I consider myself a metalhead, but Iron Maiden has been a bit of a blindspot for me to the point that I didn’t even know they had a different lead singer for the first two albums. So Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer (out now via MVD) worked for me in two ways: educating me about a band I didn’t know enough about, and, more importantly, documenting what happens to forgotten musicians.
“Forgotten musicians” is not truly accurate, though, as Di’Anno is a great example of how loyal metalheads can be to members of their favorite bands. Paul Di’Anno was in bad shape, confined to wheel-chair and in need of multiple knee surgeries, when a couple of fans took to crowdfunding and this documentary to help get him back to his former self and get back on stage.
When Paul is first shown, it seems impossible that he could ever perform again. But the documentary shows the resilience of Paul and his fans as he seeks cheaper medical care in Croatia and is eventually able to tour again before his death in 2024.
Di’Anno can be a tough watch as Paul’s health issues are not shied away from (and more footage than you might like of a knee replacement surgery is shown), but it’s an important one. For every megastar still on arena tours like James Hetfield and Gene Simmons (who both make appearances), there are many more Pauls, lesser known former members struggling to get by and stay on the stage.
Di’Anno may not end up being as triumphant as one might hope, but that’s real life. Still, it’s inspirational to see Paul get back on stage and witness all the fans helping along the way. If you’re like me, and you’ve never heard of Paul Di’Anno, then this is certainly worth a watch, and even more so for Iron Maiden fans.
Special Features
The whole presentation on the blu-ray looks great, and there are a couple deleted scenes included. My only complaint is the lack of subtitles. Between multiple accents and how fast Paul talks at times, I struggled at times to understand everyone, but it’s a minor nitpick.