FEAR OF THE ART

Maiden’s global impact goes beyond music. Acclaimed street artist Nychos tells us how his work has been heavily influenced by the metal legends

How did you first get into Maiden?

“I got into maiden when I was a teenager, but it took me a while until the music really spoke to me the way it does today. I got deeply into Fear of The Dark, The Trooper and of course The Number Of The Beast. I realised that Iron maiden create music from a perspective that’s much more fun than you would expect. this is what makes it so true and clean for me.”

How have they influenced your art?

“‘Snake eyes in heaven, the thief’s in your head!’ What more shall I say?! there are so many details in the lyrics that resonate with the things I feel within my art. When I listen to Iron maiden, my head starts screening very familiar movies. It almost feels as if I were remembering the songs like something that occurred to me in one of my past lives. this is what happens when you create art; it comes from a place deep within your soul.”

In what ways do you think Iron Maiden’s visuals have been important to their career?

“In the early years, I guess people didn’t know what was going on with that zombie-like creature named eddie, carrying an axe, aiming to kill. In my opinion, it’s extremely important for any music genre to find a visual context for the sound. tool, for example, resulted in a magnificent symbiosis with [artist] alex Grey. With eddie, Iron maiden just created a pop icon at its finest. he has his own story within that fabulous, powerful, humorous world that Iron maiden created. For me, this is the secret behind their success: this fine line between being spooky and completely bananas. It’s one of Iron maiden’s big achievements.”

What’s the best Iron Maiden gig you’ve ever been to?

“Back in 2011, when I took my girlfriend. It was our second date and we moshed out for three hours, which exhausted all my energy. after that, I was sick for three days...”