Cali Maiden and Metallifornia

Imagine a tour in the mid-to-late 1980s, when both Metallica and Iron Maiden were absolute forces of nature, each at the peak of youthful energy and creative fire. Metallica had just unleashed the fury of Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets, with Cliff Burton’s bass roaring like a second guitar and James Hetfield barking out lyrics with raw, unpolished power. Meanwhile, Iron Maiden, riding high on the successes of Powerslave and Somewhere in Time, had Bruce Dickinson’s soaring vocals leading a twin-guitar army of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, backed by Steve Harris’ galloping bass and Nicko McBrain’s thunderous drumming. The tour would be a maelstrom of denim, leather, beer, and sweat, with Metallica opening (though not for long—they were already becoming headliners) and tearing into brutal, riff-heavy sets. Songs like “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “Battery” would ignite pits that looked like battlegrounds, full of denim-vested thrashers headbanging in chaotic unity. When Iron Maiden took the stage, it would become a theatrical spectacle. Massive stage props, backdrops of Egyptian temples or futuristic cityscapes, and of course, Eddie—their monstrous mascot—would tower above the crowd. Maiden’s set would be full of anthem after anthem: “The Trooper,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Wasted Years,” delivered with the polish of veterans and the fire of young men still hungry to prove themselves.Backstage, the two bands—young, rebellious, and wildly different in personality—might share beers and jokes, but there would also be an underlying tension: Metallica’s raw, stripped-down aggression versus Maiden’s grand, theatrical precision. It would be a brotherhood forged in heavy metal, but with a competitive edge that pushed each band to deliver absolutely devastating performances every night.The audience? A wild sea of long-haired maniacs, patched battle vests, fists in the air, screaming every word. It would be an unforgettable clash of titans, the old guard of British metal royalty and the rising kings of American thrash, colliding in a tour that would be whispered about for decades as the stuff of heavy metal legend. Cali Maiden isn’t another typical tribute band. It’s a worship band to Iron Maiden. Comprised of musicians from all over SoCal who are all Iron Maiden fanatics with extensive stage experience, Cali Maiden looks to bring the authenticity of an Iron Maiden theatrical show to venues all over. With a setlist that spans Bruce Dickinson’s and Paul Di’Anno’s eras, Cali Maiden's catalogue covers all the Maiden hits mixed along with some B-sides that true fans can appreciate. Cali Maiden is: Vocals: Fabio Di Nino (Titan’s Wrath) Guitar: Peter Lopez Guitar: Riley Phillips (California Villain, Titan’s Wrath) Bass: Brian Holliday (California Villain) Drums: Glenn Wallis (California Villain)