MetalTalk Home › Archive ›

Iron Maiden Frontman Takes On The Government: Bruce Shooting Clowns Just Hours After World Tour Ends

Bruce Dickinson was back at his day job as Head Of Cardiff Aviation around nine hours after departing Wacken’s Main Stage on Thursday night after a triumphant final night of Iron Maiden’s 72-date Book Of Souls World Tour and he walked right into a blazing row with the Government, along with negative comments in the mainstream media.

Bruce set up Cardiff Aviation in 2012 at RAF St Athan, Vale Of Glamorgan after verbal assurances from the Welsh Government that the company could use a landing system but the Government have not kept to their word over this as Bruce still does not have access to the instrument landing strip (ILS).

An ILS allows pilots to land without visual contact with the runway and Bruce said that “no-one is allowed to use it for reasons which to me appear frankly just Byzantine and people in The Awkward Squad, for reasons that I frankly don’t want to understand – just get it fixed!” Bruce is meeting with Ministry Of Defence officials on Tuesday.

A Welsh Government spokesman told the BBC that it had worked closely with Cardiff Aviation and Bruce “for a number of years” and added that officials will meet him next week to “discuss how we can continue to best support his business”.

“The introduction of an ILS procedure is a matter for the Ministry Of Defence and we continue to lobby them on behalf of Cardiff Aviation and the wider enterprise zone to ensure a favourable outcome for what is one of Wales’ flagship industries,” he added.

The BBC say they have asked the MOD to comment.

Hella Rock Festival

During the winter Cardiff Aviation will have two 737s based at Cardiff Airport available for charters and Bruce, born in 58, 58 on Sunday, said: “We have a 737 flying out from St Athan to start passenger services next week.” Bruce will be flying that aircraft himself.

“We are providing more Welsh jobs to do with the airline right now than we are with the maintenance in St Athan and that is a crazy situation.”

On a visit to Cardiff earlier this year Bruce described the Welsh Government’s aviation enterprise zone as “a joke”.

Here’s Bruce back at work on Friday morning, shortly after The Book Of Souls World Tour ended. We’ve got the full lowdown of Thursday night, along with some superb pictures, top quality videos and a highly interesting interview with Iron Maiden’s Recording Engineer Tony Newton right here.

Sleeve Notes

Sign up for the MetalTalk Newsletter, an occasional roundup of the best Heavy Metal News, features and pictures curated by our global MetalTalk team.

More in Heavy Metal

Comments

Search MetalTalk

MetalTalk Venues

MetalTalk Venues - The Devil's Dog Digbeth
MetalTalk Venues – The Green Rooms Live Music and Rehearsal
The Patriot, Crumlin - The Home Of Rock
Interview: Christian Kimmett, the man responsible for getting the bands in at Bannerman's Bar
Cart & Horses, London. Birthplace Of Iron Maiden
The Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton

New Metal News