It's been a year!

Exactly a year ago I went to an Iron Maiden gig, just for the hell of it, 'coz I and nothing better to do... And it completely changed my life :D Certainly for the better! I've known Maiden for about 10 years before that, and listened to a few songs from the 80s occasionally, but never was a fan and didn't know anything about the band. But after seeing them live I became a fan instantly. But what really converted me momentarily was seeing Janick! As I wrote in my intro, watching him play just makes me smile - and that's awesome! On the way from the gig I couldn't shut up about that amazing blonde guitarist all the way home, speaking with my mum, who hasn't been to the gig, but came over to pick me up in the car (with a nice cup of hot coffee, which in -20 degrees C was as awesome as the gig had been :D).

I still remember my first reaction on seeing Jan. I sat quite far away (only true fans go to the floor and I wasn't a fan back then), and my eyesight is faaaaar from good, so when I first saw him dancing and jumping, and doing a windmill with his hand and wearing those skinny jeans and big white hightops...I thought he couldn't be more than 25, and that he was a newcomer to the band (well, relatively speaking, he is :D)... and that he just teleported straight from the 80s :D Then, when I looked at him through my binoculars (if I go to the seats, I go prepared!), and thought that ok, he may be closer to 40. Then upon seeing him on the big screens to the sides of the stage I realised how wrong I had been :D But I already was hooked, from the first seconds of seeing him, and I watched mostly Jan the whole gig.... as I still do on every dvd and bootleg I watch :D But of course, it wasn't only Janick, the music just blew me away too! The newer Maiden music, while before the gig I heard only the stuff from the 80s. 3 songs that impressed me most of all were Dance of Death, When The Wild Wind Blows and The Talisman - those wonderful epics Maiden are so good at. Interesting that 2 of those songs were written by Jan, even though I didn't know that at that time :) Well, my mind just turned into the right direction straight away!

When in the end of the gig Bruce said "See you in St.Petersburg this summer" I immediately decided to go - I was already a fan! So, bought a ticket to St.Pete gig, joined the Fan Club, saw just how much people travel for Maiden (seeing Lisa's 2011 tour in her signature was the determining point!) and decided to try and go to the Helsinki gig as well, though before it just seemed waaaaay too difficult to do that - with all the booking, visas and tickets, and not knowing the local language, and having no one to go with. But I decided to give it a go anyway, and turned out it was easy! I found some nice company with the help of the FC and had a really great time at my first gig abroad. And in St.Petersburg.... I met Janick, though briefly but completely by accident, which made it twice as awesome, and watched the gig from the barrier for the first time... and there's nothing like that!

One year later.... it's still the same! Watching and listening Janick and Maiden has the same effect on me as a year ago. And I'm soooo looking forward to the new tour and doing as many gigs as possible!

So anyway, to commemorate this glorious anniversary, a pic of Jan.... as usual :D even though I have fuckall time for drawing nowadays :D