Adrian Smith in Iron Maiden videos

[MartinBarre]

Is it just me or do they tend to ignore Adrian in live Iron Maiden videos? They rarely show him playing his solos, and on some of the live stuff you can hardly even hear his solos (I think it's the "Beast over Hammersmith" set on the Early Days DVD that's an example of this). They always show Dave Murray, and in the modern stuff they even show that oaf Janick cavorting around flapping his hands during his solos. So why no Adrian?

Adrian wrote some of Maiden's best songs (Two Minutes To Midnight for a fuckin' START!), contributed classic solos, and also does the main backing vocals.
He's without any doubt more important to Maiden than Gers, and arguably, even more important than Dave Murray. Yet he's hardly shown in the videos.

What's that all about?

[wilkinsi]

There's no ignoring Smith on the Maiden England vid (my all time favourite Maiden vid).

[Hellbat]

Dave makes goofy faces, Jannick makes goofy poses. Adrian stands still and rips. If you are a director recording a concert you are going to want your cameramen (people?) to record things you think are interesting. Which probably aren't the same things a guitar player fan watching the video would find interesting.

Why pan to the audience and show the chick with the big knockers flashing during the song? She isn't performing, just showing off her funbags. Because the director knows 14 year old boys (Okay and 38 year old men too) will pause the vid for a better look then tell all their friends who will run out to buy the video. It's all about the knockers.

Get Adrian D cup implants, train him to prance like a epileptic on meth, and I guarantee you the camera would not leave him for the entirety of the show.

[MartinBarre]

It's not the director, it's the editor. Which has been Steve Harris normally.

So does Steve not like H or what?
I'm not interested in Janick doing stupid high kicks, I want to see Adrians fuckin solo!

[neilli]

I agree in part. I think Steve does a decent job of editing, but it's not awesome.

- Fan shots are lame other than in a chapter that I can skip - I don't need to see people at a show other than for atmosphere / context. I know what 'concert goers' look like and what they do.
- Likewise, from a fan / guitar player perspective, I think they should focus on the guitar player during the solos (unless it's Janick of course )
- And ultimately, they should let Adrian play his solos on his own, not split / harmonise / double them with Janick.

And for all of the above, I'm kind of dreading Flight 666.....

[Venomboy]

I noticed that a while back. Jannick taking over Smith's solos is blasphemy as well.

[Newc]

Maybe Adrian asked Steve to not show his solos? Maybe he didn't want people stealing his licks, or seeing how he plays them, or maybe he doesn't like the way he looks on film?

[neilli]

Oh, and of course, the camera guy / player have to be in the right place to catch the solos. Less excuse for that if they've filmed multiple nights though...

[MartinBarre]

Maybe Adrian asked Steve to not show his solos? Maybe he didn't want people stealing his licks, or seeing how he plays them, or maybe he doesn't like the way he looks on film?

Yeah I kinda wondered about that, but this goes back to the early days before Steve was doing the editing.

There's nothing I hate more when watching a live DVD than not seeing the guitar player play his solos.

[Davey]

steve does NOT.. and i cannot put enough emphasis on the NOT part .. do a good job as an editor. the death on the road video is completelly unwatcheable because of his fucking editing. the fucking camera doesnt stand still for more than 2 seconds, the lenght of the show. he should stick to playing bass, writing songs and editing the MUSIC side of the videos, not the fucking image itself.
since then i havent bought a maiden video and probably never will again, cos i'm slowly getting sick of them. as much as i love the music and all, i hate steves meddling with every fucking thing.. and i also hate the sorry excuse of a vocalist, he calls daughter.

[MartinBarre]

and i also hate the sorry excuse of a vocalist, he calls daughter.

That's out of order.
I saw her live and I thought her band were tight, and she was as hot as fuck. I don't see how anyone could "hate" her or hold it against Steve Harris.

What's that all about? How can a straight man hate her?





As for Steve's editing, I think he did the Donington 92 one, and it was the worst video ever, for the reasons you mention. No shot held for longer than two seconds, it gave you a headache after five minutes.

[damagedjustice93]

Is it just me or do they tend to ignore Adrian in live Iron Maiden videos? They rarely show him playing his solos, and on some of the live stuff you can hardly even hear his solos (I think it's the "Beast over Hammersmith" set on the Early Days DVD that's an example of this). They always show Dave Murray, and in the modern stuff they even show that oaf Janick cavorting around flapping his hands during his solos. So why no Adrian?

Adrian wrote some of Maiden's best songs (Two Minutes To Midnight for a fuckin' START!), contributed classic solos, and also does the main backing vocals.
He's without any doubt more important to Maiden than Gers, and arguably, even more important than Dave Murray. Yet he's hardly shown in the videos.

What's that all about?

i dont know about the other shows, but if you watch beat over hammersmith, before 22 acacia avenue( i think) bruce says that adrian broke a couple of ribs, so they didnt film him as much. and as for steves daughter, didnt like the music, but damn shes hot

[neilli]

....she was as hot as fuck. I don't see how anyone could "hate" her or hold it against Steve Harris.

Agreed, she's hot. And she's not an awful singer, but it's nepotism at it's worst, and the fans suffer as a result.

On the 'Somewhere Back in Time' tour, instead of a 'proper' support band that people might have wanted to see, we get a 'band' who didn't even have a record out. There's no fucking way on earth that would have happened if she wasn't Steve's daughter.

I wouldn't have minded if she'd had a 20 minute set and then there had been a 'proper' support band, but to just have an unrecorded artist as support on a tour of that magnitude is BS. I'd rather have had no support act and a movie like Metallica have done in the past...

[VitaminG]

we had Steve's daughter (didn't get there in time to see/hear her so i can't comment) and then some domestic softcock band who did a lame cover of a Dio tune to try and win the metal crowd over (sans solo too!) opening for them when Maiden played Brisbane.

[Davey]

oh, she's hot allright, but as neilli mentioned, she doesnt really belong on stage, cos she didnt do crap but been born into the harris familly. and i've seen her live supporting maiden and i must say i prefered the murderdolls that maiden had a couple of years ago as their support, even though they're shit live