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| (L - R) Nikki, Linda, Kirsten, Wanda & Courtney |
THE IRON MAIDENS is the world's only all female tribute band to IRON MAIDEN. Holy smoke ! That sounds big !
The band was put together back in 2001 and has went thru several line-up changes with only Linda McDonald (drum) and Wanda Ortiz (bass) remained from the earlier years. Courtney Cox (guitar) and Kirsten Rosenberg (vocal) later joined the band in 2009. While the last addition to the band was Nikki Stringfield (guitar) in 2015.
Prior to their arrival in Malaysia this coming December, the band has already reached South East Asia in 2012 where they hit Indonesia for 3 shows (Yogyakarta & Jakarta and Bali). Later in 2015, they made their stop in Singapore during Asia Tour 2015 which also saw the band played 3 shows in Japan (Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo).
We are fortunate to be able to do this interview with the girls, a big thank you to SOUNDVALLEY FESTIVAL and THE IRON MAIDENS' management for making this possible.
These girls are damn talented, tough, and also funny ! Scream for them Malaysia !!!
Here is THE IRON MAIDENS !!! Up the Irons !!!
WELCOME 'THE IRON MAIDENS'. THANK YOU FOR WILLING TO DO THESE INTERVIEW. WHO WILL BE THE ONE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ?
Hello ! You got 4 of the 5 Maidens here answering questions - Kirsten Rosenberg (Bruce Chickinson), Linda McDonald (Nikki McBURRain), Wanda Ortiz (Steph Harris) and Nikki Stringfield (Davina Murray).
LET'S START WITH A FEW WORDS TO BEST DESCRIBE EACH ONE OF YOU PLEASE ...
Linda : I am the drummer as 'Nikki McBURRain'. I have a strong energy and can be misinterpreted as rude or stand off-ish but I am actually shy, sensitive yet guarded and very protective of our musical family. I am a founding member of the band.
Kirsten : I joined the band in 2009 as 'Bruce Chickinson'. I am the lead singer and 'class clown'. Still haven't learned to fly a jumbo jet plane yet ...
Wanda : I play bass as 'Steph Harris' in 'The Iron Maidens'. Most people tell me that they think I'm kind of a serious, quite person.
Nikki : My name is Nikki Stringfield and I play guitar as 'Davina Murray'.
WHAT ABOUT COURTNEY ...
Linda : I'm gonna introduce Courtney who isn't here on this interview. She is 'Adriana Smith' in the Maidens, and a silly and sarcastic prankster.
THE BAND IS CURRENTLY HAVING A SHORT BREAK BEFORE TOUR RECOMMENCES IN AUGUST. AS TO EASE THE TIGHT TOURING SCHEDULES, WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE TO DO AT TIME LIKE THIS ?
Nikki : Right now I'm working on my original music and a few other projects as well as spending time with my animals at home.
Kirsten : I love spending time at home with my longtime boyfriend and our menagerie - a mini-horse, donkey, two dogs, four chickens and three cats - all rescued. Plus there are always chores and projects I try to complete around the house.
Wanda : I'll be busy playing bass in a symphony orchestra during that time.
Linda : One of my dogs had a major hip surgery during this down time, and my other dog that has only 3 legs is getting a custom doggy wheelchair made for him to help him get around. I've been a dog mommy and caretaker for my 2 puppies this whole time and love it, in addition to lots of family time and my brother getting married. \m/
HAS ANYONE OF YOU MANAGED TO CATCH IRON MAIDEN - 'LEGACY OF THE BEAST TOUR' SO FAR ?
Kirsten : I haven't and that makes me sad. I would love to see this tour but so far there's no US dates have been announced. I know Courtney will see Maiden on this tour during her travels and I'm so jealous.
Wanda : I haven't been able to see them this year yet. I'm hoping I will be able to catch them soon.
Linda : Not yet, I really hope to !
Nikki : Not yet, we really hope to ! We saw them in Las Vegas on 'The Book Of Souls Tour'.
MALAYSIA WILL FINALLY SEE 'THE IRON MAIDENS' LIVE ON STAGE. ARE YOU ALL EXCITED ?
Wanda : I'm totally excited to be going to Malaysia for the very first time !
Linda : I am thrilled to go to Malaysia ! I still can't believe we are going !
Nikki : We can't wait to be finally playing in Malaysia !
Kirsten : We are so excited to come to Malaysia ! I never dreamed it would happen. We feel extremely fortunate for this opportunity.
WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS YOU REALLY LOOK FORWARD WHEN PLAYING A NEW COUNTRY FOR THE FIRST TIME ? TAKE MALAYSIA FOR EXAMPLE ...
Wanda - The thing I look forward to the most is exploring new places and meeting new people.
Linda - I am always interested in seeing the local way of life, local foods and drinks, and being a dog nerd, I love seeing local dogs in the country (hehe). Of course you have to see some of the key tourist stuff too on the first visit. I'd really love to see some of the beautiful beaches Malaysia is known, as well as the Petronas towers if we get the chance.
Nikki - I always love being able to see the culture, the country, and how much people love to rock ! Music really brings everyone together.
Kirsten - When touring, we rarely get much down time to actually see the places we play, which is very unfortunate. So I'm really hoping there will be some time off planned into the schedule. I'm always curious and eager to find the local vegan food, haha.
ANYTHING SPECIAL PLANNED FOR THE MALAYSIA SHOW ?
Nikki - We can't give away too much, but you can expect an awesome setlist packed with your favourite hits and some deep cuts ! Eddie usually makes an appearance as well and we make sure to give you a high energy, rocking show !
SUPRISES PERHAP ?
Kirsten - Hmmm ... you'll just have to wait and see ...
Linda - I'm not one to kiss and tell ! Wait for it Malaysia !!! LOL !
Wanda - You'll have to come and see. I'm sure there will be surprises.
THE BAND HAD ALREADY SET FOOT IN INDONESIA (2012) AND SINGAPORE (2015) EARLIER. HOW HAVE THE 'SOUTH EAST ASIA' FANS TREATED THE BAND ON STAGE ?
Linda - They were so fanatical about the music and happy to have us in their countries. I'm not sure if we were happier or if they were ! \m/ Indonesia and Singapore were both so very supportive of us paying tribute to Iron Maiden, and it was like a series of big parties with fellow Maiden fans celebrating this amazing music together. Such kind people there too !
Kirsten - Yes, the fans were very welcoming and an enthusiastic audience ! We are always grateful and appreciative for all the support we receive. But of course, that's because Iron Maiden has so many passionate fans around the world. Maiden fans are truly the best !
Wanda - Since we are a Maiden tribute band, people who come to our show already know they are going to hear songs they like, so the reaction was very positive. We got a very nice, big welcome from Maiden fans there.
Nikki - I wasn't there for the Indonesia show, but I was for Singapore. The fans were amazing and we felt right at home !
SPEAKING ABOUT INDONESIA, THE BAND DID AN ACCOUSTIC SET OF "WASTED YEARS" ON INDONESIA NATIONAL TELEVISION (RCTI) WHICH HAS ABOUT 191 MILLION VIEWERS. WHAT WILL BE THE BEST MOMENT YOU FIND TO APPRECIATE THAT DAY ?
Linda - That was a first time for us and so interesting ! It was odd playing with the audience in back of us though ! I am not sure how many of the audience members were actually Iron Maiden fans, but it was awesome anyway ! 191 million viewers ! Wow ! I'm so glad I didn't know that when we were performing. We were treated so graciously by everyone there. That was truly appreciated.
Wanda - We had a great time performing and working with RCTI that day. It's hard to pinpoint only one specific moment because the whole time was special. We feel very lucky to have had the experience which we will always remember.
Kirsten - That experience was unforgettable, although sitting in a TV studio you don't really get the feeling 191 million peoples are watching, haha !
SUPRISINGLY, 'THE IRON MAIDENS' HAD ALSO PERFORMED AT MILITARY BASECAMP IN KUWAIT AND IRAQ BACK IN 2008. OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT GOT INTO YOU GIRLS ...
Linda - We felt it was important to bring a little bit of 'home' to the people stationed in Iraq. Many of them had no choice to be there, but we did, and we would certainly be assholes for saying 'no' when asked to go and give back to our troops. My brother was out there at the time as well, as a civilian on base. It was also 4th of July when we went to Iraq, so that was even more reason to go and bring a piece of America back to those who could not be home with their families. I heard a lot of personal stories from the people at camps that were heart breaking and validated just how destructive war is, not just to the countries involved, but more importantly, the pain and damage it does to individuals who are there for things they don't understand or agree with.
Wanda - We were honoured to play shows for our troops there. They were very grateful that we came out and reminded them of home, and we were thrilled to be there for them.
Kirsten - The Kuwait and Iraq shows occurred before I joined the band, but I know that the girls wanted to give back and show their appreciation to the military personnel stationed in such uncertain and dangerous conditions.
SHARE SOME STORIES PLEASE ...
Linda - I remember being shot at when taking off in a Blackhawk, realising how disposable our lives were to the enemy. But the most valuable experience was being thanked by the soldiers for letting them forget where they were for that hour that we played ... One of the higher up ranking personnel was so in the moment when we played, he got up on stage and was playing air guitar on his rifle ! Oops, he got into a lot of trouble for that later ! LOL ! \m/
SO MILITARY PERSONNELS DO HEAD BANGED ?
Kirsten - Yes absolutely, there are a lot of metalheads in the armed force !
YOUR SETLISTS FEATURED RARITIES LIKE "DEJA VU", "ALEXANDER THE GREAT", "THE DUELIST" FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH IRON MAIDEN ITSELF HAD NOT EVEN PLAYED LIVE YET. THE FANS WILL APPRECIATE THAT FOR SURE ...
Wanda - We aim to please ...
Kirsten - For sure, Maiden fans always enjoy hearing the deeper album cuts and songs the wouldn't typically hear nowadays at an Iron Maiden concert. It's a pleasure for us to play them too.
Nikki - The deeper cuts are actually some of my favourites to play and the die hard Maiden fans love to hear them ! You've always got to play the big hits, but it's fun to see people's face when they hear the intro to a song they're not expecting.
Linda - They love hearing songs Maiden does not play live. It's awesome getting to play them too !
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON IRON MAIDEN DURING 'BLAZE BAYLEY' ERA ? THE BAND HAD NOT COVERED ANY FROM THE ALBUMS - 'X-FACTOR' AND 'VIRTUAL X' RIGHT ? WILL YOU CONSIDER DOING IT ?
Nikki - I love the Blaze album ! We've actually been playing "The Clansman" lately and that song is so fun !
Kirsten - We have started doing "The Clansman". It's a great song to perform in front of really big crowds.
Linda - For sure ! We've just been busy digging into some of our favourites because there are so many songs to choose from, but we have been playing "The Clansman" recently !
Wanda - I can't remember if we have done any Bayley era songs ever. I don't think we have and if we did, it would have been a very long time ago. I remember we played an older Maiden song with Michael Kenney siting in on keyboard, but I think it was "Blood Brother" which was not a Bayley era song. I have a friend who swears that we did "Sign Of The Cross" one time but I don't remember it. Anyway, every so often, we like to surprise the audience with a more obscure song for the really hardcore fans, so we might consider a Bayley song one day, you just never know ...
ANY CHANCES THAT THE BAND WILL PERFORM TRACKS FROM THE NEWER IRON MAIDEN ALBUMS - 'THE FINAL FRONTIER' AND 'THE BOOK OF SOULS' ?
Linda - When the band first started, we always tried to focus on the 'Live After Death' or earlier eras, but that was 17 years ago. There is so much more amazing materials out now to choose from than ever. We've touched in on a little of 'Dance Of Death', but I guess at this point, 'never say never' is probably the wisest answer to give.
Nikki - Anything is possible I guess ... but we don't really play anything from an album that Maiden is currently touring with.
Kirsten - So far "Dance of Death" is as modern as we get. Their catalog is so vast with so many great songs from which to choose, we never run out of material to cover. In time, we may add more recent songs. I'd love to do "Death or Glory".
Wanda - There is always a chance, but at this point of time, people have either just heard or can still hear the real band playing those songs live, so it makes more sense for us to play something different.
SINCE NIKKI WAS THE LAST PERSON TO JOIN THE BAND, THERE IS STILL NO ALBUM / VIDEO WITH HER ON IT YET. ANY PLAN TO ENTER THE STUDIO ANYTIME SOON ?
Nikki - We'll actually be going into the studio soon to record a new album with the current line-up. I can't wait !
Kirsten - The band has no CD recordings with my vocals either ! We will be recording a new CD with our current line-up very soon (I can't wait), so stay tuned ...
(editor - we heard you Kirsten ; smiling ...)
Linda - We are getting ready to go into the studio very soon to record with the current line-up ! By the time we get to Malaysia, it will hopefully have been recorded. We'll see if it is finished in time !
Wanda - Yes, we plan to record a new CD with our current line-up at the end of the year.
IS A 3RD GUITARIST NECESSARY FOR THE BAND ? IRON MAIDEN HAS 'THE 3 AMIGOS' THOUGH ...
Nikki - I think we're doing just fine with 2 guitarist ... our stages aren't quite big enough to always have an extra guitarist, haha.
Linda - Definitely not on a permanent basis.
Kirsten - We have actually done a show with 3 guitarist just as a special one-of-a-kind event. But we have no plans to add a third guitarist. It would be awfully crowded on a lot of the stage we play, haha.
Wanda - We haven't play many venues that are big enough for us to have 3 guitarist on stage ... but who knows, it may happen in the future.
IRON MAIDEN IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE GREATEST HEAVY METAL BANDS THAT WALKED THE EARTH. IS IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE REPUTATION AS THE WORLD'S ONLY ALL-FEMALE TRIBUTE BAND TO IRON MAIDEN ?
Kirsten - I agree with you about Iron Maiden (of course) ! All we can do is aim to be the best we can, deliver a great show, and strive to be as true to Maiden as possible. That is what people who come to our shows want to experience. We are just Maiden fans ourselves, playing the music that we love. But you do have to give it your all every show, the audience wants to know that you're feeling it, too.
Wanda - No, not really because, so far, at least as far as I know, there hasn't been another all-female Iron Maiden tribute band. By tribute band, I mean an act that tries to emulate Maiden's show and costumes in addition to playing their music. I have heard of some all-girl acts that only play the music but that's not the same.
Nikki - We were all huge Maiden fans before joining the band, so we're very gratefull to be doing this. We try our best to stay true to Maiden's music and give 110% at every show to do them justice !
Linda - We do our best not to butcher the masterpieces of Iron Maiden ! That would just be wrong ! Maiden is absolutely the best ! \m/ We are honoured to be able to play their songs for fellow fans around the world ! What a privilege !
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ALL-FEMALE TRIBUTE BANDS GOIN' ON STRONG NOW LIKE '2HOT2HANDLE' (UFO TRIBUTE), 'HELL'S BELLES' (AC/DC TRIBUTE), PARADISE KITTY (G'N'R TRIBUTE) ETC ... HAVE YOU CHECKED THEM OUT ?
Kirsten - We are friends with Paradise Kitty and have shared the stage with many all-female tributes. One of my absolute favourites is Judas Priestess ! We are happy to support our metal sisters.
Nikki - We're friend with a lot of the other female tribute bands. I've actually jammed with Paradise Kitty before. It's so awesome to see all the female bands coming up and kicking ass !
Linda - It's a family within the tribute scene. and many of us girls are friends. We've known the Belles forever ! Hard working group of girls !
Wanda - Yes, we've seen and are friends with most of those bands.
ANY PARTICULAR BAND YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING TO SEE ALL-FEMALE PAYING TRIBUTE ?
Kirsten - I'd love to see a female Rush or Queensryche tribute ...
Nikki - I'd like to see an all-female Megadeth tribute ... that could be cool.
Linda - A female tribute to Pantera would be awesome ! Cowgirls From Hell was around but I'm not sure if they are active any more or not. Hmmm ... maybe it's time to put one of those together ! LOL !
Wanda - I like the heavier stuff so I really like Judas Priestess, an all-female tribute to Judas Priest. You should definitely check them out !
WHAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT FOR 'THE IRON MAIDENS' ?
Wanda - Steve Harris came to our show in Mexico City and let us know that he liked it ! We were also the first all-female metal band to play in Venezuela in front of 40,000 people ! Hopefully, there will be more to look forward to.
Linda - I'd say longevity is a huge achievement. We are going on 17 years now and going to more new places constantly ! This is due to the massive amount of Iron Maiden fans everywhere who just can't get enough of Maiden, so they turn to us as a surrogate fix until the can go see the real deal again, haha ! We are also the first tribute band to put out a full length tribute CD !
Kirsten - I'd say coming to Malaysia certainly ranks among the biggest achievements !
Nikki - I'm not sure what the biggest achievement would be, and I'm sure it would be different for everyone individually. I think getting to travel and play to fans all around the world is a pretty big achievement itself !
UNTIL WE SEE YOU IN DECEMBER, WHAT ABOUT SOME LAST WORDS TO ALL THE MALAYSIAN FANS WAITING FOR THE SHOW ...
Nikki - Malaysia, we hope you're ready to rock !!! See you soon and up the irons !
Kirsten - Malaysia, Edwina is coming for you !!! Get ready to have your faces melted ! Up the irons !
Linda - See you soon Malaysia !!! Up the irons and don't forget to visit us online at our website or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram ... you know the deal ! We're look forward to coming to your beautiful country and shredding some Maiden for you and just can not wait !
Wanda - Thanks for your support and we can't wait to see you in December !!!
So, are you ready Malaysia ?!! These girls mean serious business, they will bring you all to the slaughter !!!
Get the ticket now, be quick or be dead !!!
https://www.ticketpro.com.my/concert/rock/2331212-The-Iron-Maidens-Live-In-Malaysia.html
The Iron Maidens
website : www.theironmaidens.com
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Photo : courtesy of The Iron Maidens
