Iron Maiden honoured with set of Royal Mail stamps

NME

Iron Maiden are the latest band to be celebrated by Royal Mail with a set of their very own stamps.

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The British metal legends have been honoured with 12 new ‘Special Stamps’: eight of which feature all current members of the band, and four of which pay homage to the band’s mascot, Eddie.

They’ve become only the fifth music group to feature in a dedicated stamp issue, following on from The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016, Queen in 2020, and The Rolling Stones in 2022.

Guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, and lead singer Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain and bassist Steve Harris all appear in the commemorative project.

The main stamp set celebrates Iron Maiden’s live performances, featuring a selection of photos from their worldwide tours across the years from 1980 until 2018.

Iron Maiden founder member and bassist Steve Harris said: “We were all absolutely astounded – in a good way! – when we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time. They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. We’re all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honour the band’s legacy like this and we know our fans will feel the same way,”

Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood added: “As a band who have never played by anyone else’s rules for over 40 years, it’s very gratifying to see them honoured in their home country in this way. We’re proud to show how these six band members are still appealing to more and more fans every year with their music and their legendary shows, which I think these stamps really capture well.

“It’s also fantastic that Eddie has been honoured too – it’s incredible to think that Her Majesty, may she rest in peace, saw these and lent her iconic silhouette to them too.”

The stamps are available to pre-order from today (January 5) here or by calling 03457 641 641. They go on general sale from January 12 with a Presentation Pack containing all 12 stamps priced at £17.70.

David Gold, Director of External Public Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Few bands in the history of rock music can be called bona fide rock legends – but Iron Maiden are just that – and more. 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.”

Iron Maiden will be back on the road this year for their ‘The Future Past’ tour with dates across the UK and Europe. See the dates here.

Elsewhere, last month the band shared a mini-documentary from their recent ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ tour, taking fans inside the mammoth shows’ production with the band’s frontman, Bruce Dickinson, as their guide.

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