Metallica and Iron Maiden To Headline Sonisphere Festival ::Iron Maiden News ::antiMusic.com

Metallica and Iron Maiden To Headline Sonisphere Festival

12/03/2013
. (hennemusic) Metallica and Iron Maiden will headline the UK's Sonisphere Festival next summer. The July 4-6 event will mark the very first time both bands have appeared together on a British bill, and the only concerts either act will play in the U.K. next year.

As for Iron Maiden, the Sonisphere appearance will mark the final show of the band's "Maiden England" world tour, which launched in June 2012. By the time it's over, the group will have played 102 shows in 32 countries to well over two million fans.

"We all grew up in England well aware of the importance of the legendary concerts at Knebworth, and scarily, it all seems quite recent!," says Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson. "Without being clich�d, it really is an honor and privilege to return to play there with the purpose of celebrating some of the finest moments in British rock history from inspirational bands like Pink Floyd, The Who, [Led] Zeppelin, The [Rolling] Stones and Genesis."

"This will be the last concert of our 'Maiden England' tour and it is very fitting to end a long and hugely enjoyable tour in our own backyard," he continued. "We have tweaked the 'Maiden England' setlist a bit to make it more representative of our whole '80s era and to give the fans something a bit different, especially as this will be the last of our three tours with an historical perspective. If you are there on the day, it is highly likely that you will hear some of these songs played live for the very last time ever. So on an occasion like this, a celebration and the end of a chapter, you can be sure we will do our utmost to give our fans one hell of a show and go out with all guns blazing." See what Metallica had to say.

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