IRON MAIDEN founder and bassist Steve Harris watched former bandmate Blaze Bayley's entire Eddfest set from sidestage on Friday, July 10, as Bayley headlined the festival's Maidenville stage with a performance drawn from his years fronting the band.
Bayley, who sang for IRON MAIDEN from 1994 to 1999, played songs from "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI," the two albums released during his tenure, several of which he co-wrote with Harris. Friday's Maidenville stage was personally curated by Harris as part of the festival's celebration of IRON MAIDEN's 50th anniversary, held at Knebworth. Footage captured by MAIDEN historian and author Stjepan Juras showed Harris watching from the side of the stage before the two briefly spoke afterward.
Bayley will be formally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this November alongside IRON MAIDEN's full extended lineup, including current singer Bruce Dickinson, Harris, guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, as well as former singer Paul Di'Anno, former guitarist Dennis Stratton and former drummers Nicko McBrain and Clive Burr. The ceremony takes place November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will air on ABC and Disney+ the following month.
Asked last month how he felt about the honor, Bayley told Sportzwire Radio he never got into metal chasing awards but appreciated the recognition on behalf of his fans. "For a lot of my fans, it's important. They think, 'Yes, he should be recognized,'" he said.
"The X Factor" and "Virtual XI" sold considerably less than IRON MAIDEN's earlier albums and remain the band's lowest-charting UK releases since 1981's "Killers." Bayley has said the records' darker, less accessible sound made them a slower grower for some fans. "You've gotta live with that for quite a few spins until you're tuned into what things are doing," he said in an earlier interview, noting the albums found stronger initial receptions in markets like Sweden and Spain. IRON MAIDEN has been eligible for Rock Hall induction since 2004 but had previously been nominated only twice, in 2021 and 2023.