Few bands can claim to have shaped metal history more than Iron Maiden. Even fewer fans can say they've been following that same band from the very beginning. But thanks to a long-standing friendship with Maiden boss Steve Harris, Chop Pitman got a front seat to history being made.
"I first met Steve when we were working for Waltham Forest council. He was working as a road sweeper along the North Circular, and I had a job picking up the bags of rubbish in my truck and taking them to the dump. He looked pretty cool even then. We got chatting and he said, ‘I’ve got this band, do you fancy coming down to see us to give us some support?’ That’s how I ended up seeing their first proper gig, at the Cart & Horses in East London.
They were on a different level to all the other bands
Chop Pittman
“The band was Steve, a guy called Dave Sullivan and Rebel Ron – Ron Matthews – on guitar, Terry Rance on drums, and Paul Mario Day singing. They had something special even back then. They’d do covers like Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak and I’ve Got The Fire by Montrose, but their own songs really stood out – their songs were really memorable even back then. They were on a different level to all the other bands at the time.
“Steve was living in his nan’s front room in those really early days. He had a bass guitar, but no amp. I was a guitarist, so he used to phone me up: ‘’Ere, Chop, can I lend your gear to play my bass through?’ I’ve still got the amp. A few years ago, he signed it for me: ‘I should have kept this amp, signed Steve.’
“Their mate, Dave Lights, did all these weird and wonderful lights for them. One day Dave said, ‘I’m having a party at my flat, want to come?’ I did, and Iron Maiden ended up playing in his front room. There were maybe 25, 30 people there.
The singer would draw a sword across his mouth and fake blood would come out
Chop Pittman
“After they got rid of Paul Mario Day, they had a singer called Dennis Wilcox, who used to do this thing where he’d draw a sword across his mouth and fake blood would come out. When he left, Dave Lights said, ‘We need to keep the blood in the show.’ So he built a face above the drumkit, and made it so red food dye would come out of his mouth and splatter over the drumkit. That was the beginning of Eddie.
“When Paul Di’Anno came in, he lifted the band to another level, but no one could imagine how big it would become. I’m still in touch with Steve. Maiden are one of the biggest bands in the world, but he’s still the same bloke he was back then."
