Two metal titans joined forces on Saturday night in Paris when Bruce Dickinson guested at a Pantera gig in the city.
The Texan band were coming towards the end of their set at the Adidas Arena when frontman Phil Anselmo mentioned to the audience that Dickinson was in the house. The band then started one of their best known songs, Walk. At the halfway mark in the song who should saunter onstage but Dickinson. Dressed in coat and a beanie hat, the Iron Maiden man joined Anselmo for the chorus. As you can see from the fan footage below, Anselmo looks immensely chuffed, scarcely believing that one of his heroes has turned up to duet with him.
The band arrive in the UK this week for their first tour here for two decades. They play Glasgow tomorrow night, before gigs in Leeds, Birmingham, Dublin and at Wembley Arena on February 25.
And then in July the band return to the UK for what has to be the ultimate metal show, at Birmingham’s Villa Park. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock these past few weeks you’ll know that this is Back To The Beginning, the final Black Sabbath gig. Pantera have been added to a bill that now includes Metallica, Slayer, Mastodon and a long list of iconic names from the hard rock and metal worlds. Tickets – you’ll be unsurprised to hear – have already sold out.
Meanwhile Dickinson and Iron Maiden will themselves by playing again in the UK this summer. Marking 50 years since Steve Harris formed the band, Maiden’s Run For Your Lives tour will kick off in Budapest in late May and encompass 27 stadium, arena and festival dates across Europe, including what is sure to be a memorable day at the London Stadium (home of Harris’s beloved West Ham) on June 28.
