Bruce Dickinson has never been afraid of an unexpected stage appearance, but even the Iron Maiden frontman admits his latest guest spot was a blur.
Fresh off a flight from Europe, Dickinson joined Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and his covers outfit The Coverups during San Diego Comic-Con celebrations on July 23rd, stepping in for a performance of the David Bowie penned Mott The Hoople classic “All The Young Dudes”.
The song holds a special place in Dickinson’s catalogue, having previously released his own version as a single from his 1990 solo debut Tattooed Millionaire, despite the familiarity the circumstances made the performance anything but routine (per Blabbermouth).
“I’d done the song before. I actually… I did the song as … It was a single off my very first solo album. It was 6:00 o’clock in the morning for me [after landing in San Diego from Europe]… 6:00 o’clock in the morning and I’d not been to bed all night because I was obviously jet-lagged and all the rest of it. But Billie Joe had asked if I could get up and do ‘All The Young Dudes’. And I was, like, ‘Yeah, I could probably do that.’ So hopefully I did. Not too sure I remember much about it, really, but it’s all preserved on YouTube in all its awful, awful splendor.”
The impromptu collaboration quickly became a talking point among rock fans, with footage circulating online showing Dickinson sharing the stage with Armstrong’s long running side project, which focuses on classic punk and rock covers rather than Green Day material.
A busy time for Dickinson
The appearance comes during an incredibly busy period for Dickinson, the legendary vocalist recently confirmed he has completed recording 16 songs for his next solo album, the follow up to 2024’s The Mandrake Project.
Recorded with his touring band at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in California, the album is expected to arrive in early 2027, with new music set to be released later this year, Dickinson also revealed one of the album’s standout tracks was written by his eldest son, Austin Dickinson, describing the collaboration as one of the highlights of the project.
Iron Maiden 2026 Australian tour with Megadeth
Australian fans won’t have to wait long to see Dickinson back on stage. Iron Maiden’s Run For Your Lives World Tour lands in Australia this November to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary, with dates across Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane alongside special guests Megadeth:
- Wednesday, November 11th – Adelaide, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
- Friday, November 13th – Melbourne, AAMI Park
- Sunday, November 15th – Sydney, Allianz Stadium
- Wednesday, November 18th – Brisbane, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
- Thursday, November 19th – Brisbane, Brisbane Entertainment Centre (Second Show)
All of the details and your tickets here.
While fans eagerly await new solo material, Dickinson’s Comic-Con cameo proved that even after an exhausting international flight, he’s still willing to jump on stage for a classic rock anthem, although he might not remember every second of it.
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