Blaze Bayley ~ 30 Years of The X Factor! -
KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, Saturday, 1st November, 2025
Setlist: Doctor Doctor (Instrumental - UFO cover)/Sign Of The Cross/Lord Of The Flies/Man On The Edge /Fortunes Of War/Look For The Truth/The Aftermath/Judgement Of Heaven/Blood On The World's Hands/ The Edge Of Darkness/2 A.M./The Unbeliever/I Live My Way (B-side of Man On The Edge)/Judgement Day (B-side Man On The Edge)/Justice Of The Peace (B-side of Man On The edge)/ Como Estais Amigos/Virus/Wrathchild (Paul Di'Anno Tribute)/The Clansman/Futureal/Doctor Doctor (UFO cover)/The Angel And The Gambler.
What do you know about Blaze Bayley?
The answer clearly is a lot as you have definitely listened to my two part interview on YouTube and Metalliville-zine! But if you haven't, he has been the singer of Wolfsbane, Iron Maiden and his solo work. A much maligned singer from the Maiden history. People either love or hate his era. I personally loved it. There are some absolutely amazing songs like 'Sign Of The Cross', 'The Clansman' and my favourite 'Virus'!
This Gig at KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton promised to deliver the full X-Factor album. A real treat for any Maiden fan. But Blaze delivered more than that. A 22 song set list to be exact!
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Was it good though?
Well we got to hear songs that have never been played live by Iron Maiden including three B sides with a story to go with them. We got to hear 'Virus' LIVE! My first time hearing it live plus a Paul Di'Anno song.
The B-sides are weak songs to be honest but infinitely better than 'Mother Russia' from Iron Maiden's, 'No Prayer For The Dying' album that Bruce Dickinson was on.
When we get to '2AM' we had a sermon to the music of Purple Rain. Blaze was on fire, he loves to talk. He was talking about how he nearly gave it all up! “But stick with it and to chase your dreams.” His relentless attack on not giving up filled us all with a feeling of 'Yeah, maybe I can do it!'.
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This man has had more than a few knocks and still gets abuse from some Maiden Fans for his time in Iron Maiden! A heart attack and quadruple bi-pass later, Blaze is lucky to be here and he knows it. His voice has never sounded as good, in fact it is the best I have ever heard him sing. His enthusiasm and energy has never been better.
Even spending well over an hour meeting fans and signing merch before the performance. Nothing could dampen Blaze Bayley's resolve and performance. The performance was a high-energetic display not just from Blaze Bayley himself but from the entire band, his long-time collaborators in Absolva. This powerful line-up featuring Guitarists, Luke Appleton and newcomer, Tom Atkinson, Bassist, Chris Appleton and Drummer, Martin McNee.
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They provided an electric foundation. A particular highlight was the infectious performance shared between siblings Luke and Chris Appleton; their great chemistry on stage was a joy to see, making their shared love of playing together a truly captivating sight for the audience.
Some song highlights, obvious ones 'Sign Of The Cross', 'Man On The Edge' and 'Virus'. But throwing in 'The Clansman', 'Futureal' and 'The Angel And The Gambler' made the Gig a dream come true for those that were there. Incredible performance.
It is hard to believe the X Factor came out 30 years ago. Back then Blaze and myself had hair!
Time has really flown and we all have aged. But the music has stood the test of time. The whole event was magnificent, the performance, the KKs staff and the vibe of the excellent Steel Mill.
By Dale Holford