Bruce Dickinson has made his stance on people smoking during shows very clear. Look no further than an October 2022 Iron Maiden show when Dickinson blasted some fans in the front row for smoking weed. Though Dickinson's anger during an April 27 show at the Opera Hall in Brasília, Brazil was slightly different.
Dickinson was certainly pissed that some people were smoking, as he addressed the crowd and noted that both he and bassist Tanya O'Callaghan were coughing do to the smoke.
"I do apologize for coughing," said Dickinson. "Some of you fuckers are smoking, all right? I can't sing if you're gonna smoke, all right? [Tanya's] coughing her guts out, I'm coughing, my fucking wife is going, 'Blargh,' in the back there, all right? It's kind of disgusting, all right? But if you wanna be disgusting, do it outside, all right? Not in here. My throat's got work to do. You pay good money to hear me fucking sing, not [cough my lungs out], all right?"
Dickinson then later addressed the fact that someone was allegedly using pepper spray, causing him some vocal distress.
"Somebody down here has been using pepper spray," said Dickinson. "Some fucker has been using pepper spray, which is why people can't fucking breathe down there, right? So, you know, if you figure out who the fuck it is, I just don't care what happens to them after the show, all right? In the meantime, we will try and do the best we can."
Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda noted in his own review of the show that Dickinson sane "Navigate The Seas Of The Sun" off stage due to alleged breathing difficulties.
So what's the deal with the pepper spray? Initial reports alleged that concert security used it to clear up a fight, though producer MCA Concerts noted that their security does not use pepper spray. Later reports found that the "pepper spray" may have been an exploded vape, which appear to cause similar symptoms.
MCA Concerts has since released a statement to Blabbermouth, saying: "[Saturday] night over 2000 fans filled the Opera Hall in Brasília to see Bruce Dickinson on the third show of his, critically acclaimed, first Brazilian solo tour for over 20 years. An incident occurred towards the end of the show where noxious fumes were released, causing severe issues for the band members on stage and the crew and audience in the auditorium. Subsequently many members of the crowd have taken to social media to corroborate the incident that caused them breathing difficulties.
"As video footage shows, Bruce did his best, with limited knowledge of the situation, to explain the effects to the crowd but subsequently found out that several band members, including himself, were affected by the fall out and a member of the crew had to be treated with oxygen by a doctor. The footage also shows Bruce departing the stage to perform part of the encore after being seen visibly struggling to breathe and pitch his vocal.
"Tour promoters MCA are still working with authorities to understand the full impact of the incident and understand how the noxious fumes affected not just the audience and crew but also the band onstage.
"Fortunately, everyone has been checked out by medical staff and given the all clear."
So yeah, it was a rough night for Dickinson and the band.
