Singer of heavy metal Iron Maiden group Bruce Dickinson has received an “Honorary Citizen of Sarajevo” award for his concert that he and his band performed in Sarajevo while it was under the siege in 1994.
During a solemn ceremony in the City Hall, Dickinson said that it is amazing that 25 years after the concert in Sarajevo it means this much to people and added that the award means a lot to him, but that he would like to share it with citizens of Sarajevo who were actually here, working and helping.
The award was handed by Sarajevo Mayor Abdulah Skaka who said that it took courage to Dickinson to come to Sarajevo in 1994 when Sarajevo was under siege.
In addition to his vocal ability, Dickinson is known for his energetic stage performances, which he delivers consistently despite his age. He considers including the audience “the essence of the Maiden experience” and that his role is to “shrink the venue … to turn that football stadium into the world’s smallest club”. To achieve this, Dickinson insists on gaining eye contact with audience members and urges them to join in with the phrase “scream for me” (followed by the concert’s location).
