‘Noxious fumes’ hit Bruce Dickinson’s Brazil gig

Promoters of Bruce Dickinson’s ongoing Brazilian tour have released a statement after the singer accused fans of vaping and using pepper spray at a recent gig.

The Iron Maiden frontman, who is touring the country in support of his current solo album The Mandrake Project, admonished crowd members during his show at the Opera Hall in Brasília.

“I can’t fucking breathe,” the 65-year-old said in a now-deleted video clip shared on social media. You with the fucking vape over there, yeah, it’s not you, but, you know, please, fucking do that outside, all right? Somebody down here has been using pepper spray… which is why people can’t fucking breathe down there, right?”

The 27 April incident was reportedly caused by an exploded vape, which caused “noxious fumes” to be released.

“An incident occurred towards the end of the show where noxious fumes were released, causing severe issues for the band members on stage and the crew and audience in the auditorium,” a spokesperson for promoter MCA Concerts tells Blabbermouth. “Subsequently many members of the crowd have taken to social media to corroborate the incident that caused them breathing difficulties.

“Tour promoters MCA are still working with authorities to understand the full impact of the incident”

“As video footage shows, Bruce did his best, with limited knowledge of the situation, to explain the effects to the crowd but subsequently found out that several band members, including himself, were affected by the fall out and a member of the crew had to be treated with oxygen by a doctor. The footage also shows Bruce departing the stage to perform part of the encore after being seen visibly struggling to breathe and pitch his vocal.

“Tour promoters MCA are still working with authorities to understand the full impact of the incident and understand how the noxious fumes affected not just the audience and crew but also the band onstage. Fortunately, everyone has been checked out by medical staff and given the all clear.”

Dickinson’s subsequent performance at Arena Hall, Belo Horizonte went ahead as planned. The vocalist will conclude his first Brazilian solo outing in more than two decades with gigs at Quinta Linda Centro de Eventos, Ribeirao Preto (2 May) and Vibra São Paulo (4 May).

He will then embark on a two-month European tour, starting at Glasgow Barrowlands on 18 May and finishing up at KüçükÇiftlik Park in Istanbul, Turkey, on 19 July.

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