“Iron Maiden changed my life,” says Javier Bardem

The Hollywood actor Javier Bardem he explained how and why Iron Maiden changed his life. The star of Dunes, It is no country for old men and the James Bond film Skyfall looks back at the impact British metal stars had on him when he first heard them.

In an interview with “Metal Hammer”, Bardem says he discovered them thanks to his older brotherwho played him the song Iron Maiden from 1980 when he was 11 years old. But the moment he became a true fan was when he discovered the 1982 hit single, The Number Of The Beasttopping the British charts.

I put my hand on the vinyl of Number Of The Beast and I put it on, and my life changed. They have incredible lyrics that manage to convey just about everything you can imagine: philosophy, religion, politics, war, love, family, friendship, metal… I mean, it’s amazing. The range of topics they tackle, the depth they reach and, at the same time, the ease with which they do it, literally make you say: “Wow!”.

Bardem also remembers the first time he saw it Iron Maiden livethat is, in Madrid, in his native Spain, in 1988 (he would later see the band more than ten times) and is one of the numerous guests who talk about the history and legacy of Iron Maiden in the new documentary on the band “Burning Ambition”.

It was fantastic! It was the first time I saw Eddie (the band’s zombie-looking mascot) on stage, it was the first time I saw everyone on stage. I was amazed by the quality of the sound, I was amazed by the energy of all of them. And especially from Steve Harris, because he played bass in a way I had never seen before. Attending an Iron Maiden concert is an expression of joy, of pleasure, of dedication to music, because they are extraordinary musicians and have been composing these incredible songs for many years; they’re like hymns, they’re iconic. And when they are on stage they really give their all, they give 100% effort.

On June 17, 2026, Iron Maiden will be the first heavy metal band to take the San Siro stage for their only Italian date of the tour celebrating 50 years of their career, with Trivium as the opening act. “In this new leg we will play at metal festivals and in some stadiums. Among these, San Siro, home of Milan and Inter, where we will be – I was told – the first metal band ever to go on that stage. It’s always nice to explore new avenues, even after all these years”, said Rod Smallwood. “We’ve been thinking about doing some more shows in Europe before heading off to other parts of the world later in the year. Of course Simon Dawson will be back with us behind the drums, and both he and the entire band would like to thank the fans for the wonderful welcome they gave him on the first leg,” echoes Steve Harris, founder and bassist.