# Killer World Tour

The Killer World Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 17 February 1981 to 15 November 1981. This was the band's first world tour, including their debut shows in North America (where they supported Judas Priest on their World Wide Blitz Tour and UFO on select dates) and Japan where they recorded the live release, Maiden Japan. On top of this, the band moved into larger venues in the United Kingdom, including the Hammersmith Odeon, in London.
This would be Iron Maiden's last tour with singer Paul Di'Anno, who was dismissed due to his unreliability. He was replaced by Samson vocalist Bruce Dickinson, with whom the band undertook a short series of concerts in Italy and the UK before they set about writing and recording their next album, The Number of the Beast.

## Setlist

* (Intro) "The Ides of March" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Wrathchild" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Purgatory" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Sanctuary" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
* "Remember Tomorrow" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
* "Another Life" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Genghis Khan" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Killers" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Innocent Exile" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Twilight Zone" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Phantom of the Opera" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
* "Iron Maiden" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
* "Running Free" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
* "Transylvania" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
* Guitar solo
* "Drifter" (from Killers, 1981)
* "Prowler" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
Notes:
* "Strange World" (from Iron Maiden, 1980) was performed on 23 May 1981 and 24 May 1981.
* "I've Got the Fire" (Montrose cover) was performed on 24 May, 26 October, 27 October, and 15 November 1981.
* "22 Acacia Avenue" and "Children of the Damned" were played at the 15 November Rainbow show as a preview for The Number of the Beast album. The intro solo on "Children of the Damned" is different from the final studio version.
* "The Prisoner" and "Run to the Hills" were played at the "secret" show at the Ruskin Arms on 23 December. "The Prisoner" had slightly different lyrics in the second verse and final chorus.

## Tour dates

List of 1981 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| 17 February 1981 | Ipswich | England | Gaumont Hall |
| 18 February 1981 | Norwich | England | University of East Anglia |
| 19 February 1981 | Oxford | England | New Theatre Oxford |
| 20 February 1981 | Lancaster | England | Lancaster University |
| 21 February 1981 | Derby | England | Assembly Rooms |
| 22 February 1981 | Manchester | England | Manchester Apollo |
| 23 February 1981 | Hanley | England | Victoria Hall |
| 24 February 1981 | Dunstable | England | Queensway Hall |
| 26 February 1981 | Guildford | England | Guildford Civic Hall |
| 27 February 1981 | Bristol | England | Colston Hall |
| 28 February 1981 | Taunton | England | Taunton Odeon |
| 1 March 1981 | Bournemouth | England | Winter Gardens |
| 2 March 1981 | Southampton | England | Gaumont Theatre |
| 4 March 1981 | Bradford | England | St George's Hall |
| 5 March 1981 | Liverpool | England | Empire Theatre |
| 6 March 1981 | Middlesbrough | England | Middlesbrough Town Hall |
| 7 March 1981 | Newcastle upon Tyne | England | Newcastle City Hall |
| 8 March 1981 | Glasgow | Scotland | The Apollo |
| 9 March 1981 | Edinburgh | Scotland | Odeon Theatre |
| 10 March 1981 | Sheffield | England | Sheffield City Hall |
| 12 March 1981 | Birmingham | England | Birmingham Odeon |
| 13 March 1981 | Cambridge | England | Corn Exchange |
| 14 March 1981 | Bracknell | England | Bracknell Sports Centre |
| 15 March 1981 | London | England | Hammersmith Odeon |
| 18 March 1981 | Lille | France | Palais St. Sauveur |
| 19 March 1981 | Hagondage | France | Salle de Fetes |
| 20 March 1981 | Reims | France | Maison des Sports |
| 21 March 1981 | Paris | France | Bataclan |
| 22 March 1981 | Paris | France | Bataclan |
| 23 March 1981 | Lyon | France | Palais d'Hiver |
| 24 March 1981 | Miramas | France | Salle des Fêtes |
| 25 March 1981 | Toulon | France | Patinoire Vert Côteau |
| 26 March 1981 | Nice | France | Théâtre de verdure de Nice |
| 27 March 1981 | Montpellier | France | Palais des Sports de Montpellier |
| 30 March 1981 | Milan | Italy | Rolling Stone |
| 31 March 1981 | Reggio Emilia | Italy | Palasport di Reggio Emilia |
| 1 April 1981 | Brescia | Italy | Palasport di Brescia |
| 2 April 1981 | Gorizia | Italy | Palasport di Gorizia |
| 3 April 1981 | Turin | Italy | PalaRuffini |
| 5 April 1981 | Zürich | Switzerland | Volkshaus |
| 6 April 1981 | Erlangen | West Germany | Stadhalle Erlagen |
| 7 April 1981 | Düsseldorf | West Germany | Phillipshalle |
| 8 April 1981 | Cologne | West Germany | Sporthalle |
| 9 April 1981 | Kassel | West Germany | Stadthalle Kassel |
| 10 April 1981 | West Berlin | West Germany | Neue Welt |
| 11 April 1981 | Bremen | West Germany | Stadthalle Bremen |
| 12 April 1981 | Wertheim | West Germany | Main-Tauber-Halle |
| 13 April 1981 | Munich | West Germany | Schwabinger Brau |
| 14 April 1981 | Karlsruhe | West Germany | Gartenhalle |
| 15 April 1981 | Stuttgart | West Germany | Ausstellungshalle |
| 16 April 1981 | Mannheim | West Germany | Rosengarten |
| 17 April 1981 | Strasbourg | France | Tivoli Hall |
| 18 April 1981 | Mulhouse | France | Palais des Fêtes |
| 19 April 1981 | Douvaine | France | Salle de la Bulle |
| 21 April 1981 | Toulouse | France | Colomiers Hall |
| 22 April 1981 | Bordeaux | France | Salle du Grand Parc |
| 23 April 1981 | Orléans | France | Rothonde |
| 24 April 1981 | Genk | Belgium | Limburghal |
| 25 April 1981 | Antwerp | Belgium | Cine Roma |
| 26 April 1981 | Leiden | Netherlands | Stadsgehoorzaal |
| 27 April 1981 | Winschoten | Netherlands | De Klinker |
| 28 April 1981 | Nijmegen | Netherlands | Concertgebouw de Vereeniging |
| 29 April 1981 | Offenbach | West Germany | Stadthalle Offenbach |
| 30 April 1981 | Hanover | West Germany | Kurhaus Friednstal |
| 1 May 1981 | Hamburg | West Germany | Markthalle |
| 2 May 1981 | Dortmund | West Germany | Westfallenhalle |
| 3 May 1981 | West Berlin | West Germany | Neue Welt |
| 5 May 1981 | Oslo | Norway | Unknown |
| 7 May 1981 | Lund | Sweden | Olympen |
| 8 May 1981 | Stockholm | Sweden | Göta Lejon |
| 10 May 1981 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Odd Fellow |
| 21 May 1981 | Tokyo | Japan | Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan |
| 22 May 1981 | Osaka | Japan | Festival Hall |
| 23 May 1981 | Nagoya | Japan | Aichi Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan |
| 24 May 1981 | Tokyo | Japan | Nakano Sun Plaza |
| 3 June 1981 | Paradise | United States | Aladdin Hotel |
| 4 June 1981 | Phoenix | United States | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| 5 June 1981 | El Paso | United States | El Paso County Coliseum |
| 6 June 1981 | Odessa | United States | Ector County Coliseum |
| 7 June 1981 | Lubbock | United States | Lubbock Municipal Coliseum |
| 8 June 1981 | McAllen | United States | Villa Real |
| 9 June 1981 | Laredo | United States | Laredo Civic Center |
| 10 June 1981 | San Antonio | United States | Convention Center Arena |
| 11 June 1981 | Dallas | United States | Moody Coliseum |
| 13 June 1981 | Houston | United States | Sam Houston Coliseum |
| 14 June 1981 | Detroit | United States | Harpos Concert Theatre |
| 19 June 1981 | Toronto | Canada | Concert Hall |
| 21 June 1981 | Montreal | Canada | Le Club |
| 22 June 1981 | Milwaukee | United States | Henry Maier Festival Park |
| 26 June 1981 | Lynwood | United States | Point East |
| 27 June 1981 | Cleveland | United States | Agora Theater |
| 28 June 1981 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre |
| 1 July 1981 | Asbury Park | United States | Asbury Park Convention Hall |
| 2 July 1981 | Salisbury | United States | Wicomico Youth and Civic Center |
| 3 July 1981 | Norfolk | United States | Norfolk Scope |
| 4 July 1981 | Pittsburgh | United States | Stanley Theatre |
| 7 July 1981 | Myrtle Beach | United States | Myrtle Beach Civic Center |
| 9 July 1981 | Atlanta | United States | Fox Theatre |
| 10 July 1981 | Johnson City | United States | Freedom Hall |
| 11 July 1981 | Memphis | United States | Mid-South Coliseum |
| 12 July 1981 | Trotwood | United States | Hara Arena |
| 15 July 1981 | Johnstown | United States | Cambria County War Memorial Arena |
| 16 July 1981 | Buffalo | United States | Shea's Theater |
| 17 July 1981 | Rochester | United States | Auditorium Theatre |
| 18 July 1981 | Syracuse | United States | Landmark Theatre |
| 19 July 1981 | Albany | United States | Palace Theatre |
| 21 July 1981 | New York City | United States | Palladium |
| 22 July 1981 | New York City | United States | Palladium |
| 23 July 1981 | New York City | United States | Palladium |
| 24 July 1981 | New York City | United States | Palladium |
| 25 July 1981 | New Haven | United States | New Haven Coliseum |
| 26 July 1981 | Allentown | United States | Great Allentown Fair |
| 28 July 1981 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| 29 July 1981 | Baltimore | United States | Baltimore Civic Center |
| 30 July 1981 | Upper Darby Township | United States | Tower Theater |
| 1 August 1981 | San Bernardino | United States | Swing Auditorium |
| 4 August 1981 | Long Beach | United States | Long Beach Arena |
| 15 August 1981 | Stuttgart | West Germany | Cannstatter Wasen |
| 16 August 1981 | Nuremberg | West Germany | Zeppelinfeld |
| 22 August 1981 | Baarlo | Netherlands | Baarlo Sport Park |
| 23 August 1981 | Darmstadt | West Germany | Stadion am Böllenfalltor |
| 26 August 1981 | Fréjus | France | Arènes de Fréjus |
| 27 August 1981 | Cap d'Agde | France | Arènes de Cap d'Agde |
| 29 August 1981 | Bayonne | France | Arènes de Bayonne |
| 31 August 1981 | Annecy | France | Parc des Sports |
| 1 September 1981 | Orange | France | Théâtre Antique d'Orange |
| 6 September 1981 | Belgrade | Yugoslavia | Hippodrome |
| 8 September 1981 | Stockholm | Sweden | Göta Lejon |
| 9 September 1981 | Lund | Sweden | Olympen |
| 10 September 1981 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Odd Fellows Mansion |
| 26 October 1981 | Bologna | Italy | Palasport di Bologna |
| 27 October 1981 | Rome | Italy | Teatro Tenda |
| 28 October 1981 | Florence | Italy | Teatro Tenda |
| 29 October 1981 | Padua | Italy | Palasport di Padua |
| 30 October 1981 | Milan | Italy | PalaLido |
| 15 November 1981 | London | England | Rainbow Theatre |
| 23 December 1981 | London | England | The Ruskin Arms |
Reference

### Festivals and other miscellaneous performances

    $^A$ Five songs from this show, namely "Running Free", "Remember Tomorrow", "Killers", "Innocent Exile" and "Wrathchild" were recorded and released in the Maiden Japan EP
    $^B$ This show was in support of Judas Priest
    $^C$ This concert was a part of Summerfest
    $^D$ This show was in support of UFO

### Cancelled and rescheduled dates

The tour was subject to a number of cancellations due to problems with Paul Di'Anno's voice, causing four German dates to be cancelled and several Scandinavian dates to be rescheduled. According to band manager Rod Smallwood, the reason for the vocal issues were brought about by adopting a "rock star" lifestyle, which Di'Anno states was because he "couldn't see [his] way to the end of" the band's heavy schedule and that he believed that this was "what you were supposed to do in a big, successful rock band." On the other hand, Steve Harris, the band's bassist, has since said that he did not "know whether he was seeking attention or what", arguing that having to cancel shows because of personal problems was intolerable and ultimately cemented Di'Anno's dismissal. The full list of cancelled dates are as follows:
* 27 April 1981: Winschoten, Netherlands, De Klinker (Poor ticket sales.)
* 30 April 1981: Offenbach am Main, West Germany, Stadthalle Offenbach
* 1 May 1981: Hamburg, West Germany
* 2 May 1981: Dortmund, West Germany
* 3 May 1981: West Berlin, Neue Welt
* 7 May 1981: Lund, Sweden, Olympen; (Rescheduled to 9 September.)
* 8 May 1981: Stockholm, Sweden, Göta Lejon; (Rescheduled to 8 September.)
* 9 May 1981: Oslo, Norway
* 10 May 1981: Copenhagen, Denmark, Odd Fellows Mansion; (Rescheduled to 10 September.)