"It's pretty strange right now because there are so many different types of Maiden fans out there," nods Steve Harris. "With musicians that like Maiden it's quite strange for us to deal with things. I suppose it was the same with us when we started this band because we all looked up to our heroes and all that. That doesn't stop it being a bit strange when people look up to you."

Of course the requisite statistics that accompany Maiden's career are impressive (over 50 million albums sold; 13 Top Ten albums in the UK, including three Number Ones; legendary strength-sapping world tours etc). But Maiden stand for much more than that. A people's band in every sense of the word, Maiden represent an entire community of music fans. Just ask any of the hundreds of thousands of fans that visit their website IRONMAIDEN.COM each month