Iron Maiden West Belfast Wall Murials

Thundercracker

Quote taken from another thread in response to a question about Iron Maiden supposedly once burning the Tricolour and its possible origins

Fallen Seraph wrote: »

Well I know that they're rather adamant about waving their union jack at Irish shows. But indeed. I'd like to know where that story comes from. They've really never come across as the malicious type.

A friend of mine helped me find an end to this rumour, he said that it was caused by a murial of the bands mascot Eddie that was made in West Belfast in the late 70s and early 80s and it was in no way associated with the band but like we've been discussing was just associated with them. Below Ive posted some pictures he found online of some of the murials that the UVF and UFF made. Ive also left some quotes from a CAIN website.

Iron Maiden's 'Eddie' as UFF soldier with burning Bogside and dead republicans. "There must be no retirement with our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our cause each one of us must fight on to the end. We determine the guilty, we decide the punishment". See No.483 and 505.

Iron Maiden's 'Eddie' figure with rifle and tattered Ulster flag running over wasteland with crosses, skulls and Death figure wielding scythe, "UFF Shankill". See No.330 and 504.

Mural painters put the finishing touches to a mural showing Iron Maiden's 'Eddie' figure carrying UDA flag and sword, "South East Antrim UFF UDA". See No.330 and 483.

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/mccormick/photos/no330.htm#photo
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/mccormick/photos/no504.htm#photo

Doctor J

That's based on The Trooper single artwork, which wasn't released until mid 1983, so it's impossible for it to be there since the late 70s.

TBH, I'd say the whole thing is a myth, I've yet to see any proof Iron Maiden have ever said anything negative about Ireland or the people of Ireland. They are very proud of their British heritage and that rubs some people up the wrong way and it's not unplausible that some ****ehawk along the line has said "Sure they burned an Irish flag" out of spite/bitterness/whatever and a stupid lie like that takes wings. Even this forum has had discussions about them waving the Union Jack during The Trooper at concerts and, amazingly, some people still object to a piece of theatrics, a British band waving a British flag mimicing the aforementioned artwork.

Mental Mickey

And they're called murals...........not murials.


LOL

Huggles

Doctor J wrote: »

That's based on The Trooper single artwork, which wasn't released until mid 1983, so it's impossible for it to be there since the late 70s.

TBH, I'd say the whole thing is a myth, I've yet to see any proof Iron Maiden have ever said anything negative about Ireland or the people of Ireland. They are very proud of their British heritage and that rubs some people up the wrong way and it's not unplausible that some ****ehawk along the line has said "Sure they burned an Irish flag" out of spite/bitterness/whatever and a stupid lie like that takes wings. Even this forum has had discussions about them waving the Union Jack during The Trooper at concerts and, amazingly, some people still object to a piece of theatrics, a British band waving a British flag mimicing the aforementioned artwork.

Spot on.

If you look at any of the live Trooper footgae on youtube, you'll see Bruce comes on and waves the Union Jack. Dortmund, Dublin, Ulievi etc.

Thundercracker

Mental Mickey wrote: »

And they're called murals...........not murials.


LOL

**** you, how dare you laugh at me

buck65

you're thinking of Muriel's wedding

Otis Driftwood

buck65 wrote: »

you're thinking of Muriel's wedding

LMFAO

MagnumForce

As far as I remember Bruce's father, or brother, was killed in an IRA bombing, and he wasn't very happy about it, and that's why he did it. I'm sure he didn't intend to insult the entire nation of Ireland, he was just understandably pissed off at the IRA. Still, not a very clever thing to do, bad PR.

Doctor J

Please find proof of that.

MagnumForce

I'll try, i read it somewhere ages ago, ill get back to you

MagnumForce

Can't find it anywhere. Can't find a single story about it, not even a passing reference, all I came across was this page, which is strange. I found it before, a few years ago. The story said he burned it at Donnington because he was pissed off about his Dad dying in an IRA bombing. I have no idea if thats true or not, it's just what I read and it's the story that makes the most sense, he wouldnt burn it for no reason like, and he wouldnt do it cos of murals.

Someone should email Sanctury and find out the real story, stop us all speculating.

peter1892

Bruce was asked about the flag burning rumour in the Sunday Tribune last year. He said he'd never heard that rumour & that it was 'utter bollocks' anyway (and that there was no way they'd ever burn another country's flag on stage).

This rumour has been going around as long as I've been a Maiden fan (20 years), it varies from 'Paul Di'Anno burnt it on stage in Belfast in 1980'* to a variety of other times & locations.

If it did happen then someone could have proven it by now, but there's never been any evidence to back it up.

Oddly enough the same rumour has gone on about other bands - Wet Wet Wet being one of them (they're Scottish & Rangers fans, again I believe it's not true).

*Maiden fans will know why that's impossible!

MagnumForce

peter1892 wrote: »

Bruce was asked about the flag burning rumour in the Sunday Tribune last year. He said he'd never heard that rumour & that it was 'utter bollocks' anyway (and that there was no way they'd ever burn another country's flag on stage).

This rumour has been going around as long as I've been a Maiden fan (20 years), it varies from 'Paul Di'Anno burnt it on stage in Belfast in 1980'* to a variety of other times & locations.

If it did happen then someone could have proven it by now, but there's never been any evidence to back it up.

Oddly enough the same rumour has gone on about other bands - Wet Wet Wet being one of them (they're Scottish & Rangers fans, again I believe it's not true).

*Maiden fans will know why that's impossible!

I'd be leaning towards the opinion that it was just a rumour, especially since Brucey said it himself. Although I'm pretty sure the source I was getting my information from, which I can't find now, said that Bruce said it himself about the whole IRA bombing stuff. But ah well, I'm happy to go on believing that he didn't burn our flag.

And you can't expect all Maiden fans to know that Iron Maiden didn't play Northern Ireland in 1980, although they played the rest of the UK and various locations in Europe with Paul that year. (I had to look it up)

Ph3n0m

well why not just name your source - was it a website? was it a magazine?

MagnumForce

Ph3n0m wrote: »

well why not just name your source - was it a website? was it a magazine?

I dunno, it was at least three years ago(probably more) that I read it. Im fairly sure it was a website, and you know how trustworthy they are!

deman

MagnumForce wrote: »

I dunno, it was at least three years ago(probably more) that I read it. Im fairly sure it was a website, and you know how trustworthy they are!

Well if you read it on the net, it must be true.

Yap Stam

It was The Jam (Paul Wellar etc.) who urinated upon and then burnt the Irish flag. For a few years after this they didn't get much airplay or promotion in this country- They claimed it was a joke and because they didn't do it on stage (apparently they did it at a party) they thought it was o.k.

I was at that Maiden gig at the point- they've every right to do it and I guess people shouldn't be upset about it, but if I were them I wouldn't have done it. I do remember the applause after that song not being nearly as big and loud as the clap after other songs that night, but that was all really there weren't riots or anything - and I'm glad there wasn't, i think the irish maiden fans conducted themselves very well during what was perhaps an avoidable instance. To be honest, i felt a bit embarrassed for maiden- the days of billy britain skinhead gangs rampaging across europe collapsing football stadiums and shoving their flags and emblems in everyone's face are long gone.

The thing about Maiden and them being proud of their culture is that they're more than happy to sing songs about British armies winning wars and being brave- but you'll rarely hear them singing songs about some of the atrocities and instances of genocide committed by British forces. You'll hear them play songs about Duelling swordsmen and British Cavalry charges, but you won't hear them playing songs about the Black and Tans or the support for the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

damonjewel

Yeah I remember the story about the Jam from the late seventies doing this to the tricolour. But is it really true? just like that story about that dude from soft cell who drank a pint of horse spunk.

Ph3n0m

Yap Stam wrote: »

It was The Jam (Paul Wellar etc.) who urinated upon and then burnt the Irish flag. For a few years after this they didn't get much airplay or promotion in this country- They claimed it was a joke and because they didn't do it on stage (apparently they did it at a party) they thought it was o.k.

and your proof of this is where?

Thundercracker

damonjewel wrote: »

just like that story about that dude from soft cell who drank a pint of horse spunk.

I think that was said because Marc Almond was an openly gay man during the 80s trying to promote gay friendly music and dressing in the attire. People obviously said that to in some way tarnish his reputation.

However, Marc was a one-time member of the Church of Satan, inducted by Boyd Rice, although he has later written that perhaps this was a mistake

Irish Halo

Yap Stam wrote: »

The thing about Maiden and them being proud of their culture is that they're more than happy to sing songs about British armies winning wars and being brave- but you'll rarely hear them singing songs about some of the atrocities and instances of genocide committed by British forces. You'll hear them play songs about Duelling swordsmen and British Cavalry charges, but you won't hear them playing songs about the Black and Tans or the support for the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

Em you do you know that all their songs about "winning wars and being brave" are actually about the horrors and futility of war? Have you actually heard The Trooper (the song when they wave the flag) or anything off A Matter Of Life And Death? The Trooper is about the charge of the light brigade where they all got massacred. Their songs support the troops not the war/battles.

I was at The Point for the show you mention and I felt sick, it's The Trooper one of their signature songs and always, always, always wave the Union Jack around no matter where they are. Maybe that's why they hadn't played here since the Blaze era cause they were sick of the stupid ***** here taking offence at their stage show. When the return and eventually do a set with The Trooper (wasn't on the AMOLAD set and may not be on the Somewhere Back In Time set) I hope this country and the fans who go see Maiden don't embarrass us again because they are outraged by a STAGE SHOW.

Also yeah they never burned an Irish flag, I heard Dave Mustaine supports "The Cause" though

deman

damonjewel wrote: »

just like that story about that dude from soft cell who drank a pint of horse spunk.

LOL!! I remember that rumour.

Yap Stam

Irish Halo wrote: »

Em you do you know that all their songs about "winning wars and being brave" are actually about the horrors and futility of war? Have you actually heard The Trooper (the song when they wave the flag) or anything off A Matter Of Life And Death? The Trooper is about the charge of the light brigade where they all got massacred. Their songs support the troops not the war/battles.


1. Aces High

[Harris]

There goes the siren that warns off the air raid
Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne
Got to get up for the coming attack.

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines
Remove all the wheel blocks
there's no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Gotta get airborne before it's too late

Running, scrambling, flying
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high

Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers
Let off a sharp burst and then turn away
Roll over, spin round and come in behind them
Move to their blindsides and firing again

Bandits at 8 o'clock move in behind us
Ten ME-109's out of the sun
Ascending and turning out spitfires to face them
Heading straight for them I press my guns.

Rolling, turning, diving
Rolling, turning, diving, goin' again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high.

-Sounds more like 'Top Gun' than Tolstoy to me, they're glamourising war.

Of course I've heard the Trooper, if you read my last post you must have been able to tell I'm a big maiden fan, but that doesn't mean I'm going to think that going to a city (i.e. Dublin) where the British forces committed terrible acts and waving a bunch of union jacks around is a good idea - they have every legal and constitutional right (in accordance with the laws of this country anyway) to do so, but that doesn't mean they should have. Basically, and i don't mean to sound like scoopy-scoopy-dogg-dogg here, they should have a bit more respect. Argue against this all you want but maybe you can look at it this way- Would you go to Omagh (the place where the 'Real' I.R.A. - or bunch of f**kin muppets as they're more commonly known- set of a bomb that killed over 30 innocent people in 1998) and wave a tricolour around the place? Of course you wouldn't, theres no law saying you can't- you wouldn't do it because of a little thing
called 'common sense'.

Audiences in Australia, Canada or even mexico probably wouldn't be bothered by them waving a union jack around- then again, none of those countries have been involved in an ongoing war with the British government which only stopped less than a decade ago.

MagnumForce

There's absolutly no reason for them not to wave the Union Jack during The Trooper when they play here, I was at the gig at the point and yeah, the general vibe when he did it was "hmm not the best thing to do", but Christ, it's part of their stage show and they do it in countries all over the world, including other places that the British have colonised, why should we think we're special just because we were the first. At that same gig, they all came out with pints of Guinness and toasted Ireland, so it's not like they were waving the Union Jack and saying "**** you" to us. Anyone who got offended by it needs to see a psychiatrist.

If I remember correctly he brought out two Union Jacks and put one on either side of the stage, if they were clever, they'd change one to the flag of whatever country they were playing in, that way they can show their British pride by waving the Union Jack and get the crowd riled up by waving their flag.

villains77

anyone here if maiden have announced any gigs in dublin. have u seen the tribute band erin maiden. there irish seen them in the temple bar centre now buttons a few yrs back .sound very like the real thing . not at all bad. havent seen them advertised anywhere lately. seen them in dublin a load of times and saw them in paris 05 savage gig and a great week n paris.

villains77

hey magnam force good point bout the 2 sets of flags being raised was at that same gig aswell up in the balcony great views for the journeyman what a song to finish off with. the matter of life and death gig was great aswell. They palyed the trooper in the rds but didnt raise the flag and bruce said he be back here again to play another gig and he will play the trooper with the union jack weather we f''''kn like it or not . i suppose common sense would that he would have the 2 sets of flags for the next maiden gig. pity those 40 odd people who left cause of them raising flag. well hope they play soon. cant wait for the next gig. anybody going to nightwish in vicar st. next april .dont worry lads its not on the forbidden mcd list.