Biography

Maiden uniteD
The band performing in 2016
Background information
Origin	United Kingdom, Netherlands
Genres	Acoustic rock, influenced by heavy metal
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Private Management
Members	Damian Wilson Ruud Jolie Joey Bruers Marco Kuypers Mike Coolen Perttu Kivilaakso Anneke van Giersbergen
Website	www.MaidenuniteD.com

Maiden uniteD is an acoustic project. Musicians from different bands join together to play an all-acoustic tribute to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The songs are played with new arrangements.

About

In 2006, Joey Bruers was asked to perform a tribute at a convention for the Dutch Iron Maiden fan club in Dynamo, Eindhoven.^[1] Together with several musicians he played a set of acoustic Iron Maiden songs.^[2] Steve Harris attended the convention and gave the band ‘two thumbs up’.^[3]

There were a few more shows like this and then he started to write new acoustic arrangements for a series of songs with Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation).

They began to search for musicians to record these songs and on 9 December 2010 their first album was released; Mind the Acoustic Pieces, an all-acoustic reinterpretation of Iron Maiden’s classic album Piece of Mind.

The album was supported by the "Pieces Over Europe Tour" (December 2010 - April 2011). Maiden uniteD played at the 2011 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany^[4] and they played at the 2011 Download festival in the UK.^[5]

Their second album 'Across The Seventh Sea' was released in September 2012 and followed by a European tour in November and December. This album contains rearranged songs from several Iron Maiden albums. Perttu Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica) plays cello on the tracks 'The Evil That Men Do' and 'Infinite Dreams'.^[6]

Maiden uniteD brought their third album Remembrance out in 2015. There are also special guests on this album such as ex Iron Maiden singers Paul Di'Anno and Blaze Bayley. Next to them are Wudstik, Marcela Bovio of Stream of Passion and ex Iron Maiden drummer Thunderstick also on the album. A European tour follows from September through December.

Discography

Albums

• Mind the Acoustic Pieces (2010)
• Mind the Acoustic Pieces (ltd. Vinyl edition) (2011)
• Across the Seventh Sea (2012)
• Across the Seventh Sea (ltd. Vinyl edition) (2012)
• Remembrance (2015)
• Empire of the Clouds [E.P.] (2018)
• The Barrel House Tapes (2019)

Singles

• The Trooper/Sun and Steel (with Anneke van Giersbergen on vocals) (2011)
• Strange World (2015)

Current members

• Joey Bruers (Up The Irons): : Bass

Guest Members on Tour

Perttu Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica): Cello
Anneke van Giersbergen (formerly The Gathering), (Devin Townsend), (Ayreon): Vocals
Luke Appleton (Blaze Bayley, Absolva): Bass
Lee Morris (formerly Paradise Lost): Drums
Huub van Loon (Dearworld): Keyboards
Joe Lazarus (Voodoo Six): Drums
Marcela Bovio (formerly Stream of Passion), (MaYaN), (Ayreon): Vocals
Martijn Balsters (The Dust Connection): Guitar
Wudstik (Ayreon), (For all we Know): Vocals
Tom Sikkers (Daybroke): Guitar
Dennis Stratton (formerly Iron Maiden): Guitar

Stef Broks (Textures): Drums

Former members

• Marco Kuypers (Cloudmachine): Piano
• Mike Coolen (Within Temptation): Drums
• Damian Wilson (Threshold, Ayreon, Star One, Headspace, Landmarq): Vocals
• Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation, For all we Know): Guitar
• Thijs Schrijnemakers (Orgel Vreten): Keyboards

Concert tours

{List of Maiden United concert tours}

External links

• Maiden uniteD

References