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Report: Die-Hard Fans Follow IRON MAIDEN Into The Digital Age

September 6, 2010

Rod Smallwood, IRON MAIDEN's longtime manager, told The New York Times that more than 800,000 copies of the band's latest album, "The Final Frontier", had been shipped to retailers around the world by the end of last week, with the group having sold about 85 million records in its 30-year career.

"A lot of bands could learn a lot from MAIDEN," Smallwood said. "MAIDEN is essentially about the relationship with the fans, and nothing comes between that. They don't want to be rock stars. They just enjoy playing for the fans."

According to David Kassler, chief operating officer of EMI for Europe, digital tracking services showed only small levels of illegal downloading of "The Final Frontier", whcih is attributable in part to the fact that IRON MAIDEN's songs do not fit the mold of a radio single — three of them, on the newest release, are more than nine minutes long.

"You'd expect some people to be pirating, but they don't," Kassler told The New York Times. "They want the physical album. They love the artwork, the lyrics. It's something they want to show their friends and family."

According to Joel McIver, a London-based writer who is the author of "Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica", and other books about heavy metal, there are plenty of lessons for the music industry in IRON MAIDEN's continued success: "Invest in the long term. Apply an image. Give the fans what they want. Tour and keep touring. Play the festival circuit. Embrace new technology. Be innovative. Be honest. Be original. Write good songs."

Read the entire report from The New York Times.

(Thanks: Carl Alvarez)

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