8 Iron Maiden Songs That Are Far Better Live

There is somewhat of a theme developing, that the Paul Di'Anno songs still played today are better than the originals. Again, this is nothing against Di'Anno, it is that Bruce Dickinson is one of the best frontmen working today, and has only gotten better with age.

When Running Free is played live it is usually towards the end of the show, often during the encore. This is when Bruce introduces the band to the audience, and has a bit of fun while doing it. This is where he shines, because he is obviously having the time of his life.

For these introductions, the band takes the volume to the lowest it can go, sometimes leaving the job to just Nicko on drums and Steve on bass. This goes on while Bruce has a little fun with the audience (still screaming after two hours), and gives them a chance to show their appreciation for the individual members of the band.

Through all of this the anticipation is building for the guitars to come back in and the volume to hit 10 again, and when it does the breakdown pays off. The crowd goes wilder than in any other song, which is a testament to both the loyal Maiden fans, and the boys themselves.