The family that slays together, stays together. And believe it or not, there were definitely actual nuclear families scattered throughout the more than 15,800 Iron Maiden disciples, with fists pumped in the air, packed into Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Sunday night.

Fans of the 80’s heavy metal icons famously travel from all corners of the globe to follow the band across the world, and singer Bruce Dickinson (who fronted Maiden from ‘81-’93 before leaving and then returning for good in ‘99) saw flags from Puerto Rico, Brazil and even Japan mixed into the black shirts that littered the audience. He acknowledged them all from the stage after opening the encore with “The Number of the Beast,” and you could definitely hear accents from several different countries if you walked around the venue.

Playlist: Listen to every single song Iron Maiden played at Amalie Arena in Tampa on June 11



Still, the most surprising — and uplifting — thing to see amongst the children of the damned was the actual children (most with gigantic ear protection wrapped across the tops of their heads) in the crowd. It apparently didn’t matter if you were six or 63 on Sunday because everyone is a wrathchild ready to be marked with the number of the beast when Maiden is in town.

Based on energy, Dickinson & co. — who haven't been in the area since 2011 — might as well be kids, too.

The median age of the band is 60.666666-years-old, but they bounced around even more than the openers (Grammy-winning Swedish metal ghouls Ghost) did. Guitarist Janick Gers — looking fit and trim in a cutoff Maiden tee, skinny jeans and white hightops — epitomized the word “aerobic,” often stretching his left leg onto his stage monitor in between swings of his guitar. He even ran in between the legs of a giant Eddie during “Book Of Souls,” and even soloed flawlessly while Dickinson draped a Union Jack over his face and guitar during “The Trooper.”

Drummer (and Cape Coral BBQ-rib slinger) Nicko McBrain was gong-tastic despite being tucked safely, and almost invisibly, behind a giant kit. Adrian Smith and longtime guitarist Dave Murray might have been the most stoic Maiden-ers on Sunday, but they made up for theatrics with chugging riffs and whooping lead parts on “Death or Glory” and “The Great Unknown” from the band’s latest studio release, 2015’s The Book of Souls. At least half of the regular set actually leaned on the release, and while attention seemed to waiver in between blood red bass solos from Steve Harris on Souls track “The Red and the Black,” Dickinson was always quick to rope his legion of fans back into singing the iconic riffs and melodies from classic, life-changing Maiden cuts like “Fear of the Dark” and heavy-metal-polka “Blood Brothers.”

Tampa is pretty lucky to have the band bring the production — completely with pyro and two Eddies (one live, another inflatable) — to town. Dickinson admits that they’ll finally put the tour (which has been to six continents since beginning in February of last year) to rest in July, but everyone seemed to enjoy it on Sunday. Dickinson wasn’t shy about reminding folks to bask in it — and each other — either. Without going full political, he reminded the Iron Maiden faithful that the world outside is a little fucked as of late. He urged those in the room to make their elected officials work for them, and made it clear that you’re alright with him if you come to a Maiden show to “do no harm.”

During “Blood Brothers,” Dickinson sang about being afraid and ashamed for the world. He sees a world in dismay on that Brave New World cut where he’s a witness to a “a war-torn affray out in the streets where the babies are burned.”

Well, no one got burned on Sunday night, and the babies in the crowd — especially the young girl bouncing on her dad’s lap while playing air drums — were in a safe place, even with Baphomet looming in the background.

When it comes to the music we love, we’re all blood brothers, and Maiden reminded us of that.

Listen to a playlist featuring songs from the set here, and see more of Chris Rodriguez’s pictures below.

Setlist

If Eternity Should Fail

Speed Of Light

Wrathchild

Children of the Damned

Death Or Glory

The Red and the Black

The Trooper

Powerslave

The Great Unknown

The Book Of Souls

Fear Of The Dark

Iron Maiden

—

The Number of the Beast

Blood Brothers

Wasted Years