Surely, all of you are aware of the colossal tour that took place in 1984/85 to support the release of the legendary album Powerslave, so I won’t go into detail describing a tour that has already made history. Starting in Poland in August 1984 and ending in the U.S. on July 5, 1985, it remains one of the longest tours ever undertaken by the band and in metal in general. That year, Maiden shattered every record for time spent “on the road,” and they were the first band to play beyond the Iron Curtain.

With very few days off, little time to visit cities as tourists, and essentially a life lived entirely between tour buses and hotel rooms, Maiden traveled extensively throughout Europe, Canada, the U.S., Japan, and Australia for nearly an entire year without interruption. From a promotional standpoint, the Slavery Tour cemented their reputation as one of the best live bands, with outstanding performances and never-before-seen stage designs.

However, not everyone is aware of the physical and mental strain the band endured on this tour. Imagine having to perform almost every night for a year with minimal breaks, only to get back on the tour bus and head to the next venue, ready to play another show.

To further illustrate this point, here are some brief interviews with some band members, extracted from major metal magazines of the era.

Dickinson stated, “It was a great tour, but it nearly destroyed us.” McBrain: “To me, it’s still a miracle that we survived. It was a grueling tour.” Smith: “There were no breaks, no rest. Just a day off here and there.” Harris: “After that tour, we absolutely needed time for ourselves because we were all burned out.”

We can see that the band experienced serious physical and mental issues by the end of the tour. Dickinson, in particular, suffered vocal problems that worsened over the years, compromising his live performance during the next two tours. Some band members tried to raise the issue with manager Rod during the tour, but his response was, “You have to strike while the iron is hot.” Moreover, the dates were already set, and the sold-out shows guaranteed financial success.

In conclusion, behind the undeniable success of the Slavery Tour, there were serious physical and psychological problems that strained the band’s condition. We fans enjoy their fantastic double live album (Live After Death) every day, but I think it’s essential to acknowledge that not everything that glitters is gold.

Catch soon, blood brothers,

Davide Miotto