Bruce Dickinson‘s distinctive voice – and vocal registry that earned him the pseudonym of “air-raid siren” has become a staple of the Iron Maiden’s sound since 1982’s “The Number Of The Beast”. In a recent conversation with Ouest-France, Dickinson reflected on the transformation of his vocal abilities over his extensive career.
He noted (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I’m lucky I have a strong and powerful voice. I couldn’t have done it 30 years ago because I was so busy in the race to see who could sing the highest, who could do this, who could say the words the fastest. ‘Cause you’re young and everything is a fight, battle, win, competition.”
This competitive mindset, however, seems to have faded. Dickinson emphasizes his current priorities: “And I’m not in competition with anything now except truth. What I want is authenticity of emotion. And that sounds boring, but, actually, if you put it in context with some like ‘grrrr’-type metal, it’s so powerful.”
Dickinson also shared insights into the profound connection he feels with his audience during live performances. He expressed, “The best thing in the world, the best feeling in the world, for me as a singer, is when you get a great sound for your voice and everything on stage and everything works. And you know that you’re moving people with it. That’s it — that’s why you do it. That’s the drug. Of course. The opposite is also true. It’s the worst place to be when it doesn’t work.”
This April, after two warm-up performances at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, Dickinson embarked on his first solo tour in over two decades. The tour officially commenced on April 15 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California.
Accompanying him are his current backing band members: drummer Dave Moreno, keyboardist Mistheria, bassist Tanya O’Callaghan, and the newest additions, Swedish guitarist and producer Philip Näslund, and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq, known for his contribution to Dickinson‘s song “Rain On The Graves” single. Notably absent from the tour is Dickinson‘s longtime guitarist and collaborator, Roy “Z” Ramirez.
