So, with the effects of global warming descending on the sceptred isle that is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the focus for Saturday, June 28, was firmly on West Ham United’s London Stadium and the small matter of a little sòire involving those lovely chaps from Iron Maiden. Oh, who am I bloody kidding? This event was almost as momentous as the 2012 Olympics, the 1969 lunar landing and the who shot JR mystery on the hit TV show Dallas.
With Maiden fans from all over the world initially descending on the Cart & Horses pub like representatives from The League Of Nations, pub owner and all-around good guy Kastro Pergjoni, along with his brilliant staff, had his hands full.
With the police in attendance, strategically placed just outside the pub, assisting the many merry Maideneers in their quest for liquid refreshment and wholesome social intercourse, a rather splendid time was had by all.
It was, however, a bit of a squeeze, with the pub full to capacity and a queue longer than the nearby A12 forming down the side of the pub, with a “one in, one out” policy. It has to be noted that the security staff at the door were great, firm but fair – just like our old friend Charlotte at 22 Acacia Avenue.
Upon leaving the Cart & Horses, a swift cheeseburger was the order of the day at the kebab establishment two doors down from the Cart. Now, this was no reflection on the Cart’s excellent food, but it was so incredibly busy in there that we would have been eating our food with the plates resting on our beer bellies. So we opted for the slightly more civilised option of eating around a table.
Upon refuelling, several of us, including Airforce axeman Chop Pitman and their former sound engineer Chris Minter, almost re-enacted the opening sequence of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, but without the suits, as we strolled along to the London Stadium.
The thing that strikes you when attending an Iron Maiden gig is the love and friendship expounded among the fans. This isn’t any ordinary group; this wasn’t any ordinary gig, and those attending weren’t ordinary fans – we were and are FAMILY. 
While we were in the stadium, we spoke about our good mate Paul Di’Anno and how he would have absolutely loved the day. In fact, we laughed about how he would be moaning his head off publicly while privately enjoying every moment. There was an element of sadness knowing that our friend wasn’t physically there to be part of the event, but we knew he was there in spirit.
Now we know that Maiden are a well-oiled machine and are consistently great. Therefore, rather than me writing another review as to how monumentally excellent they were, I would urge you to read Sara Harding’s fantastic piece on both the Birmingham gig and her take on the London gig. And let’s give thanks for the two fantastic support acts, The Raven Age and the mighty Halestorm. What a line-up, eh?
Post-gig, and after a 45-minute walk with a cast of thousands, it was back to the Cart for a pint or three and a bag of peanuts. Gypsys Kiss were performing. Dave Smith and the guys are always good value and great fun, so it was a pleasure to see them perform and entertain an appreciative crowd.
In summary, this was one of the great music events of the decade, if not the century all starting at one of the best rock venues in London. So well done, Kastro and the team, for kicking this off.
Well done to Iron Maiden, their management team and the support acts. Well done to the team at the London Stadium. And well done to every single fan, or should I say family member, for turning this into one of the truly great music events.
