IRON MAIDEN Singer's Advice To Young Bands: 'Never Take No For An Answer'

October 26, 2011

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson opened the Oxjam Chiswick mini-music festival on Saturday, October 22 at the festival's flagship venue The Hogarth Health Club in Chiswick, West London, England. He officially announced the opening of the mini-music festival by cutting the cord on the big day around midday as crowds gathered to enjoy live music until midnight with over sixty bands performimg across venues up and down Chiswick high Road.

Oxjam is Oxfam's national music festival which, between the various venues across the U.K., is now the biggest music festival in the U.K. All money raised goes to help the charity which focuses on three main objectives: emergency response, campaigning for change, and development work worldwide.

Bruce described the fundraiser as a "lovely idea".

"It's people doing local stuff, playing music locally and trying to raise money. And everyone can have a terrific time," he told ChiswickW4.com.

Dickinson first came to Chiswick in the late '70s while visiting a friend in St. Peter's Square, near Hammersmith.

"I came out of the Tube and decided to take a walk along to Chiswick. I liked the vibe straight away. Of course in those days it was more bohemian than it is now most of my mates were students or sound engineers and didn't have much money. But I liked the people here, and there were some great little pubs. It felt very villagy but also very open. I loved the fact that there were beautiful trees everywhere. It reminded me of where I grew up, in Sheffield".

When asked if he had any advice for would-be rock stars on a day when sixty bands all seeking fame and fortune were playing across Chiswick, Bruce said, "Never take 'no' for an answer and never believe it's impossible. Okay realistically not everyone will make it, but the most important thing is not to compromise your integrity. Have a great time, do what you do with real passion not just for the passion of the cheque book."

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