Iron Maiden, Ghost - June 4, 2017 - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Iron Maiden on stage during "The Trooper" at the
Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Iron Maiden rocked the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday night. The last time Maiden was in Philly was 21 years ago when they played the Electric Factory with singer Blaze Bayley. This time frontman Bruce Dickinson led the charge, roaring over the thunderous triple guitar threat of Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers.

Ghost, the satanic themed doom-band, opened the show. The lead singer, known as Papa Emeritus, is an "anti-pope" who wears skull face paint. He wore a long robe for the first couple songs, but later changed into a tuxedo of sorts. The other five members of the band, dressed in nearly identical black short robes and silver demon masks, are called Nameless Ghouls. Although the riffs were heavy, the vocals were full of pop melodies, something you wouldn't expect from a band wearing black robes and demon masks. The rest of the act was a gimmick, almost making fun of the heavy metal genre. The sound was a mix of something you would hear in church on Halloween with lyrics speaking of Satan. One of the Nameless Ghouls claimed in 2013 that Foo Fighters Dave Grohl has secretly performed as a member of Ghost. If it weren't for their Kiss-like disguises and alter egos, this band would be irrelevant.

UFO's "Doctor Doctor" erupted through the speakers as the crowd grew increasingly loud, excited for Maiden to take the stage. As the song faded out, Dickinson could be seen standing on top of the structure that replicated a Mayan temple.

Setlist:

Ghost:

1.  Square Hammer

2.  From the Pinnacle to the Pit

3.  Ritual

4.  Cirice

5.  Year Zero

6.  Absolution

7.  Mummy Dust

8.  Monstrance Clock

Iron Maiden:

Intro:

Doctor Doctor (UFO song)

1.  If Eternity Should Fail

2.  Speed of Light

3.  Wrathchild

4.  Children of the Damned

5.  Death or Glory

6.  The Red and the Black

7.  The Trooper

8.  Powerslave

9.  The Great Unknown

10. The Book of Souls

11. Fear of the Dark

12. Iron Maiden

Encore:

13. The Number of the Beast

14. Blood Brothers

15. Wasted Years