There are rock bands and there are true rock bands. Know what I mean? Since the late 90s, many groups that have entitled themselves as "rock bands" don't really give off that vibe. They're not rebellious. They're more pop/rock than pure rock. And for me, they give rock music a bad rep.
You might be wondering why I have such strong feelings about this. Well, it was only fairly recently that I met a true rock band made up of true rock stars: Iron Maiden. One of the quintessential acts of the 80s rock scene, this band truly upholds what it means to be a rock band. They epitomized rebellion, darkness, edginess, and all the other elements that are needed to be a real rock band. To have just been at their presence was already something, what more had I listened to them rock out live?
I met them at an exhibition opening at a nearby museum. The exhibit pays tribute to their rock'n'roll glory days, complete with various memorabilia from their heyday. What I liked about it the most was that it included most of the members that ever made up Iron Maiden throughout the decades. If a fan won't remember all of them, this exhibit will surely remind him/her of everyone. And I thought that was such a nice thing for them to do.
As a local journalist, I had the privilege of getting a pass for the opening gala. Though I had to admit, as a hardcore Iron Maiden fan, I did have to convince my boss to give me this assignment. As I expected, the opening was a huge success. I and my photographer friend Jacob had a ball looking through the exhibit and taking pictures for my article. We even bought a couple of posters from the merch table.
And it through those posters that I was able to get the band's autographs. Some of the members attended the opening and gave a few speeches. Throughout the night, I stalked them to get a few soundbites for my article and to get them to sign my posters. It was perhaps the hardest I've worked on an assignment yet. But I'm honestly not sure if I gave all that effort just to meet them and get their autographs or to churn out a great article. Fortunately for me, I achieved both!
Looking back at that night, meeting Iron Maiden themselves, and seeing their past gloried on exhibit, I became a lot more critical about what it means to a true rock band. Any up-and-coming groups should take a page out of this legendary band's book!
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
