Shinedown frontman Brent Smith says that the band's experience opening for Iron Maiden on the metal legends' 2017 European tour was "life-changing".
Smith and guitarist Zach Myers recalled the experience during a recent interview with Music Choice. Brent said, "In 2017, we did 44 dates with Iron Maiden," Brent said. "They asked us to come and do it. That was life-changing."
Zach expanded, "Just to tour at that level... You know, we're not a metal band. They're the most famous metal band of all time. So to go out in front of that crowd, I don't know; they almost gave us a lesson about how to earn it when everybody's not already on your side...
"It was such an amazing thing that they did in bringing us over there to open for a band that owns that Country. We've toured with KISS; we did, like, eight shows with Metallica in Europe one time, at festivals and stuff.
"The Iron Maiden fans, though, they take their holiday, they take a month off and just travel and go to every show. And they aren't getting in for free - they have to buy a train ticket to every show, they have to buy a ticket and to find a place to sleep. That's thousands and thousands of dollars to spend on a band.
"We met people in line that were, like, 'We've seen everybody open for this band. We thought you guys were the classiest and the best opener we've ever seen,' which made us feel great.
These people, two hundred and something shows in with the band. That is commitment. We've had somebody about a hundred and thirty something shows in, which is insane to me. We have a lot of lifers, which we're very blessed with." Watch the interview here.
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