Bruce Dickinson – The Mandrake Project Live 2025 at The Uptown Theater

Bruce Dickinson absolutely captivated the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis on September 28th. This was no ordinary night—it was the upper midwest stop of The Mandrake Project Live 2025 Tour, his biggest solo run in 30 years, and you could feel the buzz before the lights even dropped.

Bruce rolled in with the same killer lineup from 2024: Philip Naslund and Chris Declercq on guitars, Tanya O’Callaghan on bass, Mistheria on keys (and yes, keytar!), and Dave Moreno on drums. And in true Bruce fashion, he casually announced from the stage that they’ve already written 66+ new songs and plan to record in January. Sixty-six songs! Let’s be real … who else but Bruce would say that in the middle of a tour?

He hit the ground running with “Accident of Birth,” and from that moment, the crowd was his. Tons of energy packed into the Uptown Theater—it felt massive, yet strangely intimate. Bruce wasn’t just singing; he was leading us on a trip through his entire solo career.

The first half was pure metal mayhem—“Abduction,” “Laughing in the Hiding Bush,” “Shadow of the Gods,” “Chemical Wedding.” The riffs were thick, the pace relentless, and Bruce’s voice? Still soaring, still untouchable. He’s 66, but sings like he’s 26.

Things shifted in the second half—more atmosphere, more emotion. “Resurrection Man” was epic and haunting, “Tears of the Dragon” had people visibly tearing up (no pun intended), and “Rain on the Graves” was as creepy as it was powerful, with eerie visuals of Bruce wandering through a graveyard.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was “Flash of the Blade.” A deep cut from Iron Maiden’s Powerslave that had never been performed live until this tour. When those opening notes hit, the crowd erupted—it was a moment Maiden diehards will never forget. Still, Bruce made it clear: this tour is about his solo catalog, and it delivered.

The band was flawless. Philip and Chris shredded with insane precision, Tanya’s bass shook the room while her headbanging added drama to every riff, Mistheria layered everything with that eerie keyboard magic, and Dave pounded the drums like a machine. At one point during “Gods of War,” Bruce even jumped on two giant drums, pounding away with Dave in perfect sync. The place went wild.

By the finale, the Uptown Theater felt leveled. This wasn’t just another rock show—it was Bruce Dickinson at his finest: fierce, theatrical, and utterly timeless. Fans left knowing they had witnessed a masterclass in heavy metal performance, one that will linger long after the amps went silent.

If you’ve ever loved Iron Maiden, or even just wondered what Bruce can do outside of it, don’t miss this tour … you will not be disappointed.