Paul Di’Anno – Plaza de Toros Calafia, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico 7/29/09
Posted by Aaron Mayagoitia on 08.03.2009
No one imagined that the former Iron Maiden vocalist would have his first ever gig in the border town of Mexicali tarnished by fraudulent promotion. Read on to know about what could have been a night of metal magic but turned out to be a frustrating event. Also check out the included video interview with Di’Anno himself before the gig!
As part of his 2009 world tour, former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno tacked several Mexican dates, of which his Mexicali performance would be his first ever there. The locals were anxious to listen to pre-Dickinson material sung by the original frontman’s signature growl and unabashed attitude. Unfortunately, not all the headbangers eager for such a show would know about the event on time because of the almost inexistent promotion. This would be just the tip of the iceberg, for the completely unprofessional and criminal acts of the event’s promoter the night of the gig would trump it all and completely ruin the band’s intentions to deliver a scorching show and the fans’ desire to submit to a night of heavy metal madness.
So the day finally came and, to start things off, I was sent to interview Paul at the hotel where he stayed. Even though at the moment he was jet-lagged, tired and pissed off because of the promoter’s incompetent sense of organization, he still gave 411mania a few minutes of his time to answer a few questions about his autobiography, the time when he compared Steve Harris to Adolf Hitler, his Mexican backing band, among other things. The footage seen below was taken in the afternoon, hours before the band was to take the stage.
After the chat, Paul left to rest and so did I for I wanted to be fresh for the gig.
Night time came and there I was at the Plaza de Toros Calafia checking out first opening band Los Bacteria. The poor guys had it hard on them because the crowd wasn’t too interested in their music, but someone had to start warming up the place. Then came a Guns N’ Roses tribute band called Nightrain which gave an excellent performance and changed the atmosphere completely; the crowd finally started to get excited about the night. After Nightrain got the wheels in motion, Maiden Baja (Iron Maiden tribute band) took the stage, and even though they only played Dickinson era material, you just couldn’t shake the feeling that to have an Iron Maiden tribute band open for Paul Di’Anno was wrong. Anyway, Maiden Baja raised the bar that the previous band had set and they left the crowd all fired up and ready to receive Paul.
Then it all went downhill…
After half an hour of waiting for Paul – or anybody at that point – to take the stage, the crowd got pissed off and whatever momentum Nightrain and Maiden Baja had built up was gone. Paul’s guitarist Iván Moreno took the stage and announced that they were sorry for the delay and explained that the event’s promoter Enrique Dueñas had taken off with the band’s money. However, he went on to say that Paul was willing to give the people a free short set because it would just be wrong for him to not play his first show in Mexicali.
The set consisted of only five songs (“Wrathchild,” “Prowler,” “Marshall Lockjaw,” “Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “Killers”) and plenty of apologies like this one:
But man, those five songs were awesome. First thing I’ve got to say is that Paul’s voice is still there; he sang in his traditional growling voice but also in his high-pitched register – during “Killers” he even added high notes beyond the ones in the original song – and lower, almost death metal, register. His band handled the songs masterfully and added their own touch where it felt right. The crowd enjoyed the hell out of the set though the night could’ve been something to remember if the band had come out immediately after Maiden Baja. Unfortunately, that night will be remembered but for all the wrong reasons.
I really wanted to see Paul’s complete set, I really did. Even more I wanted Paul’s first ever gig in my hometown to be something special, both for us the fans and the band as well. But thanks to the unethical, unprofessional and shameless actions of one Enrique Dueñas things turned out sour. Worse is that scumbags like Enrique Dueñas give Mexicali a bad name and other bands that have devoted fans here won’t even consider playing at our venues. Also, I’ve got to say that, considering all the shit that’s been thrown at Paul recently, he’s alright. He could’ve easily left the audience empty-handed but instead gave an incredible – though short – show and treated the 411mania staff gracefully.
Do Paul and Mexicali a favor and punch Enrique Dueñas in the face if you see him.
The 411: Paul Di’Anno’s first ever concert in Mexicali was a demonstration of artistic professionalism in the midst of shitty circumstances. Even though the band got ripped off they played an intense five-song set which only left the audience thinking what could’ve been. If Paul visits your city, check out his show. You’ll be surprised.
