I’ve just read that Iron Maiden, who released their first album somewhere back around the time that dinosaurs still walked the earth, are still making money. Before going straight to the bottom line let’s just examine the scant facts as we know them.
1) Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer, only sings with the band part time – he’s more often found in the pilot’s seat of executive jets shuttling other rich people around Europe.
2) I can’t remember the last time I heard an Iron Maiden track on the radio.
3) I’ve seen a bit of a part of their most recent video on Headbanger’s Ball.
4) I think they had a new album out last year – I was sent the single and some artwork and asked to write on a video which I didn’t get. (See #3)
5) They’re not exactly getting the column inches like Metallica still do or The Darkness have been recently.
6) They have an inflatable mascot called Eddie.
Um – that’s as much as I know. So I would have concluded that in the fiscal year ended 31st December 2003 they might have pulled in about half a million.
Which only goes to show what a dickhead I am. Apparently last year they came 9th in the top ten rock earners in the UK pulling in a staggering 17.9 million pounds. That’s over $32 million! That’s quite a part-time job old Bruce has going for him…