South America & Iron Maiden

I went to the screening of Iron Maiden: Flight 666 tonight in London. Produced by Banger productions (of Metal: A Headbangers journey Sam Dunn fame!! - Ello Sam!) The film follows the band on their ambitious tour on their own plane from Mumbai, India down to Australia to Japan, USA then South America - Mexico, Costa Rica, Columbia, Brazil and Argentina.

Mr Dickinson VIP (and pilot!) said in the movie that the first part of the tour was like a holiday, then when it came to South America it was the adventure - the bit they were more nervous about "Cause you're always on the edge of an explosion in South America" (or something similar)

Iron Maiden are actually due to play Argentina at a festival on 24th March. The posters were all over Buenos Aires last week. Radiohead were headlining one night, then Iron Maiden the next. Some of my friends from Buenos Aires are going to be at that festival.

Having just seen what South American audiences are like, i wish i'd seen Iron Maiden in South America. Watching the movie was like seeing Iron Maiden live, totally thrilling. I have been known to shed a tear watching Iron Maiden. I believe i did last year at Wacken festival, Germany.

This is me getting super excited singing Run to the Hills.

Weirdly, there were clips of the South American audiences singing Ruuun too the hilllls -
I think that's an interesting choice of song
Anyway,
Looking at this photo it looks like i'm having a religious experience. Like the fans in Brazil, and the Priest with 126 Iron Maiden tattoos in the film!

Argentina went mad for Iron Maiden in the film. The band stayed at a hotel i walked past in the sun last week.

I know what Bruce meant when he said you're always on the edge of an explosion in South America. I understand that feeling. I started writing a blog in the back of the cab on the way to the airport in Buenos Aires, after the incident in the street, but never sent it.

It started:
"Different people hold on to different things in order to muddle their way through life. Gauchito Gill, San la muerte, Roseary beads hanging from the taxi drivers rearview mirror. Cigarettes, alcohol, rules, paper, tradtion, regiment. In Tibet they have monks to protect them from the weather, statues of Buddha. Here, the rain isn't the problem, I think its the edge, the contrast, the interaction between those who have and those who have not. And its just the line before the chaos. In th UK the chaos that is life is burried deeper than in South America. Every big city is chaos. (My thoughts are chaos) - but here it feels like you're on the edge of something else"


It wasn't so much the incident itself that left a bad impression on me, and i do intend to return to Argentina and South America - it hasn't put me off. But it's the divide, and the way you can avert your gaze by living in other spheres and be blinkered about what else is going on.
But also the total malicious intent. That's always like a whip to the face.

The metal public is from all different walks of life. And especially in South America metal is religion. Iron Maiden, San La Muerte. Passion is a great thing. You always hear about "Latin passion" its nice to see it in context with a very british band.

Now i can't wait to see Maiden again!

Metaaal! Buenos Aires! Dead fingers!

So I may have mentioned I've been on the look out for South American metal culture since I got here, and today I found it! Success! I haven't been lucky enough to get to a show, but I found "Metal mania" in the Luxor mall in the centre of BA and I achieved a 5 thick pyramid belt and an Anal Vomit tshirt for French which I think is possibly the most rad South American Black metal tshirt I've ever seen. It has the whole package, boobs, decapitation, angry south american, gore, spikes... Everything.
Anyway, I skipped the fact the I met up with Ryan (the American from Chicago) at the Buquebus terminal (for ferries to Uruguay) and we got our tickets for tomorrow (exciting) then we went and got lunch in a posh restaurant, I had a proper big steak and it was yum.
Then we went and I had a HUGE ice cream and as we were walking down the really busy hot street I saw LUXOR.
You may remember this is what the guy in La Boca with the Guns n Roses tattoos recommended me for metal stuff and I couldn't find it on any map.
Well I found it now! Yes! 5 row pyramid belt! Yes! Anal Vomit tshirt! I nearly bought a Nuclear Assault tshirt, but they weren't that cheap so I didn't. Success BA metal public! I had a discussion with the dude in the shop about South American black metal, and he told me (in spanish) that I don't look like I should like this music.
I said Gracias.
I left the metal massive (no gigs on whilst I'm here, Morbid Angel were here on the 5th March and I wasn't here yet, and Iron Maiden play on 24th here when I'm gone)
And it began to pour down... For about 20minutes. Then Ryan left to go and rehearse for his arty gig and I walked from the Obelisk all along the Avenue Corrientes for maybe 2/3hours I walked. Stopping in shops, getting sore feet, drinking water and walking. Through the posh part the poor part, back into the posh bit, and then I came across SantaMaria shop with Tarot reading. That place was calling to me from across the street, I had to go in. It was stocked full of idols, Mary, Jesus, Buddha, Oxior(sp?), Germaniat (sp?), Gauchito (sp?) And Muerte!!!
The dude in the shop was a bit suspicious of me at first, then I asked about Tarot reading and he told me it has to be booked in advance (in spanish) then I picked up some Muerte stuff, and he asked me in Spanish "why muerte? Its dangerous!" And I couldn't explain in spanish. Then he said come with me (and let me tell you this shop is reminiscent of the shop where the Gremlins were bought from) and he goes to this cabinet and crouches down and points to some skeleton carvings that look quite expensive, then tells me they're human bones. This is a femur bone he says, this is a shoulder, and these are fingers. How awesome! I didn't know if I was allowed to transport human bones home though, so I didn't spend my money on human bones. But I still think that's abit fucking cool.

Metal, muerte and dead people's fingers. Great!
And it was sunny! Bonus!

~ I'm on the move - this was sent from my GooseBerry® ~