Source: Iron Maiden

One of the most elaborate musical stages in the history of the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibas has been prepared for legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden, whose members will rock Costa Rica with the help of thrash metal pioneers Anthrax tonight.

Heavy metal fans have been camping outside the stadium for two weeks to catch Iron Maiden perform a Central American date as part of the Book of Souls World Tour. Historically, Iron Maiden has been one of the most welcomed bands in Costa Rica. The heavy metal icons arrived in style aboard their own Boeing 747 tour jet, which landed with British punctuality at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) on Monday afternoon.

The Iron Maiden jet is known as Ed Force One, and it is flown by vocalist Bruce Dickinson, an avid pilot. Ed Force One arrive from the San Salvador airport, where Iron Maiden played a blistering set before a sold-out audience. The band was honored with an official government thank you note:

The Ministry of Tourism of El Salvador thanks the legendary band IRON MAIDEN from England on their extraordinary concert performed in our country yesterday at the Magico Gonzalez Stadium. It was in fact the biggest event ever in the history of El Salvador with 25,000* fans arriving from many parts of El Salvador as well as Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other parts of Central America.

 

Vocalist Bruce Dickinson comments; “As a band we have always insisted on getting to new places to see our fans and we have to thank these amazing fans from here and across Central America for making us so welcome and the concert such a historical event for your country. We dearly hope it is a sign of great things to come and peace in the future. The fans were amazing and everything technically was excellent. We think the fans had a great time. We certainly did.”

Here’s the Iron Maiden setlist from the band’s most recent concert:

• If Eternity Should Fail
• Speed of Light
• Children of the Damned
• Tears of a Clown
• The Red and the Black
• The Trooper
• Powerslave
• Death or Glory
• The Book of Souls
• Hallowed Be Thy Name
• Fear of the Dark

Encore:

• The Number of the Beast
• Play Video
• Blood Brothers
• Play Video
• Wasted Years