The Killer World Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 17 February 1981 to 15 November 1981. This was the band's first world tour, including their debut shows in North America (where they supported Judas Priest on their World Wide Blitz Tour and UFO on select dates)[1] and Japan where they recorded the live release, Maiden Japan.[2] On top of this, the band moved into larger venues in the United Kingdom, including the Hammersmith Odeon, London.[3]

Killer World Tour
Tour by Iron Maiden
Location
  • Europe
  • Japan
  • North America
Associated albumKillers
Start date17 February 1981
End date23 December 1981
No. of shows131 in total (140 scheduled)
Iron Maiden concert chronology

This would be Iron Maiden's last tour with singer Paul Di'Anno, who was dismissed due to his unreliability.[4] He was replaced with Samson vocalist Bruce Dickinson, with whom the band undertook a short series of concerts in Italy and the UK before they set about writing and recording their next album, The Number of the Beast.[5][6]

Setlist

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  1. (Intro) "The Ides of March" (from Killers, 1981)
  2. "Wrathchild" (from Killers, 1981)
  3. "Purgatory" (from Killers, 1981)
  4. "Sanctuary" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  5. "Remember Tomorrow" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  6. "Another Life" (from Killers, 1981)
  7. "Genghis Khan" (from Killers, 1981)
  8. "Killers" (from Killers, 1981)
  9. "Innocent Exile" (from Killers, 1981)
  10. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (from Killers, 1981)
  11. "Twilight Zone" (from Killers, 1981)
  12. "Phantom of the Opera" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  13. "Iron Maiden" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  14. "Running Free" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  15. "Transylvania" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  16. Guitar solo
  17. "Drifter" (from Killers, 1981)
  18. "Prowler" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)

Notes:

  • "Strange World" (from Iron Maiden, 1980) was performed on 23 May 1981 and 24 May 1981.
  • "I've Got the Fire" (Montrose cover) was performed on 24 May, 26 October, 27 October, and 15 November 1981.
  • "22 Acacia Avenue" and "Children of the Damned" were played at the 15 November Rainbow show as a preview for The Number of the Beast album. The intro solo on "Children of the Damned" is different from the final studio version.
  • "The Prisoner" and "Run to the Hills" were played at the "secret" show at the Ruskin Arms on 23 December. "The Prisoner" had slightly different lyrics in the second verse and final chorus.

Tour dates

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List of 1981 concerts
Date City Country Venue
17 February 1981 Ipswich England Gaumont Hall
18 February 1981 Norwich University of East Anglia
19 February 1981 Oxford New Theatre Oxford
20 February 1981 Lancaster Lancaster University
21 February 1981 Derby Assembly Rooms
22 February 1981 Manchester Manchester Apollo
23 February 1981 Hanley Victoria Hall
24 February 1981 Dunstable Queensway Hall
26 February 1981 Guildford Guildford Civic Hall
27 February 1981 Bristol Colston Hall
28 February 1981 Taunton Taunton Odeon
1 March 1981 Bournemouth Winter Gardens
2 March 1981 Southampton Gaumont Theatre
4 March 1981 Bradford St George's Hall
5 March 1981 Liverpool Empire Theatre
6 March 1981 Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Town Hall
7 March 1981 Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle City Hall
8 March 1981 Glasgow Scotland The Apollo
9 March 1981 Edinburgh Odeon Theatre
10 March 1981 Sheffield England Sheffield City Hall
12 March 1981 Birmingham Birmingham Odeon
13 March 1981 Cambridge Corn Exchange
14 March 1981 Bracknell Bracknell Sports Centre
15 March 1981 London Hammersmith Odeon
18 March 1981 Lille France Palais St. Sauveur
19 March 1981 Hagondage Salle de Fetes
20 March 1981 Reims Maison des Sports
21 March 1981 Paris Bataclan
22 March 1981
23 March 1981 Lyon Palais d'Hiver
24 March 1981 Miramas Salle des Fêtes
25 March 1981 Toulon Patinoire Vert Côteau
26 March 1981 Nice Théâtre de verdure de Nice
27 March 1981 Montpellier Palais des Sports de Montpellier
30 March 1981 Milan Italy Rolling Stone
31 March 1981 Reggio Emilia Palasport di Reggio Emilia
1 April 1981 Brescia Palasport di Brescia
2 April 1981 Gorizia Palasport di Gorizia
3 April 1981 Turin PalaRuffini
5 April 1981 Zürich Switzerland Volkshaus
6 April 1981 Erlangen West Germany Stadhalle Erlagen
7 April 1981 Düsseldorf Phillipshalle
8 April 1981 Cologne Sporthalle
9 April 1981 Kassel Stadthalle Kassel
10 April 1981 West Berlin Neue Welt
11 April 1981 Bremen Stadthalle Bremen
12 April 1981 Wertheim Main-Tauber-Halle
13 April 1981 Munich Schwabinger Brau
14 April 1981 Karlsruhe Gartenhalle
15 April 1981 Stuttgart Ausstellungshalle
16 April 1981 Mannheim Rosengarten
17 April 1981 Strasbourg France Tivoli Hall
18 April 1981 Mulhouse Palais des Fêtes
19 April 1981 Douvaine Salle de la Bulle
21 April 1981 Toulouse Colomiers Hall
22 April 1981 Bordeaux Salle du Grand Parc
23 April 1981 Orléans Rothonde
24 April 1981 Genk Belgium Limburghal
25 April 1981 Antwerp Cine Roma
26 April 1981 Leiden Netherlands Stadsgehoorzaal
27 April 1981 Winschoten De Klinker
28 April 1981 Nijmegen Concertgebouw de Vereeniging
29 April 1981 Offenbach West Germany Stadthalle Offenbach
30 April 1981 Hanover Kurhaus Friednstal
1 May 1981 Hamburg Markthalle
2 May 1981 Dortmund Westfallenhalle
3 May 1981 West Berlin Neue Welt
5 May 1981 Oslo Norway Unknown
7 May 1981 Lund Sweden Olympen
8 May 1981 Stockholm Göta Lejon
10 May 1981 Copenhagen Denmark Odd Fellow
21 May 1981 Tokyo Japan Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
22 May 1981 Osaka Festival Hall
23 May 1981[A] Nagoya Aichi Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
24 May 1981[B] Tokyo Nakano Sun Plaza
3 June 1981[B] Paradise United States Aladdin Hotel
4 June 1981[B] Phoenix Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
5 June 1981[B] El Paso El Paso County Coliseum
6 June 1981[B] Odessa Ector County Coliseum
7 June 1981[B] Lubbock Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
8 June 1981[B] McAllen Villa Real
9 June 1981[B] Laredo Laredo Civic Center
10 June 1981[B] San Antonio Convention Center Arena
11 June 1981[B] Dallas Moody Coliseum
13 June 1981[B] Houston Sam Houston Coliseum
14 June 1981 Detroit Harpos Concert Theatre
19 June 1981 Toronto Canada Concert Hall
21 June 1981 Montreal Le Club
22 June 1981[C] Milwaukee United States Henry Maier Festival Park
26 June 1981 Lynwood Point East
27 June 1981[B] Cleveland Agora Theater
28 June 1981[B] Landover Capital Centre
1 July 1981[B] Asbury Park Asbury Park Convention Hall
2 July 1981[B] Salisbury Wicomico Youth and Civic Center
3 July 1981[B] Norfolk Norfolk Scope
4 July 1981[B] Pittsburgh Stanley Theatre
7 July 1981[B] Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach Civic Center
9 July 1981[B] Atlanta Fox Theatre
10 July 1981[B] Johnson City Freedom Hall
11 July 1981[B] Memphis Mid-South Coliseum
12 July 1981[B] Trotwood Hara Arena
15 July 1981[B] Johnstown Cambria County War Memorial Arena
16 July 1981[B] Buffalo Shea's Theater
17 July 1981[B] Rochester Auditorium Theatre
18 July 1981[B] Syracuse Landmark Theatre
19 July 1981[B] Albany Palace Theatre
21 July 1981[B] New York City Palladium
22 July 1981[B]
23 July 1981[B]
24 July 1981[B]
25 July 1981[B] New Haven New Haven Coliseum
26 July 1981[B] Allentown Great Allentown Fair
28 July 1981[B] Boston Orpheum Theatre
29 July 1981[B] Baltimore Baltimore Civic Center
30 July 1981[B] Upper Darby Township Tower Theater
1 August 1981[D] San Bernardino Swing Auditorium
4 August 1981[D] Long Beach Long Beach Arena
15 August 1981 Stuttgart West Germany Cannstatter Wasen
16 August 1981 Nuremberg Zeppelinfeld
22 August 1981 Baarlo Netherlands Baarlo Sport Park
23 August 1981 Darmstadt West Germany Stadion am Böllenfalltor
26 August 1981 Fréjus France Arènes de Fréjus
27 August 1981 Cap d'Agde Arènes de Cap d'Agde
29 August 1981 Bayonne Arènes de Bayonne
31 August 1981 Annecy Parc des Sports
1 September 1981 Orange Théâtre Antique d'Orange
6 September 1981 Belgrade Yugoslavia Hippodrome
8 September 1981 Stockholm Sweden Göta Lejon
9 September 1981 Lund Olympen
10 September 1981 Copenhagen Denmark Odd Fellows Mansion
26 October 1981 Bologna Italy Palasport di Bologna
27 October 1981 Rome Teatro Tenda
28 October 1981 Florence Teatro Tenda
29 October 1981 Padua Palasport di Padua
30 October 1981 Milan PalaLido
15 November 1981 London England Rainbow Theatre
23 December 1981 The Ruskin Arms

Reference[7]

Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
A Five songs from this show, namely "Running Free", "Remember Tomorrow", "Killers", "Innocent Exile" and "Wrathchild" were recorded and released in the Maiden Japan EP
B This show was in support of Judas Priest
C This concert was a part of Summerfest
D This show was in support of UFO
Cancelled and rescheduled dates

The tour was subject to a number of cancellations due to problems with Paul Di'Anno's voice, causing four German dates to be cancelled and several Scandinavian dates to be rescheduled.[8] According to band manager Rod Smallwood, the reason for the vocal issues were brought about by adopting a "rock star" lifestyle, which Di'Anno states was because he "couldn't see [his] way to the end of" the band's heavy schedule and that he believed that this was "what you were supposed to do in a big, successful rock band."[9] On the other hand, Steve Harris, the band's bassist, has since said that he did not "know whether he was seeking attention or what", arguing that having to cancel shows because of personal problems was intolerable[4] and ultimately cemented Di'Anno's dismissal.[10] The full list of cancelled dates are as follows:

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Wall 2004, p. 250.
  2. ^ Bushell & Halfin 1985, p. 91.
  3. ^ Wall 2004, p. 189.
  4. ^ a b Wall 2004, p. 193.
  5. ^ Wall 2004, p. 219.
  6. ^ Bushell & Halfin 1985, p. 96.
  7. ^ Bushell & Halfin 1985, p. 97.
  8. ^ Bushell & Halfin 1985, p. 90.
  9. ^ Wall 2004, p. 194.
  10. ^ Wall 2004, p. 192.

Sources

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  • Bushell, Garry; Halfin, Ross (1985). Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. ISBN 0-946391-84-X.
  • Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
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