Whenever heavy metal's big guns were distributing their decibels across East Anglia, Paul Mariner was invariably among the crowd.
And as one of English football's finest centre-forwards, he was often the big noise in town.
Brave, gifted and lionised by team-mates, his 13 goals in 35 international appearances included one of England's most important of the last 40 years.
After the Three Lions had endured more than a decade without qualifying for the World Cup, it was Mariner's winner against Hungary which sent Ron Greenwood's team to the 1982 finals in Spain.
In their opening game, against France in Bilbao, he sealed a 3-1 win as England achieved the improbable feat of being eliminated without losing and conceding only one goal at the tournament.
And at Ipswich Town, a club built on the wisdom of Sir Alf Ramsey, he was an indispensable component in the side who won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup three years later under Bobby Robson.
Paul Mariner died on Friday, after a short battle with brain cancer, aged 68.
On a weekend of unimaginable excitement across the country, his friend and former Tractor Boys colleague Terry Butcher wishes Mariner was carrying the fight to Italy in Sunday's Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
“As well as being one of the very best I played with, Paul was the one who introduced me to heavy metal music,” said Butcher.
“Whenever one of the quality acts was in town, he would get tickets and arrange backstage passes for us to meet the stars.
“He was a big fan of Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and bands like that. He was the life and soul of the party and he knew his stuff. But what a player, what a fantastic team-mate to have on your side.”
Butcher, who captained England in the World Cup semi-final against Germany 31 years ago, believes Mariner's attributes as a striker with the “full set of clubs” would have been ideal on an occasion requiring stout hearts and technical affluence.
He said: “You know, he would have been perfect for the final this weekend, absolutely perfect. He would have relished the occasion and the chance to ruffle feathers.
“Paul would have given Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci all the trouble they could handle.
“He was a proper, old-fashioned centre-forward who would have prospered in the modern game, no question.
“To me, he was a blend of Harry Kane, Marco van Basten and Ruud van Nistelrooy rolled into one – the full set of clubs.
“He was hard, he was brave, he was sharp... but above all, he was a proper team player, a great character, someone who would take you under his wing and look out for you.
“Some people say the Ipswich team we played in was one of the best never to win the title after Aston Villa pipped us as champions in 1981, and he was an integral part of that side.
“But we could not have enjoyed the success we did without Paul's contribution. He was integral to the way Ipswich played, and a terrific England striker in his own right, because he was so powerful and effective.
“When you think of the forwards we had at our disposal in the late 1970s and early 1980s, we had no shortage of skill or guile – Kevin Keegan, Trevor Francis, Tony Woodcock among others – but Paul was someone who would win the ball for you in the air, too.
“He wasn't the tallest, but he could leap like a salmon and he was head and shoulders above everyone for his strength.
“The timing of his loss is especially poignant, and the best way to honour his memory is pretty obvious.”
