IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson discussed his current spoken-word tour in a new interview with Sara of the Philadelphia radio station 93.3 WMMR. Asked what fans can expect to see at each show, Bruce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, I’m hoping that people go away from the show having laughed a lot and maybe having learned a little and mainly feeling, ‘That was really worth three hours of my life, to go and have that experience and share some stories.’

“I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy, so I try to get that across,” he continued. “[The show] is rude — it’s not for the faint hearted. We get some kids coming in, and I’m, like, ‘Does you mum know that you’re actually at this show? We’re gonna be saying words like ‘penis’ or worse.’ But people laugh. I get different audiences. It depends on the venue, actually, quite often. When I go into somewhere where it’s pretty rough, the audience tends to be a bit more, [grunts] ‘Hey.’ But when you get into a nice theater, they get all the ironic touches and things like that. But every now and again, you say the ‘P’ word, and people are, like, ‘Oh, he said the ‘P’ word.'”

Dickinson is considered one of the world’s most storied musicians. Aside from decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his larger-than-life persona in IRON MAIDEN, Bruce has lived an extraordinary off-stage existence too. A true polymath, his accomplishments include: pilot and airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, beer brewer, motivational speaker, film scriptwriter, twice-published novelist and Sunday Times best-selling author, radio presenter, TV actor, sports commentator and international fencer — to name but a few.

Bruce’s spoken-word show is split into two parts. The first section sees him take a humorous and often satirical look at the world from his own very personal perspective, treating the audience to private insights into his drive and ambition, peppered with plenty of MAIDEN anecdotes, and a myriad of other experiences encompassing not just the giddy heights but also the extreme lows, as told first-hand in his inimitable anarchic style, punctuated with photographs, videos and sometimes even erupting into song a cappella, to illustrate a point. The final section of the evening is devoted entirely to the aforementioned question-and-answer session, with the opportunity to pose questions on any subject whatsoever. As Bruce’s answers are all completely improvised — the more left-field and quirky the question, the more interesting and compelling the response is likely to be.

Dickinson, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.

Hear Philly psych doom quartet Ritual Earth channel some serious early ’90s Seattle and Kyuss vibes on this drop-tuned grinder.
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Charvel honors the British guitar virtuoso Guthrie Govan with the launch of his Japanese-made signature guitar.As an homage to the late ’80s when Charvel guitars were manufactured exclusively in Japan, Govan’s all-new signature model is loaded with an assortment of top-end features that deliver the superior sound, craftsmanship and feel prized by today’s high-performance players. Other premium features include three specially wound Charvel custom pickups arranged in a versatile HSH configuration with five-way switching for the expansive tonal openness and dynamic sensitivity that Govan demands, along with a two-way mini toggle switch to engage single-coil simulation in bridge and neck humbucker positions. This instrument also comes loaded with two Luminlay numbered dome control knobs for volume and tone, recessed Charvel locking tremolo bridge with pop-in tremolo arm and brass block, Gotoh die-cast locking tuners and Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut.“I have been playing guitar since I was three years old, so having my own signature mode feels like an honor which comes with a certain responsibility,” Govan said. “If you are going to have your name on the back of an instrument’s headstock, that’s you personally vouching for the quality and usability of that instrument, which is not something to be taken lightly. With my signature Charvel guitar, I feel completely confident to play it anywhere in the world and at any type of gig.”Cloaked in a classic Three-Tone Sunburst finish, the instrument is loaded with top-end specs handpicked by Govan. The 25.5”-scale signature model features a basswood body with an ash top and specially contoured heel (sans neck plate) for easy access to the upper reaches of the fingerboard. The graphite-reinforced bolt-on maple neck has a “caramelized” heat and drying treatment that makes it sound and feel much older, along with a satin finish on the back of the neck for smooth playability. Most unusual for a San Dimas model, the 12”-16” compound radius caramelized maple fingerboard features 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets, as well as crème dot inlays, Luminlay side dots and a conveniently located heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel.Guthrie Govan Showcases his Signature MJ San Dimas SD24 CMFor more information, visit www.charvel.com.