Dion vs. Dickinson

Back in the early days of Tullycraft, we had a driver/merch guy that traveled with us named Aaron. He was the third person to fill this position. Our prior drivers (Alex and Ken) each only lasted one tour, while Aaron managed to stick with us for a few years. One of the reasons I especially enjoyed having Aaron on tour was because he didn't really like our band that much. In fact, after we'd play each night I'd ask him, "So Aaron, how do you think we sounded tonight?" And he'd say something like, "You sucked as usual." I expected these responses and I loved them. He wasn't joking, we weren't really his cup of tea. You might be asking: Why was he there? Well, he loved to be on tour and we all got along, so it worked out pretty well. Since indiepop wasn't really Aaron's thing and since he was exposed to it nightly, he (and Jeff) instated a "no indiepop will be played in the van" rule. This meant we listened to a lot of Slayer, Behead the Prophet, Iron Maiden, and a live Ozzy Osbourne album that Jeff was particularly fond of.

I'm telling this anecdote because I noticed that the Iron Maiden album, The Number of the Beast was released on this day in 1982. This was the band's third album, but the first to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson. I heard this album more than a few times on tour, and I must say after repeat listens I came to really like it. Who knew?

Although, it wasn't all hardcore and heavy metal on the road. I managed to find a loophole in the "rule" when I purchased a Céline Dion cassette along the way and insisted it receive equal airplay. You may be asking: Was Céline Dion allowed to be played in the van? She was. And I actually think Aaron may have enjoyed it the most. Who knew?

Today we have a live recording of Superboy & Supergirl. This was recorded at the Empty Bottle in Chicago in 1996. If you notice near the beginning of the song... my bass cuts out. I can't remember if I broke a string or if I was having amp problems. Either way, Jeff and Gary were champions and played right through until I was able to deal with my bass issues. The show must go on! - for the handful of people in attendance. Happy Monday!