Iron Maiden

Our Friends at Maiden Norway.com just posted Nicko McBrain's Tour Diary from Los Angeles:

"We were in LA last night rocking to 15,000 fans at the Irvine meadows show. It was a blast."

On board flight SQ 011 From L.A. to Tokyo

Time: 5:30pm Japan.

23rd October 2006

Well, well, well here we are traveling at 40,000 feet over the ocean on our way to Tokyo. We were in LA last night rocking to 15,000 fans at the Irvine meadows show. It was a blast. I again didn't have the best night at work but we still played our socks off and the audience was well into it I can tell you!!!

In the afternoon I had a round of golf with me old mate Pat Perez and an old school chum of his, Kevin. We played at a course named Strawberry Farm. Not a bad track but the tee areas were a little scratchy to say the least. We had a tee time at 11:52am. Pat picked me up at the hotel around 11 and we went straight to the course had a wee warm up and then hit the links. It was a smashing day, sun shinning and about 80 degrees with light breeze a perfect golf day. Praise the Lord!!

Well, I was amazed at watching Pat do his stuff so close up, he is an amazing player. He clobbered his first drive 320 yards down the pipe, dead straight as well. A thing of beauty. We had a blast. Pat shot two under par for the day what a round it was I was blessed and honored to play a round with him. He had not played in almost 6 months due to an injury to his elbows, the dreaded tennis/golfers elbow. ‘Kin two under. He should have that problem more often,TEEHEE!!!!!!! Kev did well too, he had only played 4 rounds of golf before that day but he has after all got a great teacher in Pat. His best drive was almost 290 yards. What's that all about??????

I didn't do me best round but I sure had a great day and it was going to get better.

We finished at around 4pm and went back to me hotel to shower and change. Pat and Kev used my room and then they went to the bar to meet Kevin's brother Chris and his mate Jeremy. We all met in the bar for 6:30pm and went over to the show.

I got the guys settled and then went to check me tubs. All was well there and then I went to get changed ready for the show. We all had a few nerves as you do on these kinds of big gigs and were slow in getting ready, well, I was especially. I then went and did me little routine on my practice kit.

We hit the stage at 9:15pm. The show seemed to go by very quickly and it seemed like all of a sudden we were at the end. The crowd was amazing. Thanks L.A.

After the show I went and met with my friends Kelly Paiste and her chums Erin, Gary, Justin and Mike. We had a couple of drinks and then decided to head back to the hotel and have a nightcap. Well, the ‘Kin bar was shut it was after all only 1:05 in the morning. There were two barmen at the bar when we arrived, they were cleaning up. I asked them why they were closing up shop so early and the geezer said Welcome to Newport Beach, cor blimmy mate what's up with that.!!!

So we said our farewells to one another and I headed up to me room. I had a few things to pack so I got that done and was pretty much spent by the end. I got showered and hit the hay.

I got up at 9:30am and was ready to meet my car for the ride to the airport at 10:45am. It was another beautiful day. When I arrived at the check in, Steve and Ian were already there. They had just got their boarding cards but they waited for me to get mine and we all went through security together. It was very easy today not too many people at the security screening point. We went to the lounge but had to take a bus there. Strange deal never had to do that before. I guess that the airline were having there lounge rebuilt.

So that's about it for me. I'm going to try and send me diary over the free internet that the airline offer. Hope it works.

Speak at ya later.

Stay safe and well.

God bless you all

=Nicko="

SOURCE: Maiden Norway.com