Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson was recently a guest of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk and talked about his upcoming The Mandrake Project Live 2025 North American solo tour (which starts August 22 in Anaheim, California).
“We did three warmup shows over here (in California in April 2024) and then dived down to Brazil, did a bunch there, and then went back to Europe and did a load of festivals and headline shows. That went amazing. The reaction in Europe was great. So the promoters are all getting on board now for 2027 for the new (solo) record, the new tour and everything. But the USA is unfinished business. I’ve gotta come over and at least show the band, get the word out, have people’s reactions. That’s how you build. I’m not gonna be building my audience on TikTok. That’s for sure.”
Trunk asked Bruce about growing his solo audience at this stage of his career, Dickinson said, “I’m not one for trying to do mission impossible, but I think you have to give everything a chance, especially if you love what you do and you think the music is worth it. Then it’s not an imposition in your life to go out and make the effort. And the band is incredible. I mean, they’re on fire.”
You’ll be happy to read that Bruce also confirmed that more solo music is on the way! The Mandrake Project arrived in March 2024, and he’s already looking ahead: “We are gonna do a new album — we are recording the new album, rather — in January next year here in L.A. We were in the studio just yesterday for three or four days, doing updates on the demos… with the whole band now, and that just takes the songs to another level. We’ve got 18 tracks demoed for the album. Nine, 10, 11 of them are absolute bangers.”
Asked whether it’ll be conceptual like The Mandrake Project, Bruce replied: “Mandrake was kind of semi-conceptual. It was conceptual in its visual approach more than the music. The albums have always got to be standalone units.”
As for the tour setlist? Bruce teased a mix of deep cuts, fan favourites, and one Iron Maiden classic every night. “One of them is gonna be ‘Revelations,’” he confirmed, tying it to the 40th anniversary of Maiden’s first show in Brazil. “That was the track in which I split my head open… bleeding from a head wound, it’s really hot, so it looks impressive. And the Brazilians absolutely went bonkers. To this day, when you talk about that song and that festival, they talk about that image.”
Dickinson will record the new album in L.A. with producer Brendan Duffey and the same lineup that’s been touring with him in 2024–2025: Dave Moreno (drums), Mistheria (keyboards), Tanya O’Callaghan (bass), Philip Näslund (guitar), and Chris Declercq (guitar).
The Mandrake Project Live 2025 tour runs across the U.S., Canada, and Brazil, with stops at Rocklahoma and Louder Than Life.
As Bruce put it: “I don’t believe in doing a set in which you make people suffer. I’m there to entertain people and have a great time and show off the band.”
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