The first time I heard Iron Maiden was with the release of The Number of The Beast album in the spring of 1982. MTV had finally shown up on our cable box and Martha Quinn was introducing both the title song “The Number of the Beast” and “Run For The Hills” videos. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal had finally arrived in Cary, NC. This was the time before the internet so I had no idea of Iron Maiden’s history. It was months before a high school classmate mentioned to be that the band had a different singer on their first two albums. The Number of the Beast was the first album with Bruce Dickinson on vocals. I was curious what the band sounded like with original singer Paul Di’Anno, but nobody was going to loan me copies of Iron Maiden and Killers. I didn’t have that much birthday cash to blow at Camelot Music or the Record Bar at the malls. I really didn’t get around to listening to them until years later. In a sense Di’Anno became a forgotten part of Iron Maiden that went on to be one of the largest metal acts in the world with their mascot Eddie on their private jet. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is a documentary that gets extremely personal with the man, his legacy and his struggle to survive.
Paul was nicknamed The Beast during his time in Iron Maiden. He stood out from his bandmates with his short hair. He also wore leather and metal studs. James Hetfield of Metallica praises Paul’s work He holds up the first two records and declares them the ultimate metal for him. And we see clips of Paul on stage with Iron Maiden in those early years the ’80s when they were playing small clubs and pubs (although it wasn’t called pub rock). He gleams as he fronts the band. When we see Paul of the 21st Century, he’s in horrible shape. Turns out he’s had knee issues since the late ’90s and didn’t take care of it. Now he can’t walk and is stuck in a wheelchair. He’s also extremely heavy. He looks like a person on My 600 Pound Life (although not quite that huge). He’s in such bad health that the NHS can’t schedule him for knee replacement surgery. We see the X-rays and they aren’t pretty. Paul’s son has offered to take care of his dad, but the old man doesn’t want to move from his messy apartment.
Things seem up in the first part of the film. He enters a studio to record a song with another band. Paul takes part at an event at Cart & Horses pub where Iron Maiden got its start. The bar become a museum dedicated to the band. Paul holds court with fans eager to know what it was like when they rocked the small joint although Paul might have played their only once. Paul even joins an all-female metal act to rock out on stage. He’s doing a lot even confined in his wheelchair.
When Iron Maiden decides to replace Paul after end of the Killers world tour and the release of Maiden Japan EP, it was a surprise to Paul. Although doesn’t seem surprise anyone else because Paul was getting too high all the time. While not mentioned in this film, The Secret Lives Of Bill Bartell let us know that it was Bill Bartell who told Paul he was being replaced by Bruce Dickinson. It was a double shock who was getting ready for the next album.
Iron Maiden experienced massive success Paul was let go. The Mark of the Beast, their first album with Bruce, sold over 20 million copies. They were no longer a cult metal opening act. Paul didn’t give up on music. We see a few of the bands that Paul started up afterward. Many of them had record deals with labels of various sizes. One of the bands had a more AOR sound than metal. He even had a band called Killers, like the second Iron Maiden album. He did anything to stay on turntables and stages. Paul talks about how hard it is to keep a band together if you aren’t on a major label and selling a lot of records. Expenses pile up quickly when you’re on the road and in the studio and not posing with record executives holding your Diamond Record Award. Think of how many of Iron Maiden’s NWBHM bands have been obscured by time and their albums are out of print. Paul struggled to get back in the groove.
The film shows Paul’s health getting worse with no hope after doctor’s can’t fully replace his first bad knee. He’s gained even more weight. This leads to an Iron Maiden superfan in Croatia offering to help him get medical care in his country (where such a surgery is relatively affordable). The problem is that Paul can’t fly in his condition so we see the journey from boat to a cross-country ambulance ride that isn’t comfortable. Paul can’t lay back anymore. The big thing is this is not going to be a simple operation. He must remain in the country for months as they perform various surgeries and therapies. The super fan comes up with fundraising projects to make sure Paul can survive. Can Paul handle life so far from England?
During the medical care, Paul meets Kiss backstage at a full make up concert. There’s Gene at 72 still wearing his crazy costume. Gene lets him know he preferred Paul’s voice to Bruce’s singing. The reminisce a bit and talk about growing old on the road. Nobody seems to want to escape the stage. Although Gene is making a little bit more than Paul per gig.
And there is a gig for Paul in Croatia. He plays a bar in Zagreb the day before Iron Maiden comes to town. His usual backing band from Norway, pay their own way to join him on stage. Even stuck in the wheelchair, he is a transformed man with the microphone in his hand.
You might wonder why Paul isn’t living handsomely from his royalties on those first two Iron Maiden records. While it’s not explained, a quick check on the internet shows that they aren’t big sellers in the catalog. Even though Killers went gold in America, that’s money that has to be split between five band members over 40 years. He appears to have been married five times with six kids. Cash disappears fast in family court.
The film does show him meeting up once more with Steve Harris of Iron Maiden backstage before their gig in Zagreb. After the show, Steve proves to be a good guy for Paul. Indeed Steve is making sure that when Iron Maiden gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, Paul is part of the honored members.
Di’Anno is not an optimistic music documentary with a joyful finale. This is a harsh reminder of the music industry in the 21st Century. He’s a man in his ’60s, confined to a wheelchair and trying to hit the notes his voice could handle over 40 years ago. But the road is the only way he can make money. Now people can just go on Youtube and listen to the records for free. The only way to make cash purely with music is to sell songs for commercials. “Killers” isn’t going to move prescription drugs. Paul does a tour of Brazil performing the first two Iron Maiden albums. We see his struggles. While it seems painful, we’re told there’s a positive side to it. This is better than what he’d being doing at his home in England.
Director Wes Orshoski had previously created the documentaries Lemmy and The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead. Both amazing films and he goes beyond those two films. There’s a lot going in the film as we’re absorbed into Di’Anno’s life. He gets really intimate to the man. Wes gets so close that we see the inside of his body during the knee surgery. While the documentary seems geared to hardcore Iron Maiden fans who bought the first two albums; Wes has a story that will work for casual music listeners or people curious about getting major surgery in a foreign country. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is a heartbreaking story about a man who never stopped rocking.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The image looks good whether it be Paul on stage or the operating table. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 stereo. Things sound fine, but you’ll want to crank it up for the music.
Warhorse (2:40) has him singing with the band and clips from the music video.
Bundles (2:57) shows the couple helping out Paul mailing out signed Warhorse compact discs and t-shirts as part of their fundraising efforts.
Slide Show (1:53) are stills from the production and Paul’s career.
Trailer (2:48) dips into the highs and lows of the documentary.
Cleopatra Entertainment presents Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer. Directed by Wes Orshoski. Featuring Paul Di’Anno, Gene Simmons, Steve Harris, and James Hetfield. Rating: Unrated. Running Time: 97 minutes. Release Date: June 9, 2026.
