LIVE: IRON MAIDEN – Charlotte, NC, USA – September 12, 2026
Venue: Truliant Amphitheater
City: Charlotte, NC
Dates: September 12, 2026
Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)
There are few metal bands that are still on my bucket list to photograph and review, but the legendary Iron Maiden sat at the top of that list for years as I had never been approved to photograph the spectacle that is a Maiden show. That is, until a rainy September Saturday night when I found myself in the pit for openers Megadeth and the almighty Iron Maiden. We were escorted in and made it to the pit as Dave Mustaine and the rest of Megadeth made their way to the stage to warm up the crowd for the heavily anticipated headliners. With less stage time than they have become accustomed to, Megadeth cranked through hit after hit with pinpoint accuracy as if on some metal mission. I haven’t seen the band this hungry to put on a good show as the last time I saw them opening a show and that was back in 1987 in Detroit supporting Alice Cooper. They always put it all out there on the stage, but they fired through song after song as if they had something to prove. The band ripped through 10 Mega-hits and fan favorites to keep the crowd amped and ready for what was to come. Changing things up, there were even two tour debuts this evening, with “In My Darkest Hour” popping up early in the evening and “Poison Was The Cure” midway through their time on stage. While the fans could argue their favorite track(s) may have been skipped tonight, with a shorter opening set, the band pulled together two handfuls of killer metal and thrash to please even a hardcore Megadeth fan. On just the eighth date of this run supporting Maiden, I loved hearing the one-two metal crunch of “Symphony Of Destruction” and “Peace Sells” near the end of the show.
We all waited patiently for the time to come… and then it was here. As we readied for Iron Maiden’s show to begin, you could feel the anticipation in the amphitheater grow exponentially as the seconds and minutes ticked away until the lights cut out. As “The Ides Of March” blasted through the venue sound system, we were treated to a historical walk through the alleys and back streets reflecting on a lot of the pubs and clubs they played in and visited back home on their way to legendary status. Then it hit… the lights, the flash pods and pyro, and the music. Suddenly we were all knee deep in metal as “Murders in the Rue Morgue” kicked off Iron Maiden’s set and we were off and running on an evening of heavy metal we wouldn’t soon forget. The band was on fire from Steve Harris’ thunderous bass lines anchoring the sound and vibe of the show to Bruce Dickinson’s amazing voice that drew us all in with each lyric and vocal run. Running the gamut that is the Iron Maiden catalog, the band pulled out all stops in cultivating a killer setlist for their 2026 Run For Your Live tour. The pairing of “Wrathchild” and “Killers” to finish our time in the pit was a perfect series of moments for the band and crowd to feel each other out and begin working through the remainder of the evening together. The latter featured the first but certainly not the last appearance of Eddie. Packing up my camera gear quickly and speed walking in a heavy downpour to drop my gear in my car to return added a level of excitement to the night. While missing “Phantom of the Opera,” I made it back onto the venue to check out “The Number of the Beast.” From song to song, the solos, duets, and guitars tandem work between Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers was enough to put a smile on every rockers face and to throw every air guitarists into a frenzy. A couple more songs in and we hit a stride of Iron Maiden tracks that put a smile on my face and a song on my lips. Hearing “2 Minutes to Midnight” soaking wet on a Saturday night amongst a packed venue of new Maiden friends, the moment was over the top for me. Next up, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” blew us all away before “Run to the Hills” hit. One of my favorite Maiden tracks from the first time I heard it, this song took me back to middle school and the beginning of my enjoyment of heavy metal. Another awesome pairing from the band was “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” followed by ” The Trooper.” Drummer Simon Dawson kept time behind the kit keeping the show moving forward. What came next was an onslaught of metal in the form of “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Iron Maiden,” and “Aces High.” As the night closed out, “Fear of the Dark” was followed by another personal favorite, “Wasted Years.” Having listened to the band since the early / mid 80’s, it was long overdue to cover their live show, and one can only hope there will be further opportunities.
Setlist: Murders in the Rue Morgue – Wrathchild – Killers – Phantom of the Opera – The Number of the Beast – Infinite Dreams – Powerslave – 2 Minutes to Midnight – Rime of the Ancient Mariner – Run to the Hills – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son – The Trooper – Hallowed Be Thy Name – Iron Maiden – Aces High – Fear of the Dark – Wasted Years
COMPLETE SET OF IRON MAIDEN PHOTOS
COMPLETE SET OF MEGADETH PHOTOS
IRON MAIDEN LINKS:
Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries
About the Author (Author Profile)
ToddStar - that's me... just a rocking accountant who had dreams of being a rock star. I get to do the next best thing to rocking the globe - I get to take pictures of the lucky ones that do. I love to shoot all genres of music and different types of performers. If it is related to music, I love to photograph it. I get to shoot and hang with not only some of my friends and idols, but some of the coolest people around today.Subscribe
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