Paul Di'Anno in the Maiden years.
Paul today....bloated, bald and bitter.
For those of you who don't know, Paul Di'Anno was the original lead singer in Iron Maiden. He sang on the first two Maiden albums, Iron Maiden and Killers. He was then fired from the band for being a drunken, unreliable mess.
Since then, he has used the Maiden name to attempt to further his own career as a solo artist. In a very recent interview, http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=121158, Paul gets upset when asked a question about Maiden. Here's an excerpt:
When asked about the rumors that his drug use had something to do with his split with IRON MAIDEN, Di'Anno responded, "Where the fuck do you people get this from? I left IRON MAIDEN because they were going too heavy metal, and IRON MAIDEN is a money-making machine, and I don't give a fuck about it. It was not about drugs; it was nothing like that. Me and Steve [Harris]... I [wrote] the song 'Killers', Steve had [what he thought] were better songs. I thought his songs were shit. Nothing to do with drugs; nothing whatsoever. Check your facts or otherwise this interview is over... I hate that! I fucking hate that! Because people... You say something but you don't know. Well, I'm telling you. IRON MAIDEN is Steve Harris' band. It doesn't matter about anybody else — whether it's Dave Murray, Clive [Burr], me... it's Steve Harris' band and all it is is money, money, money, money — nobody else counts. And I wrote fuckin' 20-times better songs than his, but I only got one song on the 'Killers' album because it's Steve's — he must have this. Fuckin' Adolf Hitler. I'm not interested. So there you go. But you need to take drugs when you're with IRON MAIDEN because they're so fucking boring. And the only drugs were aspirin, because Steve [making hand gesture as if someone is speaking into his ear]... Fuckin' headache."
So...the man gets pissed when asked about Maiden? This is funny because ever since he was kicked out of Maiden, for yes, drug and alcohol abuse, he has been completely incapable of promoting himself WITHOUT mentioning Maiden in the same breath. He even goes so far as to use the Maiden font on his tour posters.
Better songwriter than Steve Harris? I've heard Paul's solo stuff. Is he keeping the good shit away from us on purpose?? Because I have yet to hear anything out of him that comes close to rivaling anything Maiden have ever put out (including those so-so Blaze albums). As for his complaint for getting only one song on Killers, well, Killers IS considered to be one the greatest and most seminal albums of the metal genre. So I'd say ol' Steve was correct in keeping Di'Anno's material off the album wasn't he? And also, Harris is such a horrible songwriter that Mr. Di'Anno continues to this day to play those songs in his live set.
And Paul, EVERYONE knows Maiden is Harris' band. We've always known that. Nobody has ever not known that. And the Adolf Hitler reference was a nice attempt at smearing Harris' name, but Steve Harris has always had one the most sterling reputations in metal for professionalism, integrity and creativity. So, he's an asshole because he told a drunk, irresponsible loser to get out of his band before he messed it up for everyone else? That's not being tyrannical, that's just good management.
Paul Di'Anno is just another guy in the long line of "I was in a famous band once that got even more famous after they kicked me out" bitterness. He can join Neil Turbin (original singer for Anthrax. Sang on the "Fistful of Metal" LP) and Al Atkins (the first Judas Priest vocalist before Rob Halford. He never even recorded with Priest, but still uses the Priest name to promote himself) in resting on his laurels of past glories.
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