Letter to Iron Maiden

Dear Iron Maiden,

I hope this letter finds you all well.

This is Jorge, a researcher working at the University of Surrey. No worries, I won’t bore you with my latest scientific discoveries. I am indeed just an ordinary man who happens to be a rock music fan. Since I arrived in the UK, more than 10 years ago, I have been immersed in my teaching and investigations. Winter can be long in this part of the world. Although many of these activities have been related to academia, reality is that I have also had the time to research my family and my origins, and somehow these are connected with heavy metal, in particular Iron Maiden, and also with the proposal I make at the end of this letter. Hopefully you stay with me until then. I will do my best to explain the most relevant, exciting details.

The key elements that sustain my story are two: a very small Spanish town in the province of Salamanca called Los Santos; and my dearly beloved cousin Javi. My ancestors and relatives come from Los Santos, a village of roughly 600 habitants located in the West of Spain, near Portugal, in an area of outstanding beauty, surrounded by hilly valleys, forests of deciduous trees and mountains. An unknown paradise, in the middle of nowhere, perfect for a peaceful vacation at any time of the year. Back in the 60s and 70s, Los Santos suffered from a diaspora due to a massive migration to cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao, where industrialization brought more job security. I guess poverty and the hardiness of farming in those days were also some of the main reasons of that depopulation, as it occurred in many other rural places. Subsequently, cities received new residents, but were not prepared for such an unprecedented exodus. Many families moved to suburban ghettos, like those built in the South of Madrid, where me and my cousin Javi grew up. Certainly, there were more job opportunities, but living in these working-class areas, full of tall buildings, concrete and waste grounds with no green parks around, was not easy at all, especially for teenagers and youngsters. Nevertheless, the young adapted and found their way through many escape routes such as the brand-new heavy metal music. Javi is older than me (his 60^th birthday was in December last year), thus he and his friends were exposed to the new sound of the biggest heavy metal groups. They first embraced imported bands from the UK and other English-speaking countries such as Deep purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motorhead or AC/DC; and this was followed by Spanish bands like Obus or Baron Rojo, who made the impossible possible. They put Spanish lyrics into the new heavy metal wave! But on top of all these bands there was always one, THE ONE. This band was IRON MAIDEN.

The love and devotion that Javi professed for Iron Maiden and the heavy metal music in general, was shared with the young people living in Los Santos in the early 80s. Instead of moving to urban areas, they decided to stay, as their parents did, to mainly work as farmers and meat process workers. At that time rural areas were also less exposed to the latest changes in music, so anything brought from the city, especially in the form of cassette tapes, was very welcomed, in particular over the summer months. Migrants used to send their descendants, like Javi and myself, to their parents’ villages in vacation time. There were no summer schools or luxurious summer destinations in those days. Well, there was not much to do in the South of Madrid from June to September anyway, I must say; so, in a way, it was a break that we all took with enthusiasm. Although many villages across Spain experienced this “summer music revolution” the music that really took root in Los Santos was the heavy metal, and within this unexpected new “social concert”, Iron Maiden was, by no means, the main act. Supported by other heavy metal maniacs, Javi’s influence (and stubbornness) paid off, leading to the creation of a “Los Santos heavy metal” society, known locally as Los Heavies.

Hard rock and heavy metal music reached their commercial peak in the 80s, thus this could have helped Los Heavies society flourished throughout that decade. In the early 90s different musical styles like grunge boomed but this did not seem to affect the spirit and the emotional power that the society had over the entire village. It was indeed the opposite as a new musical occurrence took place in 1992 that completely changed the modern history of Los Santos. With the help of the village council, Javi and some of his colleagues from the society organized the first “rural heavy metal” festival of the shire, a festival that is known today as “Granito Rock”. Most of the society members were in their 30s, so their additional music influences such as the so-called Spanish urban (city) rock and the exuberance of youth were instrumental for this inspiring moment. This also coincided with a rise in Los Santos’ economy due to the expansion of their granite mining; thus, not surprising at all that the festival was named after this granite popularity. We even have our very own Stonehenge! The original budget was not too generous but enough to pay local bands. Los heavies Society, and particularly Javi, worked hard, always altruistically, with no commissions involved, to persuade the bands to play; and top up the expenses through the sale of tickets, drinks and anything related to merchandising. Years passed by and the festival not only prevailed but went the extra mile, mainly because of the connections that Javi made with several rock bands from Madrid and other parts of Spain. In the new century, they succeeded in bringing rock and heavy metal bands that are nationally recognized today, including Porretas, Boikot, Mago de Oz, Koma, Lujuria, Marea and Tierra Santa. In 2015, we were even lucky to host Obus, to whom Adrian Smith helped with their 3^rd studio album. Up till now the festival is still the pride of the village, an iconic event with more than 30 editions to which many heavy metal fans on their summer holidays contribute. The atmosphere around the event is real and genuine and within it, many Iron Maiden T-shirts can be seen. Last year it was its 31^st edition.

I suspect more editions of Granito Rock are on their way. However, I have witnessed that the granite stone that founded the festival is cracking a bit, fading away. Step by step the heavy metal essence is being shadowed by some rock (or even pop or disco) music bands, and the new generations are completely disconnected to the origin of Granito Rock. Los heavies Society is indeed becoming like a legend, with some living proofs like my cousin Javi still standing, but a relic after all. They also say key history events should not be forgotten, especially if they explain the principles and values of people and their community. Concerning Los Santos, heavy metal is one of those key historical moments, as Javi and I have discussed on many warm summer nights, and Iron Maiden plays a vital role in that.

“Too much talking cousin” - I would say - “The sands of time are running low, and some decisions need to be made yet…”

“What do you mean?” - Javi asked -

“How about an epic Granito Rock edition with Iron Maiden as the front band?” – I shouted with excitement- “Imagine that, primu”

“An everlasting heavy metal concert with Iron Maiden on it” - Javi whispered- “… connecting the new generations with our generation”

“A difficult task, nearly a utopia, a dream, but hey… we could try!” I added.

Thus, last August, before summer holidays ended, Javi and I wrote down all the details I have explained in this letter. Personally, it has been an excellent opportunity to summarize them and acknowledge all the eternal dedication that Javi and his heavy metal colleagues have shown towards Iron Maiden and the heavy metal world since the early 80s. That fictional Granito Rock edition would pay tribute to these nameless heroes. Demigods helping mortals finding their way to immortality. We do not have much money but have the time, as well as the enthusiasm and the dedication. Our humble background is our foundation, and we do still believe that popular movements could make dreams come true. We would be honoured if our letter is read and that somehow, we receive a response. As part of that special Granito Rock edition, we aim for an Iron Maiden concert; however, we understand that there are legal and financial barriers to overcome. We are aware that our mission requires a “one thing at a time” approach, so any type of conversation or contact would be very much appreciated. Roma was not built in one day and, most importantly, the small Gallic village still resists.

Looking forward to your response.

 Jorge