Wars novel, we're going to meet an agent learning a very difficult lesson: the long arm of Imperial law doesn't apply to some people, whether they like it or not. That's the trouble facing ISB agent Sendril Crane in Lamar Giles' new Star Wars novel out this week, Sanctuary. A brand new tale starring Clone Force 99—better known as the ragtag heroes of The Bad Batch—Sanctuary is set during the events of the Clone Wars continuation's second season, after the Batch has found a new secretive home on the island world of Pabu. Tasked with a series of risky new missions by their ally, the treasure hunter Phee Genoa, the Batch find themselves immediately leaving the safe haven of their new home for a chance for money and potential exposure to agents of the Empire they all long to avoid. After things start going wrong and pressure mounts, Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Omega find themselves weighing the odds of their mercenary life when they're tasked with ferrying a young couple to safe harbor—as the shadow of the ISB stalks them all, threatening to bring not just the Bad Batch's passengers but all of Pabu into the spotlight at the worst possible time. You can get to know Crane a little in our exclusive excerpt from Sanctuary below, as he investigates the aftermath of one of the Batch's louder missions with Phee… only to discover that, for all the terror the ISB strikes in people at the heart of the Imperial regime, in some corners of the galaxy, a certain name dropped at a certain time can still count for an awful lot… especially when that name is Sheev Palpatine's. 'Parlin, Parlin! Is that the authorities? Thank goodness. I didn't expect them to get here so fast.' The woman, her luxurious gown sullied with dust and muck, her hair mussed, her hands shaking, emerged from the shadows of the entrance. Her eyes were wide with relief, but the look shifted to confusion. 'You aren't the local police. You're ISB.' 'Cellia Moten, I presume.' Crane kept his voice light. He wanted her to trust him. Easier to catch her in a lie that way. Under Imperial statutes, lying to an ISB agent was punishable by up to ninety days of detention. 'I am.' She extended her hand daintily, fingers down, the back toward the sky. Crane associated this gesture with royalty, beings who were accustomed to people grasping those fingers before kneeling or kissing rings. He remained upright while squeezing her fingers. It looked as awkward as it felt. Cellia retracted her hand, unfazed. 'Did the Dallow police send you?' 'No,' Crane said, his original line of questioning lost in his own confusion. 'Why would they?' 'Because I've been robbed!' 'You've been—' Crane was taken off guard here, though usually quick to control a situation, especially an interrogation, even if unofficial. He'd expected an inept adversary, but was this woman a victim? 'May we come in so you can tell us what happened?' The Kiffar tensed, but Cellia remained eager. 'Of course. Do excuse the mess. The thieves went on an absolute rampage.' She led them into the palace, and Crane was taken aback again. This wasn't a mess. It was a war zone. Evidence of blasterfire. Bombs. Was that a pool of green blood in the corner? Clone Force 99's work? From what he'd read, they were capable of this level of destruction. Crane's operatives murmured among themselves while more beings entered from the opposite end of the room. There were various species and some droids, all armed with illegal weapons. Military-grade hardware came with serious jail time should Crane decide to charge the wielders—a right he reserved while he ascertained what happened here. Cellia Moten said, 'I was tricked by con artists masquerading as antique dealers. They wormed their way into my home under the guise of a simple transaction. Once they were here, they threatened my life and the lives of my workers.' 'So you fought them,' Crane said—a statement, not a question. The evidence of a battle was unmistakable. 'We do not wither here.' 'What were you attempting to buy?' Drand asked. 'Pottery,' Cellia said, and nothing more. Crane would've preferred to be the sole interrogator here but took Drand's eagerness for a chance to examine their surroundings more closely. Several lavish models, now mostly blown to smithereens. Red veins in white marble still screamed opulence through the dust and debris. Floor to ceiling, none of the finishes would have been affordable on a hundred ISB salaries. Crane's sympathy for Cellia Moten's tumultuous day diminished as the running credit count in his head increased. 'What were they trying to take?' Crane asked. Cellia scoffed. 'There's nothing in here that isn't valuable.' 'I can tell.' Crane continued down the corridor, prompting Cellia, her guard, and Crane's team to follow. 'But, specifically, for the con artists, as you put it, to concoct a scheme convincing enough for you to shuttle them to your home, they must've had a specific payday in mind.' 'I can't speak to their motivations. I don't think like a criminal.' 'How many of them were there?' 'Three.' 'All clones?' Cellia took a moment before answering. 'One of them resembled a clone. Somewhat. Another was a pickpocket child. The third was a pirate known as Phee Genoa. I'm sure her name's somewhere in the extensive files of the ISB.' Even more players than Clone Force 99 and Gayla? A pirate? And a child? In the next grand room, there was more destruction. Crane pointed to a gaping hole in the wall. 'What happened here?' 'My security attempted to corner the thieves before they could harm me and escape with any valuables, but they blasted their way through the wall.' That . . . was a lie. The explosive charge was triggered on the exterior, and the evidence was clear. Crane was so pleased to utter his next words. 'Cellia Moten, by the authority of the Imperial Security Bureau, I'm placing you under— ' Cellia interrupted him. 'Does Sheev know you're here?' 'Sheev?' 'I'm sorry. Emperor Palpatine. We're old friends, and I forget most of you may not refer to him by— You know what, never mind. I'm going to contact him and let him know that . . . I'm sorry, what's your name again?' 'I'm Agent Sendril Crane.' To the Kiffar, she said, 'Yes. Parlin, please get in touch with Mas's of-fice and inform them that Agent Crane and his team are assisting a close friend in a most personal matter.' Had Crane heard her correctly. 'Mas?' Sheev Palpatine. Mas Amedda. Crane knew the names, of course, but in the way he knew the names of longtime holodrama stars. He could maybe argue a closer connection because of the ISB's inherent political roots. Still, Crane could barely fit the grand impression of the Emperor and his closest confidant in his head, let alone refer to them as casually as Sheev and Mas. Parlin tipped his chin to Cellia. 'I'll notify Grand Vizier Amedda right away, Mistress.' He left them at a clip, and Cellia met Crane with a smile that was just below malicious. 'Once the Emperor knows you're assisting one of his dearest companions, you'll be provided any additional resources you need to bring the vandals who desecrated my home to justice.' 'Thieves,' Crane said before he could think better of it. Cellia said, 'What was that?' 'Earlier, you said 'thieves,' not 'vandals.' ' She sucked her teeth and let the low click echo. 'Two things can be true.' Not two lies, Crane thought but controlled his tongue. He sensed the danger here. It didn't scare him—he didn't feel much fear anymore. It intrigued him. In a little more than a breath, he'd gone from attempting to arrest her on conspiracy charges to questioning his safety in her presence. Being in this home, with this woman, felt akin to drifting in deep waters with an unseen leviathan skulking just below the surface. Was she really an associate of the Emperor? She said, 'I am under the impression that a ranking agent like yourself is not so beholden to semantics that it distracts you from the necessary truths that you, me, and the galaxy depend upon. Correct?' Crane was slow to answer, somewhat in awe of her foreboding eloquence. 'Is that correct, Agent Crane?' Cellia asked, pressing. Crane chanced a glance at Drand, who gave the slightest nod. She'd found something in her search. It better be worthwhile for her sake. He told Cellia, 'Yes. Any friend of the Emperor is a friend of the bureau.' For now. Star Wars: Sanctuary hits shelves tomorrow, August 5. Head on over to Random House Worlds to see where you can snag a copy! Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
