Royal Mail is honouring Iron Maiden with 12 special stamps – making the band only the fifth to be immortalised in stamp form.
The heavy metal gods join The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen and The Rolling Stones to feature in a stamp collection, with products launching from 12 January.
The main stamp set celebrates Iron Maiden’s live performances and feature a selection of photos from their worldwide tours across the years, internationally and at home, including all current members of the band.
Images range from the 1980s until 2018 and show Steve Harris in Vancouver (June 2010); Bruce Dickinson at Hammersmith Odeon, London (May 1983); Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Steve Harris in Pamplona (September 1988); Nicko McBrain in Quito (March 2009); Dave Murray, Bruce Dickinson and Janick Gers in Rio de Janeiro (January 2001); Adrian Smith and Steve Harris in Helsinki (May 2018); Iron Maiden at Twickenham Stadium, London (July 2008); and Bruce Dickinson sword fighting with Eddie in Birmingham (August 2018).
A further four stamps pay homage to the band’s long-serving mascot and pop-cultural icon in his own right, Eddie, with his own miniature sheet. The stamps show four notorious Eddie artworks, including the latest addition featuring Eddie as a samurai warrior from the recent Senjutsu album.
“Few bands in the history of rock music can be called bona fide rock legends – but Iron Maiden are just that – and more,” commented David Gold, director of external public affairs and policy at Royal Mail. “With legions of devoted fans of all ages and from every corner of the globe, not only have they changed the way rock music sounds, but they have also changed the way it looks. We fully expect their fans will love these stamps as much as we do.”
Royal Mail collaborated closely with the band members and Phantom Music Management on the stamp issue.
The band will be back on the road in 2023 with their brand new, The Future Past tour, with dates across the UK and Europe.
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