IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith has shared moving reflections on the band's landmark 50th anniversary in a new interview with Argentina's Rock & Pop 95.9 radio station, ahead of the North American leg of the "Run For Your Lives" world tour.
"It's incredible, isn't it? 50 years. I joined the band when I was 24 years old, and it just seems like a few months ago. It's incredible. It's gone so quickly, really. But we've done such a lot. It's been an incredible journey," Smith said.
The North American leg opens at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with performances at TD Garden in Boston, Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre near Chicago, Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, and BMO Stadium in Los Angeles before concluding September 29 in San Antonio. MEGADETH and ANTHRAX join the band as support on select dates — marking 45 years since IRON MAIDEN's first US and Canadian tour in 1981.
Smith described the anniversary setlist's emotional resonance: "With this anniversary tour, we start off with some old songs from the 'Killers' album, and it's wonderful to go back and revisit those songs — they sound fresh today, and they're great fun to play. And I think the audience really likes to hear them."
Reflecting on the sheer scale of five decades in heavy metal, Smith added: "When you look back to all the tours and all the shows and the albums, it's a long time. And like I say, it's an incredible journey." IRON MAIDEN were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.