Wow what a bill this was.

Iron Maiden, Dio, and Motorhead all in one night.

Motorhead started it off with a set Motorhead only does.

Straight up, hard and fast, rock and roll.

Singer/Bassist Lemmy Kilmister was one of a kind (he sadly passed away in 2015).

He had Phil Campbell on Guitar and Mikkey Dee on Drums. 

Phenomenal band.  Made lots of great albums with various lineups, but I’m especially partial to the albums with this lineup.

God Bless Lemmy and long live his music.

Dio, the band fronted by namesake Ronnie James Dio, was the middle band that played.

His band at the time consisted of himself on lead vocals, guitarist Craig Goldy, bassist Jimmy Bain, drummer Simon Wright, and keyboardist Scott Warren.

As I type this in 2023, I’ve been a fan of his since 2000 when I first saw him on The Black Sabbath Story Volume 2 VHS tape (he was one of many singers in Black Sabbath, including one more time later on).

The first album I bought of his was a Sabbath album called Dehumanizer.  I still love it and all the stuff he did Sabbath, later known as Heaven And Hell for his lineup.

But the first Dio band album I bought was Magica.  PHENOMENAL album.

On this tour, Dio were still promoting their Killing The Dragon album, in which they played a couple of songs from this album at the show, along with Sabbath classics and Rainbow classics (Rainbow was another band Ronnie was in.).

I’m sooooooo glad I saw Ronnie not only here but a few years later with Sabbath.

I actually even got to speak to Ronnie once on a radio call in show in 2009.

He actually called me “buddy”.  I’ll never forget it.

He sadly passed away in 2010.

But anyway, Ronnie was always great and he certainly was at this show.

I miss him forever.

If this show wasn’t already great, it was still just getting started because the MIGHTY Iron Maiden closed the show.

I’ve been a fan of this band since 2000 (yeah I was late to them) when I saw their video The Wicker Man (from their PHENOMENAL 2000 album Brave New World) on VH1’s Rock Show.

They’re always great and as usual, they were on this night too.

Lots of songs from throughout their career, including one new song from their upcoming album at the time, Dance Of Death.

Singer Bruce Dickinson, like Ronnie James Dio, is one of the greatest singers ever, in my opinion.

And one of the best frontmen too.

He always has the crowd in the palm of his hand.

Bassist Steve Harris has always been phenomenal.  Not only as a musician, but as a songwriter.  Everyone writes in the band, but this band has always been his baby.

Guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers, all are excellent guitarists.

And Drummer Nicko McBrain is one of the best drummers.

I can’t say enough about this show.

It will always be a special one.

Up the Irons, as they say.