IRON MAIDEN Bassist's BRITISH LION Announces European Tour, Readies Live Album
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IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's solo/side project BRITISH LION will embark on a European tour in November and December.
Says Steve: "It's been great fun taking BRITISH LION out on the road over the past three years and I'm delighted we have the opportunity to play some more shows in 2016.
"This club tour will be our most extensive European one yet.
"Due to the routing, we're not able to get to Scandinavia this time around, but will definitely see our fans there next time.
"On this tour, we'll be making our first visits to Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Southern and Northern Ireland, as well as a number of different cities in countries we've visited on previous tours.
"We've got a really strong show lined up, including plenty of songs not on the [first] BRITISH LION album.
"The whole band is really excited and can't wait to get out on the road again.
"We'll be looking to record some more shows on this tour to add to the recordings we already have for an upcoming live album."
Fan-filmed video footage of BRITISH LION performing two new songs, "Spitfire" and "Bible Black", on July 29, 2015 at The Square in Harlow, United Kingdom can be seen below.
* Spitfire
* Bible Black
BRITISH LION's debut album sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"British Lion" was released in the U.S. on September 25, 2012 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Mixed by Kevin Shirley — whose credits include IRON MAIDEN as well as Led ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY and RUSH, among many others — the CD, which features Harris alongside Taylor, guitarists Graham Leslie and David Hawkins and drummer Simon Dawson, presents a different side of the bassist's musical visions.
"British Lion" comprises ten songs that Steve and his collaborators had been working on between IRON MAIDEN tours and releases and was described by Harris as "'70s-influenced, British-sounding hard rock." "I'd say it's more mainstream rock than metal... and quite commercial… but good commercial," he said. "There's all kinds of stuff going on, with nods to THE WHO and UFO and some classic British rock bands, but it's not the progressive rock album some might be expecting."
Speaking about BRITISH LION's musical direction, vocalist Richard Taylor told Underkill TV: "It's very difficult to describe your music or whatever, but… The way I write lyrics and melodies is I love melody. And I think with Steve… Steve loves the same or whatever. I think the difference is just that, with MAIDEN, [which] is just an incredible band, and Bruce Dickinson is the most amazing singer ever, but it's a completely different style to what I do. But when Steve and I get together — Steve loves melody as well — I think it's just me that takes it in that different direction from the sound. Fundamentally, it's still rock, and if you see it live, it's really powerful live."
Asked if there are any plans for BRITISH LION to record a follow-up album to 2012's self-titled debut, Taylor said: "Yeah, I think that's the plan. I write all the time, and when I get together with Steve, we write. There's so much stuff. It's [a matter of] fitting it in — obviously, more around Steve, [since] he's a pretty busy man. But, yeah, that's the plan."
