Iron Maiden’s Monday night show at La Défense Arena in Paris was cut short after a widespread power outage stopped the concert about 50 minutes in. The band had planned the performance as a phone-free shoot for a future concert film, but the blackout interrupted the set during “Minutes to Midnight.”
When power returned, the venue was allowed to keep the noise going until 11:35 p.m. instead of 11:00 p.m., but that was still not enough to finish the show because local transport stops at 12:15 a.m. Three songs, “Aces High,” “Fear Of The Dark,” and “Wasted Years,” were dropped from the setlist.
Lead singer Bruce Dickinson said, “Despite everything, the crowd and the atmosphere last night were fantastic.” He added that, like other challenges Iron Maiden has faced over the years, the missing songs would be handled in the encore when the final film is assembled. Dickinson also said, “No one is more frustrated than the band and crew,” especially knowing many fans had traveled long distances and waited patiently during the outage.
The band said the Paris arena was chosen specifically for filming after two sold-out shows there last year drew 37,000 fans. Dickinson said the most memorable part of the night was “the amazing spirit inside the arena,” praising the audience’s “patience, understanding and unwavering support.” French newspaper Le Figaro reported that authorities are checking whether the outage was linked to the extreme heat. Manager Rod Smallwood said the city hit about 44 degrees that day and the arena blackout also shut off air conditioning. France24 reported that about 68,000 households across France lost power because of the weather, Tuesday became the hottest day ever recorded in the country, and the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre shortened visiting hours as transport was disrupted. The band’s Run For Your Lives tour continues Wednesday in Copenhagen at Copenhell and ends July 11 at Knebworth House with an Eddfest festival show.
