NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Fresh of the release of its 16th studio album, the legendary British heavy metal band Iron Maiden has announced dates for the U.S. leg of its world tour. The tour supporting "The Book of Souls" double album kicks off in Florida in February 2016. The band will make a stop in New York City at the end of March with a show at Madison Square Garden.
The really crazy part of all this? The band, crew, and all of the equipment will fly in a custom-outfitted Boeing 747-400 piloted by Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of the group. Dickinson is a licensed commercial airline pilot and is training for his 747 certification. The plane will be called Ed Force One, a nod to Air Force One and the band's mascot Eddie, who appears on all the band's album covers.
"We cannot wait to get back out on tour. Maiden thrive on touring and getting out to our fans, it's also what we enjoy the most," Dickinson said in a statement. "We haven't decided on the set list as yet and won’t until we start rehearsing but we really look forward to playing a number of new songs live, especially as the recording was so much live. However, as it’s been a while since we saw you all, I am sure we will include plenty of older fan favourites too."
Dickinson, 57, announced in May that he underwent successful treatment for a cancerous tumor that was found on the back of his tongue. The release of "The Book of Souls" and the supporting tour were delayed to make sure Dickinson had enough time to recover from treatment.
"The Book of Souls" debuted September 18 at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, but has since fallen to No. 42.
The Raven Age will be the opening act on the tour.
These are the U.S. tour dates. Tickets go on sale October 10, 2015.
- February 24 - Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - BB&T Center
- February 26 - Tulsa, Okla. - BOK Center
- February 28 - Las Vegas - Mandalay Bay Events Center
- March 30 - New York - Madison Square Garden
- April 5 - Detroit - Palace of Auburn Hills
- April 6 - Chicago - United Center
- April 11 - Tacoma, Wash. - Tacoma Dome
- April 13 - Denver - Pepsi Center
- April 15 - Los Angeles - The Forum