Bruce Dickinson has become the latest musician to perform The Star Spangled Banner at an NFL game in the US.
The Iron Maiden frontman took the field in front of 66.347 fans at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers' first home game of the season, against the Seattle Seahawks, giving the US national anthem the full air siren treatment as helicopters flew overhead. Dickinson departed the field to prolonged "U.S.A! U.S.A!" chants, although, sadly, Eddie was nowhere to be seen.
"I'll let you in to a secret," Dickinson said in a recent interview with Elizabeth Zharoff, host of the popular podcast The Charismatic Voice. "I've got to sing the national anthem in Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They've asked me to do this. I'm going to do it a cappella and stuff, and as long as you start at the right place, you're good to go."
Dickinson was in Pittsburgh to play a Mandrake Project show at Stage AE, but his presence in the city was not enough to inspire the Steelers, who lost 31-17 to the Seahawks following a mistake by rookie running back and kick returner Kaleb Johnson.
"Just don’t think about it,” Johnson said. "Keep on moving. We’ve got a long season."
Dickinson, who rehearsed the anthem onstage at an earlier show on the tour in Boston, plays next in Toronto. Full dates below.
Bruce Dickinson: The Mandrake Project Tour
Sep 14: Silver Springs The Fillmore, MD
Sep 16: Toronto History, ON
Sep 18: Montreal Mtelus, QC
Sep 21: Louisville, Louder Than Life KY *
Sep 23: Philadelphia The Fillmore, PA
Sep 25: Detroit The Fillmore, MI
Sep 27: Chicago The Vic Theatre, IL
Sep 28: Minneapolis Uptown, MN
Sep 30: Denver Summit Music Hall, CO
Oct 03: Sacramento Aftershock, CA *
Oct 05: Los Angeles The Wiltern, CA
* = Festival date
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