'I Wish You Nothing but a Very Sore Arm!' – Iron Maiden Manager Scolds Fans for Using Cell Phones at 2025 Tour

Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood recently thanked fans for their enthusiastic response to the band's 2025 tour kickoff — and scolded those who disregarded the rockers' request to minimize their cell phone usage at shows.

The metal giants kicked off their Run for Your Lives 50th anniversary tour on May 27 in Budapest, Hungary. The setlist focuses on Maiden's first nine albums, from Iron Maiden through Fear of the Dark, and the tour kickoff featured several songs that hadn't been played live in over a decade.

The week before launching their tour, Iron Maiden issued a statement asking fans not to film too much of the show. "In keeping with that time period Maiden are keen for everyone in the audience to experience this spectacular show as they would have when many of these songs were first played live back in '80s and, in common with many other artists, the band are now asking their fans not to excessively film the concerts on their phones or tablets," they wrote.

Smallwood added: "We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting, especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans."

Unsurprisingly, not all fans obliged.

Rod Smallwood Thanks Fans + Scolds Cell Phone Users

Smallwood singled out those fans in an otherwise positive letter posted on Iron Maiden's website and social media. You can see the full letter below.

"Well, what a way of starting this monumental tour with a couple of sold-out nights In Budapest," he wrote. "It was the perfect place to open this tour – a great venue, an incredible city, in fact, one of my favourites, and you very passionate Hungarian fans."

He continued: "We were delighted to see the reaction and appreciation for the new production that has enabled everyone to experience these iconic songs in a way we’ve never been able to before. This was quite an operation to achieve but we will let you have more insight into that very soon."

Smallwood thanked fans for the "amazing welcome" they gave new Iron Maiden drummer Simon Dawson, who made his live debut with the band in Budapest following Nicko McBrain's retirement from touring. He also thanked the fans "who kept your phones down, respected the band and your fellow fans, and embraced the show the way it’s meant to be experienced – in the room with us. That was a great boost for us and the band appreciated it greatly. It is so much better when they can see you unencumbered and that drives them on without that distraction."

The manager also had choice words for those who went against the band's wishes: "For the selfish few that didn’t and just had to keep videoing… I wish you nothing but a very sore arm!"

Thankfully, Smallwood noted, the video-obsessed fans "were few, and we do hope this support from fans, especially in the floor area in front of the sound desk, continues in Prague tomorrow and beyond. As I said before, by all means take the odd quick pic as a memento of a great night, but otherwise please keep your phone in your pocket."

With four shows down, Iron Maiden's Run for Your Lives tour will continue on Thursday in Trondheim, Norway. The ongoing European leg is scheduled to run through Aug. 2 in Warsaw, Poland.

Rod Smallwood's Full Statement on Iron Maiden Tour Kickoff + Cell Phone Usage

Well, what a way of starting this monumental tour with a couple of sold-out nights In Budapest. It was the perfect place to open this tour – a great venue, an incredible city, in fact, one of my favourites, and you very passionate Hungarian fans. And of course, not forgetting the travelling fans that came from far and very wide to experience the excitement of the big reveal! To see hundreds of fans and FC members in the aptly-named Heroes Square the day before the first show was fantastic as always.
We were delighted to see the reaction and appreciation for the new production that has enabled everyone to experience these iconic songs in a way we’ve never been able to before. This was quite an operation to achieve but we will let you have more insight into that very soon.
We also want to acknowledge the amazing welcome you gave Simon on his first shows with us. He felt your support from the start — and asks me to thank you all.
A huge thank you to every one of you who kept your phones down, respected the band and your fellow fans, and embraced the show the way it’s meant to be experienced – in the room with us. That was a great boost for us and the band appreciated it greatly. It is so much better when they can see you unencumbered and that drives them on without that distraction. For the selfish few that didn’t and just had to keep videoing… I wish you nothing but a very sore arm!
But they were few, and we do hope this support from fans, especially in the floor area in front of the sound desk, continues in Prague tomorrow and beyond. As I said before, by all means take the odd quick pic as a memento of a great night, but otherwise please keep your phone in your pocket.
On we go now to the first huge outdoor show and another fantastic sold out crowd waiting for us. We’re starting to hit our stride already and it’s going to be some ride for these next couple of months.
See you there.
Rod