Iron Maiden stick with EMI

LONDON.- EMI and Iron Maiden today announced they have renewed and extended their historic 28-year recording relationship in a deal for the world, excluding the USA, which also includes other revenues such as touring, merchandise and sponsorship.

Signed to EMI Records in November 1979, Iron Maiden quickly became one of the biggest rock bands in the world and have gone on to sell some 70 million albums including three No 1 and 15 Top 10 albums in the UK alone.

A Matter of Life and Death, Iron Maiden’s 14th and most recent studio album released in 2006, charted at No 1 in 10 countries, achieved Top 10 positions in 30 more and was Billboard magazine’s No 1 International Album.

With a massive worldwide live following, Iron Maiden continue to take Metal into new territories. In March this year they became the first major metal band to play in India when their show sold out to over 25,000 fans in the grounds of Bangalore Palace and also were the first band ever to sell out the United Arab Emirate’s Desert Rock Festival in Dubai, with fans travelling there from all over the Middle East.

These shows were followed by more European dates in June which saw the band being the first to headline Donington Festival in the UK for a fourth time and the further announcement that in early 2008 Iron Maiden will embark on their most ambitious tour to date - a 60,000 mile six week trip around the planet flying in a customised Boeing 757 carrying all band, crew and equipment and flown by Maiden vocalist and Airline Captain Bruce Dickinson. This historical opening leg precedes extensive tours of North America and Europe later in the year.

In the last two weeks Iron Maiden have been busy breaking yet more records for this, the “SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME WORLD TOUR 08”, which concentrates on songs from their classic eighties albums and features a tour production based on the Egyptian concept of their legendary mid eighties tour focused around the Powerslave album. Already, over nine months in advance of the concert dates, 125,000 tickets for their three stadium shows in Sweden and Finland sold out in less than two and a half hours, and, continuing South America’s love affair with all things Maiden, their date at the Simon Bolivar Stadium in Bogata enjoyed the fastest and biggest first day box office of any music event ever held in Colombia. Despite having not played Australia for fifteen years their shows in both Sydney and Melbourne sold out in less than 30 min leading to second shows being added.

Having headlined major UK festivals such as Reading and Donington many times in their career, last week Iron Maiden announced their first ever UK stadium show, confirming they will be playing the 50,000 capacity Twickenham Rugby Stadium on Saturday 5th July 2008, a major date in the calendar of any UK rock and metal fan.

Rod Smallwood, who has managed the band since 1979 and instigated the original EMI deal, commented, “We’ve had three tremendous decades working with EMI and have many friends there. Through many “regimes” EMI have always given us their full support and our relationship with their companies worldwide has always been excellent. For a band with a global following like Maiden, who rely on fan word of mouth, touring and marketing/sales expertise as they receive little or no radio or TV support, it is key that the 100% support and implementation of our visual marketing campaigns internationally is both effective and enthusiastic and EMI and their Worldwide affiliates have always fulfilled this. So with this new type of deal in place, it makes absolute sense for us to continue and extend our relationship in what is effectively a new period for the music industry. We’ve got some great plans for 2008 and beyond, and I can’t wait to get back on the road next year on a tour which appropriately celebrates the band’s formative years.”

Co-manager Andy Taylor added, “The industry is changing all around us so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to sign this deal with EMI which brings us even closer together and gives Iron Maiden new opportunities in these wider areas"

Tony Wadsworth, Chairman & CEO, EMI Music UK said, “Since the early eighties Maiden has been a flagship band for EMI and we have enjoyed a fantastic long term relationship. Now that we can work with and support them in their broader music activities, our goal is to help build on the foundations already in place for an even more successful future. ”