Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickison sings on stage at the LeSports Center in Beijing on Sunday. Photo: Courtesy of AEG Live

"I've never thought that one day, I'd be standing in Beijing, playing Iron Maiden tunes and being very welcomed in China," Bruce Dickinson, the frontman for Iron Maiden, said several times on stage during the band's performance in the Chinese capital on Sunday night.

With an average age of 60, the legendary heavy metal band from Britain has come to China for the very first time as part of their The Book of Souls World Tour.

The concert on Sunday took place at the LeSports Center in Western Beijing. With 18,000 seats, the arena was filled with hardcore fans from both China and abroad.

The excitement had already started a few days earlier when Dickinson landed their plane Ed Force One at the capital. Tons of fans were waiting at the airport to welcome them.

Sitting down for an interview with the Global Times on Friday, guitarist Dave Murray said that the band had no idea what to expect from China, but the crowd waiting for them at the airport seemed a good sign.

So far the band hasn't wasted a minute of their first trip to the country. Besides two concerts, one in Beijing and another in Shanghai this Tuesday, they have also been spotted running around as tourists, visiting the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. During our interview Murray also mentioned that the band wants to try the Beijing-Shanghai bullet train.

Q: You just landed in Beijing. How was the flight?

A: It was fantastic, we just came from Tokyo, in three and a half hours. Bruce flew us. Coming in was very easy, we just landed. We were very well welcomed. So it was a fantastic, great first impression.

Q: People were already going crazy at the airport?

A: Yeah, they were. They were really loud. I think they hurt my ears with all that shouting. They were holding posters and albums. It's great to see their reaction, because we don't really know what to expect.

Q: Why include China as a stop for this tour?

A: We've been traveling for several years. But it's always been, simply, tickets just sold out. Finally, we were able to make it this time, and also to be able to get here with the Boeing 747, we were able to bring all the gear. And also, we have all the crew traveling with us. So, in that way, we can actually come here self-contained with the equipment and put on a show.

And obviously as well, there was a kind of censorship issue before. But apparently we sent a video of one of our concerts to the hierarchy, and they looked it, and they said, yeah, no problem. So apparently we got the go ahead. 

Q: Do you have any expectations for this China tour?

A: No, I haven't got a clue. But actually if they were at the airport, that's good. They were shouting at the airport. The Chinese reacted that way, that's fantastic. We will go and see. It should be exciting.

Q: Are you worried that Chinese fans are reserved, not as crazy for heavy metal as fans in other places?

A: Obviously, we unconditionally won't be reserved on the stage. By the time the show is finished, if they're asleep, we will wake them up.

But I think, you know, we are fortunately lucky enough to play all over the world, and I think the people that like this type of music are apparently excitable. They are not gonna sit there like this. I think they already know this type of music, the way they're gonna react. Even if they just stand there, we will still put on a good show.

Q: Before the tour, we knew that Bruce Dickinson was still suffering from tongue cancer and the band was not sure when you could start to tour.

A: Yeah, he's remarkable. Because we recorded the album, we were supposed to tour with that. But, he had the health issues. We obviously had to put everything on hold. He wanted to come out and tour as soon as he had the three-month medical treatment, but they (the doctors) said no. He had to rest because his immune system is down. So he was not able to come out and tour because his throat was still sore. But he's singing probably better now than he ever was. And he's flying the 747. He's running around the stage. The guy is full of energy, so a little thing like cancer is just brushed off his shoulder.

Q: What do you think has made Iron Maiden so popular around the world for such a long time?

A: It's probably just perseverance. Because we don't really play on the radio, or have any music on MTV. It's mainly done by touring. So basically, we recorded it out and then we go out and tour with it. It was the tradition for bands in the 60s or 70s.

The secret about surviving so long is because fans are buying the albums. It's the Iron Maiden fans that are keeping us where we are. Cause they are coming to the show and buying the album. So they are having fun. We are having fun. 

Q: How do you stay creative after all these years?

A: When we first started, we were kind of grounded. It wasn't an overnight success. We toured around bars and clubs in England for about four years. So everything was a gradual process of building.

But I think probably Iron Maiden became more popular just by... before it was word of mouth, and then the Internet. 

It's just making albums as well. We've made 16 studio albums. We try to be creative and keep it fresh. And also we are having fun. You can't do it unless you enjoy it. You can't kind of fake doing it. It's black or white. You're either really into it or you are not. It's like you've been given the job. A lot of people work and they don't like what they are doing, but they have to. But we are fortunate enough to able to play music and travel around the world. We've been very lucky.

Q: What would you say to younger rockers?

A: Music is universal. I think if you enjoy playing, you just play from your heart and enjoy what you are doing. Trying to play and say, "I want to play just to be successful" is not the way. I think you play because you enjoy it. And hopefully, you are at the right place at the right time. You dedicate yourself to it.

Q: The biggest news on the day you arrived in Beijing was the death of Prince. So many great musicians died this year. Any thoughts?

A: I know Prince died yesterday. It has been an incredible couple of years. One person after another, it makes you realize you just got to live in the moment and appreciate life. Sometimes people get too many plans in their head. What are you gonna do next year, what are you gonna do after. Now it just makes you realize you got to enjoy life now. It could be the last tour, it could be the last album. Because I think everything is a little bit unpredictable.

I feel so sad. We lost so many great musicians, a lot of them were my friends... But they are all playing up there together. It's jamming. There's a really good band up there at the moment. I hope I can join one day.