Iron Maiden celebrated 50 years of metal with Megadeth and Anthrax
On Friday, September 25th, the legendary metal band Iron Maiden brought their Run For Your Lives World Tour to BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Easily one of the biggest rock and roll shows of the year in Southern California, this show also featured two of the “Big Four” thrash bands as openers: metal legends in their own right, Megadeth and Anthrax. Truly a concert for the history books (which was repeated by demand on September 27th), BMO Stadium was jam-packed with fans from all over the world, everyone rocking their best Iron Maiden shirts, sporting Eddie tattoos, and proudly wearing battle vests adorned with colorful patches. The entire scene at an Iron Maiden show is something to experience: from the expansive tailgate party in the parking lot where tons of folks wait for hours to be the first in the stadium, to the rabid fans at the rail in the front row with flags and banners, to the extensive bootleg market of merch and food outside after the show—a whole culture and industry built around this iconic band. Formed in East London on Christmas Day in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden pioneered the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and rose to fame on the back of iconic, high-octane albums like The Number of the Beast and Powerslave. Celebrating five decades together with this massive world tour, the band has cemented their legendary status through over 100 million record sales, over 2,500 live shows, and most recently as inductees into the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, something singer Bruce Dickinson once referred to as an “utter, complete load of bollocks.”
Opening this show were metal pioneers and members of the Big Four of thrash, Anthrax. The group started the show like a cannon shot, full of energy and on a mission to pump up the huge crowd. Singer Joey Belladonna’s crowd engagement was fantastic, and guitarist Scott Ian’s powerful rhythmic playing got the pit moving and started the show on a perfect note. Anthrax is so fun to watch live; their energy is infectious, and they know exactly how to get a metal crowd like this going. Bassist Frank Bello was on fire at this show, slamming his bass hard on every song, mugging for the crowd, and thrashing his head like a maniac. Drummer Charlie Benante, who has been dealing with some health issues recently, was thankfully present at this show. Seeing him drum with the band is always a pleasure; he sounded totally on point as always and brings out the best in his bandmates’ performance. Lastly, guitarist Jonathan Donais is so talented; he’s Anthrax’s secret weapon, playing scorching leads and providing background vocals with great stage presence while constantly banging his head to the music. Anthrax is out supporting their new album, 2026’s Cursum Perficio, which is totally worth a listen. At this show, they performed the new song “It’s For the Kids” along with favorites like “Caught in a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “Metal Thrashing Mad,” “Antisocial,” “Got the Time,” “Indians,” and “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
Up next on stage was another absolute metal legend, Dave Mustaine, and his legendary band Megadeth. Another member of the Big Four of thrash, Megadeth is a fantastic metal group with so many memorable anthemic songs. The powerful guitar work on display by Mustaine, as well as Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, was truly the highlight of this set. The two talented musicians shredded their guitars and traded leads, putting on a guitar clinic for all the fans in attendance. Drummer Dirk Verbeuren was a wildman behind a massive drumkit on a riser at the back of the stage; with his hair flying, the fun he was having playing up there was infectious. Bassist James LoMenzo was rock steady, stalking the massive stadium stage while providing a nice steady low-end thump for the guitars to soar over. Megadeth is currently on a global farewell tour due to health issues suffered by Mustaine, who famously overcame throat cancer in 2020, but now faces Dupuytren’s contracture (often called Viking’s disease), a condition where connective tissue in the palm tightens and causes fingers to curl inward, affecting his guitar playing abilities. It was a true pleasure to see Megadeth perform at this show. Here’s hoping Dave Mustaine can find a way to continue performing these classic songs, and fans should really take the opportunity now to see the band live.
The roar of the crowd for this show began to reach its peak as UFO’s “Doctor Doctor” began to play over the huge PA system signaling Iron Maiden’s imminent arrival on stage. And as the house lights shone down on the massive crowd, the entire audience surged with anticipation, preparing for the onslaught that was about to take place. Seeing an Iron Maiden show in person must be experienced: the lights, the sounds, a massive video wall, the smell of the pyro, the giant monster mascot Eddie, and a band that truly brings it each and every single time for its fans—what a concert! Lead singer Bruce Dickinson, somehow in peak condition at 68 years young, bounded across the huge BMO Stadium stage, belted out hit after hit, twirled his mic stand, and was an absolute wonder, exclaiming his signature line, “Scream for me, Los Angeles!”. Bassist Steve Harris played his famous galloping bass lines, and watching his fingers fly into a blur on the strings was a thrill, and seeing him mouth the words along to “Wrathchild” was incredible. The guitar trifecta of Dave Murray, Janick Gers, and Adrian Smith was amazing as well, with all three guitarists sharing lead and rhythm duties, each with their own unique personality and signature style shredding through a fantastic setlist. Lastly, new drummer Simon Dawson was a great addition; he played these iconic songs with passion and precision, an awesome new recruit to the lineup after the retirement of the legendary Nicko McBrain in 2024. It was an absolute thrill to experience this incredible night of heavy metal music with a huge Southern California crowd. And here’s hoping all of these legendary bands make it down to San Diego again sometime soon, long before the end of the road.
