Latest news with #RodSmallwood
Perth Now
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Iron Maiden want fans to embrace phone-free gigs
Iron Maiden want fans to embrace phone-free gigs. The veterans rockers are back on the road again this summer with their 'Run For Your Lives' tour, which kicked off in Budapest, Hungary last week, and prior to the tour's launch their manager Rod Smallwood posted a message on Instagram urging gig-goers to put their devices away so they can fully enjoy the band's performance. Rod admits most of the audience at the first shows complied with the guidance and it gave the rockers a "boost" but there was still a "selfish few" who kept videoing. In a message posted on the band's Instagram page, he wrote: "A huge thank you to every one of you who kept your phones down, respected the band and your fellow fans, and embraced the show the way it's meant to be experienced - in the room with us. "That was a great boost for us and the band appreciated it greatly. It is so much better when they can see you unencumbered and that drives them on without that distraction. For the selfish few that didn't and just had to keep videoing ... I wish you nothing but a very sore arm!" He went on to add: "But they were few, and we do hope this support from fans, especially in the floor area in front of the sound desk, continues ... As I said before, by all means take the odd quick pic as a memento of a great night, but otherwise please keep your phone in your pocket." Before the tour kicked off, Rod posted his plea online - urging fans not to ruin gigs by taking extending videos and holding their phones up. He also explained the decision was made because the tour is celebrating 50 years since the group formed back in 1975 and the gigs should be phone-free in keeping with the spirit of the gigs. A message posted on the band's Instagram page explained: "In keeping with that time period Maiden are keen for everyone in the audience to experience this spectacular show as they would have when many of these songs were first played live back in 80's and, in common with many other artists, the band are now asking their fans not to excessively film the concerts on their phones or tablets." Ron added: "We really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens. The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers. "We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans. "We would very much like you to be 'in the moment' instead and be fully actively involved to enjoy each and every one of these classic songs in the spirit and manner they were first played. This show isn't just a celebration of our music; it is, as you will see, also about our years of art, of Eddie and of the many, many worlds of Maiden we have created for you. "So please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your Maiden family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out!! It's really not a lot to ask is it?" The tour runs across Europe throughout June and July before concluding in Warsaw, Poland on August 2.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘Put your phones away': Iron Maiden makes a plea ahead of 50th anniversary tour
As Iron Maiden prepares to launch its Run for Your Lives World Tour, the legendary British heavy metal band is asking fans to step back in time — by putting away their phones. In a message posted to the band's website, longtime manager Rod Smallwood urged concertgoers to 'severely limit' mobile phone usage during the shows, telling them to live 'in the moment' and enjoy the experience in real time. 'We really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens,' Smallwood wrote. 'The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers.' He added, 'We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting, especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans.' The tour, which begins Tuesday, May 27, in Budapest and includes a headlining slot at October's Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, celebrates 50 years since bassist Steve Harris founded the band in 1975. Iron Maiden promises a special setlist that spans the group's early albums through its latest release, 'Fear of the Dark,' alongside what it calls 'their most spectacular and elaborate show ever.' Smallwood said the band hopes fans will respect the immersive performances and 'be fully actively involved to enjoy each and every one of these classic songs in the spirit and manner they were first played' more than five decades ago. 'This show isn't just a celebration of our music; it is, as you will see, also about our years of art, of Eddie and of the many, many worlds of Maiden we have created for you,' he said. 'So please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your Maiden family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out!! It's really not a lot to ask is it?' Iron Maiden joins a growing number of artists encouraging screen-free shows, including acts such as Madonna, Jack White and Tool. While the request won't be enforced with locked pouches, the band is betting on fan loyalty to preserve the spirit of the performance.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Heavy Metal Band Sends Out Urgent Plea to Fans
With fifty years of experience rocking out onstage in front of packed crowds, the members of Iron Maiden have dealt with all kinds of disruptive audience behavior during concerts — but there's one thing they're apparently not willing to deal with anymore. In a statement shared to X on Tuesday, May 20, Iron Maiden's manager Rod Smallwood, made a bold request of the band's fans ahead of their upcoming Run for Your Life world tour, asking them to "severely limit" their phone usage during concerts. 'We really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens," Smallwood said. "The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers," he continued. "We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans." Smallwood went on to say that the band would "very much like" fans to be "in the moment" and "enjoy each and every one of these classic songs in the spirit and manner they were first played." "This show isn't just a celebration of our music; it is, as you will see, also about our years of art, of Eddie and of the many, many worlds of Maiden we have created for you," he added, concluding the statement by urging fans to "please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your Maiden family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out!! It's really not a lot to ask is it?' Fans had mixed reactions in the comments, with some agreeing that phone usage during concerts can be a problem. "Thank you for this. You go to a concert, pay VIP just to see phones instead of the band, such a bad experience. People need to live the moment but now it's just social media and likes," one person wrote. "Fully shared, I generally take a few photos to keep memories but seeing a sea of small screens continuously making videos is annoying," agreed a second X user, with someone else thanking the band for "not banning" phones and "instead simply requesting that loyal fans refrain from excessive phone use during your set. This makes sense to me. Up the Irons!" Others felt the band needed to be more understanding, however. "If this were 1980 - 1989, I couldn't agree more. We were younger then and thought days would last forever. It's not and they don't. We've seen more and more artists pass away, retire, and memories get lost to the ravages of time," somebody pointed out, with another commenter arguing that "you can't expect people not to take a few photos, especially in London at such an historic time for the band in their hometown." Yet another fan offered perhaps the most pragmatic take on the statement, writing, "Sadly the majority won't act appropriately unless you hire one of those companies that seals everyone's phones away during the show."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iron Maiden urge fans to keep their phones in their pockets during Run For Your Lives tour
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Iron Maiden have asked fans to not excessively film and photograph their upcoming concerts. The UK metal titans' longtime manager, Rod Smallwood, says in a press release issued today (May 20) that the band want attendees at their Run For Your Lives tour to keep their phones in their pockets as much as possible. He writes that a large number of phones in the air at shows 'diminishes enjoyment', both for the band performing and for fellow concertgoers. He encourages people to instead remain 'in the moment', adding that the impending dates aren't 'just a celebration of our music', but also 'about our years of art, of [band mascot] Eddie and of the many, many worlds of Maiden we have created for you'. Smallwood's statement reads in full: 'We really want fans to enjoy the shows firsthand, rather than on their small screens. 'The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are onstage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers. 'We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting, especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans. 'We would very much like you to be 'in the moment' instead and be fully actively involved to enjoy each and every one of these classic songs in the spirit and manner they were first played. This show isn't just a celebration of our music; it is, as you will see, also about our years of art, of Eddie and of the many, many worlds of Maiden we have created for you. 'So please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your Maiden family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out! 'It's really not a lot to ask, is it?' The opening European leg of Maiden's Run For Your Lives trek kicks off in Budapest, Hungary, next Tuesday, May 27. The shows will include the band's largest-ever UK non-festival headliner since 2008, taking place at the 80,000-capacity London Stadium on June 28. See all confirmed dates below. Maiden will play material from their first nine albums, 1980's Iron Maiden through to 1992's Fear Of The Dark. The jaunt will mark their first tour with live drummer Simon Dawson, who replaces longtime drummer Nicko McBrain. McBrain retired from the live stage following the conclusion of Maiden's The Future Past run in 2024, having suffered a mini-stroke that affected his playing the year prior. Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has previously expressed distaste for mobile phones at shows. In an exclusive interview with Metal Hammer last year, he said he attended Ghost's phone-free concerts in Los Angeles in October 2023 and loved the experience. 'Everybody was talking to each other like human beings!' he told us. 'I'm sat there, in the normal seats, and the lights are on and people are going past going, 'Hey, it's the guy from Iron Maiden!' They're waving at me. 'Hi!' 'Cool, hey!' Job done!' He continued: 'Had they had a mobile phone, they would have been climbing over old-age pensioners [to take a picture]. The evidence of that was, after the show, everybody got their phones back and the backstage suddenly was like Animal House. Everybody was focussed on the show.' Ghost themselves enjoyed the gigs as well, so much so that they've outright banned mobile phones from their current tour. Such hard-and-fast restrictions will seemingly not be in place for Maiden's performances. More Run For Your Lives dates outside of Europe are expected to be announced soon, with the tour set to extend into 2026. A 50th-anniversary Maiden documentary film will come out later this year. May 27: Budapest Aréna, Hungary *May 28: Budapest Aréna, Hungary *May 31: Prague Letnany Airport, Czech Republic *Jun 01: Bratislava TIPOS Arena, Slovakia *Jun 05: Trondheim Rocks, Norway ≠Jun 07: Stavanger SR-Bank Arena, Norway *Jun 09: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark *Jun 12: Stockholm 3Arena, Sweden *Jun 13: Stockholm 3Arena, Sweden *Jun 16: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland *Jun 19: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium≠ Jun 21: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK ^Jun 22: Manchester Co-op Live, UK ^Jun 25: Dublin Malahide Castle, Ireland *^Jun 28: London Stadium, UK *^Jun 30: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK ^ Jul 03: Belfort Eurockéennes, France ≠Jul 05: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain **Jul 06: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal **Jul 09: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland **Jul 11: Gelsenkirchen Veltins-Arena, Germany **Jul 13: Padova Stadio Euganeo, Italy **Jul 15: Bremen Bürgerweide, Germany **Jul 17: Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium, Austria **Jul 19: Paris Paris La Défense Arena, France **Jul 20: Paris Paris La Défense Arena, France **Jul 23: Arnhem GelreDome, Netherlands **Jul 25: Frankfurt Deutsche Bank Park, Germany **Jul 26: Stuttgart Cannstatter Wasen, Germany **Jul 29: Berlin Waldbühne, Germany **Jul 30: Berlin Waldbühne, Germany **Aug 02: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland ** * = Halestorm support^ = The Raven Age support** = Avatar support≠ = Festival date
