His mouth is responsible for his undoings
Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson enthralls Israeli fans at ‘spoken word’ performance
Bruce Dickinson, the legendary lead singer of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, appeared at a stage performance for his “Spoken Word” tour at the Opera House in Tel Aviv on Monday.
The 60-year-old Dickinson presented his autobiography, What Does This Button Do?, sharing stories from his childhood, unruly teenage years and his career as a musician of one of the most successful rock bands in history.
Dickinson’s recollections were punctuated by impersonations and his sharp sense of humor. Recounting his expulsion from an English private school as a teenager, Dickinson displayed his expulsion report, saying that “his mouth was responsible for his undoings.”
“Yeah, and I made a living out of it,” quipped the energetic Dickinson, while running up and down the stage.
“I became a singer by chance,” Dickinson said of the chapter of his life which led to his joining Iron Maiden. The singer told the audience that he first joined a band as bongo player, only later to discover his shredding, legendary voice. A man of multiple talents, besides his exceptional 40-year-career as a singer and songwriter, Dickinson is also an author, lecturer, commercial pilot and international fencing competitor.
“It’s easy to get trapped in the rock star world,” Dickinson said about his decision to quit Iron Maiden in the 1990s. “You have to throw yourself out there in order to learn,” said the singer, adding that leaving the band taught him about music, songwriting and himself.
Dickinson showed pictures of his performances, peculiar outfits, flight experiences and of his other band members up to the period of his fight against throat cancer.
His dynamic performance ended with a Q&A session with the audience.