The Entire Population of Hackney
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Products | Live performances, bootleg recording |
The Entire Population of Hackney was a collaborative supergroup consisting of musicians from Iron Maiden, FM, and Urchin, which performed two live shows in December 1985. The name also identifies a bootleg recording capturing the initial concert. This endeavor played a crucial role in inspiring Adrian Smith to create his ASAP project and ultimately leave Iron Maiden in 1990 (though he rejoined in 1999 and continues as a member alongside other ventures). Additionally, it marked the first time Iron Maiden released a recording without their usual lead vocalist.
Background
Following the conclusion of the World Slavery Tour in July 1985, Iron Maiden entered a six-month hiatus. Seeking to alleviate boredom during this downtime, Nicko McBrain secured a rehearsal space and invited Adrian Smith for jam sessions. They enlisted associates such as songwriter Dave Colwell, guitarist Andy Barnett from Visage, and Martin Connoly of Marshall Fury. Both Colwell and Barnett had been part of an early incarnation of FM when "That Girl" was penned in 1984; this version was performed by The Entire Population of Hackney and subsequently covered by Iron Maiden, while FM later reworked the track for their 1986 debut album, Indiscreet.
McBrain arranged two performances: one under the name The Entire Population of Hackney and another billed as The Sherman Tankers. The audience-recorded bootleg titled The Entire Population of Hackney originates from the first concert, where Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, and Steve Harris joined on stage for encore numbers. Their repertoire blended original compositions from group members with renditions of songs by artists such as Bob Seger and ZZ Top.
This short break influenced Iron Maiden’s subsequent releases; three tracks featured in the setlist were later included on two singles: "Reach Out" appeared on "Wasted Years" while "Juanita" and "That Girl" were part of "Stranger in a Strange Land."
Set list (first show)
- Track listing
Credits (first show)
- Adrian Smith – lead vocals (tracks 1–6, 8, 10–11), lead and rhythm guitars (all tracks)
- Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals (tracks 13–15)
- Andy Barnett – lead vocals (tracks 7,9), lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (tracks 1–6,8,10–11)
- Dave Colwell – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (tracks 1–11)
- Dave Murray – lead and rhythm guitars (tracks 12–15)
- Martin Connoly – bass guitar (tracks 1–11)
- Marshall Fury
- Steve Harris – bass guitar (tracks 12–15)
- Nicko McBrain – drums on all tracks