Bruce Dickinson’s opinion on Lady Gaga

One of the most influential Heavy Metal singers in the world since the 1980s, Bruce Dickinson has always kept an eye on the music scene, not only in Rock and Roll but also in other genres.

Although he has criticized many of his peers for using backing tracks to continue touring even when they can no longer sing as well as they once did, something that is very common among Pop stars, he does admire some of them. Over the years, he has shared his opinion on many famous singers, including Lady Gaga.

What is Bruce Dickinson’s opinion on Lady Gaga

Bruce Dickinson actually is a big fan of Lady Gaga and he started praising her after she said Iron Maiden was one of the greatest bands of all time. “They’re one of the greatest Rock bands in history in my opinion. Some people really don’t know the importance of Metal and the scope of it. Those guys are still filling stadiums and they still are because of the culture of the music, the poetry that’s so powerful that whenever the fans come together they unite in the essence of what Iron Maiden is all about. I always used to say to people when they would say: ‘Oh, she’s the next Madonna‘. No, I’m the next Iron Maiden,” she told CR Fashion Book in 2015

When asked to comment about what she said, Dickinson praised her. “I didn’t see the whole quote (before), because they used just the last little bit. But you know, all the proceeding, I wish I’d said that. I actually think she’s great and I agree with her. She’s not the next Madonna, she’s way better than that.”

He continued:

“Because first of all she can sing, she’s got a belter of a voice. She is a really good instrumentalist and she’s got a great sense of drama. Anybody who can turn up to an award ceremony dressed as a bacon sandwich gets my vote (laughs). I mean, she’s great!” he said in an interview with Corus Radio in 2016 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

Bruce Dickinson said she is probably his favorite artist in a very long time

But Bruce’s admiration for her continued, they had the chance to meet each other and there’s even a photo of the two backstage after an Iron Maiden show in 2011. Steve Harris even revealed later that one of his daughters and their friends went to the show to meet Gaga. “Yeah, she came to one of our gigs. My youngest, Maisie, she’s 20 now, but she was pretty young at the time. She had her little mates there and she had her photo done with her,” he told Metal Hammer.

More recently, when asked about Lady Gaga saying that she wanted to have a long career like Iron Maiden’s, Bruce Dickinson said that she had probably been his favorite artist for the past years. ‘Well, what excites me about playing for a huge audience is playing for a huge audience! (laughs) That’s it, that’s the answer! You answered your own question!’ (laughs).”

“Nothing is better than performing for an audience that pays attention to every note, every word. It’s like telling a story on a grand scale. By the way, Lady Gaga has nothing to worry about, I think she’s doing just fine. She’s probably my favorite artist in a very long time. She’s authentic, you know? I’d like to go on record saying that I love Lady Gaga!” in an interview with UOL (Translated by Rock and Roll Garage).

Gaga never performed with Iron Maiden but she did sing with Metallica their song “Moth Into Flame”, during teh 59th Grammy Awards.

Gaga said it was awesome to watch Iron Maiden playing live

The show Lady Gaga attended and where she had the chance to meet the band backstage took place in Florida, USA, in 2011. She watched most of the concert from a private box, but when Iron Maiden were about to perform “The Number of the Beast”, she said she went into the middle of the crowd and loved experiencing the energy and sense of communion among the fans.

“It was just awesome. “We were dancing and singing and everyone was just so into it. Jumping and dancing… I mean, it was like absolute no judgment, no prejudice, freedom and love for music. It doesn’t matter who you are; you don’t need to know anything about music to love it. Everybody was hugging me, high-fiving, fistpumps in the air.”

“The devotion of the fans moving in unison, pumping their fists, watching the show. When I see that, I see the paradigm for my future and the relationship I want to have with my fans. Iron Maiden‘s never had a hit song and they tour stadiums around the world. Their fans live, breathe and die for Maiden and that is my dream. That is my dream,” she said in an interview with Rolling Stone at the time.

She has been one of the biggest Pop stars in the world over the past two decades and has sold an estimated 124 million records worldwide, slightly fewer than Iron Maiden, who have sold around 130 million. So far she has released 8 studio albums with hits like “Poker Face”, “Bad Romance”, “Judas” and “Abracadabra”.

Gaga has also shown her talent as an actress, appearing in films such as “A Star Is Born”, “House of Gucci”, and “Joker: Folie à Deux”, as well as in the TV series “American Horror Story”.