When Terry Rance, the very first Iron Maiden guitarist, opens the show with the riff from the very first song Iron Maiden ever played together, you know you are in for a memorable evening. You then see Terry Wapram, standing stage right, armed with his guitar and a big smile on his face, and you get the feeling that this will be magical. This was Legends, a one-off performance supporting the Gypsy’s Kiss 50th Anniversary celebration and the Cart & Horses, the birthplace of Iron Maiden.
Iron Maiden – The Legends – Terry Wapram – Terry Rance
Cart & Horses, Stratford – 27 April 2024
Words And Photography: Steve Ritchie
It’s I Got The Fire, written by Ronnie Montrose, which opens proceedings. This is not the souped-up, title, slightly altered version that you have heard live on the B-side of the Iron Maiden Sanctuary single with Paul Di’Anno. Nor is it the more polished studio version that Bruce Dickinson sings on the Flight Of Icarus single B-side.
The pairing of leftie Terry Rance and Terry Wapram, for one night, performed early Iron Maiden numbers the way they were first played. This was the true to the Montrose version of I Got The Fire that Maiden played in those early days.
The two Terrys are joined tonight by bassist Dwight Wharton from Buffalo Fish, Gypsy’s Kiss drummer Stuart William Emms pulling double duty, and Carl Robert Williams, vocalist for Ironed Maiden and Ion Maiden.
Drifter follows. Terry Wapram pulls an inspired solo. This is a real throwback, and I’m sure I’m not the only one with goosebumps during the quieter part. Williams looks to the arms aloft in the crowd as the song finishes. There are massive cheers and he has a big smile on his face.
Strange World follows—not the version from the acclaimed debut album, but the version that was played live in those early days. It’s a fascinating listen. Wait until you hear the recorded version with Paul Mario Day on vocals, which will surface one day.
The solo by Wapram is hearfelt . This is a mesmerising version of Strange World and an exciting part of Iron Maiden’s early history. You can’t help but feel the difference between the band at the Cart & Horses and the stadium tours that followed. 
All that is missing is the smell of patchouli oil and smoke in the air. There we not many cameras filming either.
David Smith joins the stage. “How you doing?” he asks to plenty of cheers. Wharton launches into an epic Wrathchild bass intro to more cheers. This is a ripping version.
Smith acknowledges “the two Terry’s, two people older than me. Best guitarist I’ve ever played with,” David says as Terry Wapram raises his arms. “The very first guitarist of Iron Maiden,” he says, nodding to a smiling Rance, who responds with the Prowler riff.
Legends had a single rehearsal that afternoon with no PA. There is a brief mixup, but no one notices. The solos are wonderfully gritty. It marks a contrast to the more refined and polished later Iron Maiden versions.
Smith fills out the last “Feel like walking around” to great reception from the crowd. Arms and voices fill the Cart & Horses. This is how you warm a crowd up.
Running Free finds Williams back on stage. Tonight, it is like both band and crowd are part of the same team. Running wild and running free, we can’t do that as fast as we used to, but both Wapram and Rance smile at each other and execute the dual solo section with style and panache.
“Let me hear you, Cart & Horses,” Williams screams. He can certainly hear all of us. As the song progresses, Williams has the Cart adopting the Bruce-style waves. It’s not an arena, but no one gave a fuck about that. 
David Smith is still on stage, revelling in proceedings. Rance is on the front of stage riser, playing and singing his heart out.
What started life as a Gypsy’s Kiss song follows. Terry Wapram gets the opening high notes to Innocent Exile spot-on. This is a more technical song, but the feeling of raw, unpolished sentimentality flows through.
This is fantastic. Hats off to Stuart William Emms and Dwight Wharton for pushing the songs forward. The scream which leads into the solos gets you in the gut. The song runs towards its end and its wonderful to expericence this. 
“It’s been an honour and a pleasure to play with two legends on this stage,” Williams says. You can see how happy Terry Wapram and Terry Rance are.
The riff to Iron Maiden opens. Wapram and Rance nail the beautiful dual guitar. I laugh. Not for anything humourous, but because the thought runs through my mind of seeing this back in the day, before the Legacy.
The pow-pow end of Iron Maiden is straight to the heart. I have a thought about bringing Paul Mario Day to front this for an evening. That would be difficult, though.
If this is a one-off, that will be a shame. This was great fun and there is definitely an appetite for more.
Oh well, wherever, wherever you are, Iron Maiden’s gonna get you…
