Paul Di’Anno: The Punk Soul of Iron Maiden (RIP)

PJ Pat from the It's 1 Louder podcast talks about the man who brought the "street" and the "punk" to Iron Maiden: the legendary Paul Di’Anno.

We dive into a heavy and honest Metal Hammer feature about the upcoming documentary, Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer. We’re breaking down why those first two albums hit different, the brutal reality of Paul’s final years, and why he’ll always be the "Lost Hero" of the NWOBHM.

Paul wasn't Bruce—he was a different beast entirely. He was the rugged, breathless soul of Maiden that connected the metalheads and the punks.

What we're covering: 

✅ The "Street" vs. the "Opera": Di’Anno vs. Dickinson. 

✅ Heartbreaking insights from the new Wes Orshoski documentary. 

✅ The incredible support from Steve Harris and the Maiden faithful. 

✅ Why Iron Maiden (1980) is still a perfect masterpiece.

• 00:00:00: Introduction to the topic: Paul Di'Anno's time with Iron Maiden and his "punk" influence.
• 00:02:08: Starting the discussion on the Metal Hammer article, "Iron Maiden's Lost Singer," a documentary by Wes Orshosski.
• 00:03:06: Filmmaker Wes Orshosski's experience and the brutal honesty of filming Paul's final years, including his struggles with health issues and a near-leg amputation.
• 00:04:09: Commercial/Call to Action for the channel's merchandise.
• 00:04:27: Details about Paul's difficult journey to Croatia for surgery.
• 00:05:35: Discussion of Paul's emotional highs and lows, including being reunited with Steve Harris.
• 00:06:45: The tragic news of Paul's death in October 2024 and his enduring legacy.
• 00:07:58: Final thoughts, thanks to the audience, and outro.

Rest in peace, Paul. Thanks for the riffs and the attitude.

Transcript

0:00

All right. We're gonna talk about Iron Maiden's first ever singer called Paul Di'Anno. I saw a recent Metal Hammer, a magazine interview about the man himself, Paul. But before we get into that, just wanna say one thing. Man, I love that first Iron Maiden album, 1980, just self-titled Iron Maiden. Ooh. And I gotta say, Paul is a big reason why I love that album. Paul was... He was awesome. Like he had definitely like a tough guy kind of look and feel and sound to him. He is pretty much almost the polar opposite of Bruce Dickinson, where Bruce has like this very operatic, high octane, high note kind of singing. Paul, I find, brought like the punk in Iron Maiden. That's why Iron Maiden, back then, you could have like the metalheads and the punks love Iron Maiden. That was like a, a known thing back then. It was attractive to both those groups because they could relate somehow. And I think the punks would relate to Paul, for sure. I mean, if you take a listen to the first album, Prowler and Running Free, I mean, his vocal performance on that, amazing. Like he, he sounds like he's kind of like running and like is breathless. And there's something about his singing on those two songs, for sure. I find like, you know, Steve Harris, the main, you know, one of the main songwriters in Iron Maiden, he was... Definitely had the chops for sure. He had the musicianships and definitely was showing it off with his bass playing. And he was interested in writing like these epic, you know, seven-minute songs. But Paul, to me, he brought the streets to those songs and he still made it cool to sing those songs and to play those seven-minute epic songs in dive bars and beer-soaked bars and clubs, you know, the small clubs. So he kind of made it cool to have those songs 'cause I don't think punks would've appreciated those prog rock bands, you know, playing in front of that, that, that time. And Paul definitely made it cool. And yeah, he was just awesome. let's get into it. You ready? Let's do All right. So the article's called Iron Maiden's Lost Singer."The creator of 2010's Lemmy has made a brutal, brilliant movie about ex-Maiden vocalist, Paul Di'Anno." Words by Chris Chantler."Paul Di'Anno's whole life was like a haywire rollercoaster, but little could have prepared the much-loved ex-Iron Maiden frontman for the grinding intensity of his final years."Filmmaker Wes Oshaskes, who helmed 2010's brilliant Lemmy movie, was a significant presence across much of that period. In 2017, Wes' crew started

filming Di'Anno: 2:45

Iron Maiden's Lost Singer, a film planned to cover the singer's fight back to recovery. They knew he was in a bad shape after years of injuries, infections, addictions, osteoarthritis, but soon it was clear that this rock doc would be far more intimate, brutal, and honest than the standard feel-good puff piece.'I was gonna be done with it in a year,' recalls Wes with an ironic chuckle.'Paul led me to believe on the phone that he'd be up on his feet in a couple of months, then we'd be filming him back on tour in South America.' "For the first time I met him, was at the entrance to Salisbury Hospital. I was in a room when the doctor said he could lose his leg. Within the next hour, I realized this guy wasn't gonna stand anytime soon." Alongside testimonials from superstar super fans like James Hetfield and Dave Ellefson, Paul's early life story triumphs with Maiden on their first two albums and tales of rockstar excess are poignantly juxtaposed alongside the stricken singer's quest for medical treatment. It is a profoundly emotional experience, so unflinching that in a special friends and family screening, many were frequently compelled to look away, especially during the knee surgery montage. Wes shared their discomfort, identifying one situation he felt most conflicted about recording. He recalls how, unable to receive NHS surgery in his current shape, Paul traveled to Croatian capital Zagreb for treatment.'There's no way he could get on an airplane. His leg was too big,' says Wes. So he boards an ambulance to Croatia. Over 20 hours in an ambulance." Wow."That moment he was transferred from wheelchair to stretcher, that's what I struggled with." Whoa."Paul's at his wits end, nearly in tears. He's trembling. That was a time when I questioned morally, what am I doing filming some of this? I couldn't believe he allowed me the access." In a scene, Paul berates the medical staff trying precariously to shift his body while simultaneously apologizing and repeating,'I'm scared.' It's a harrowing insight into the man's frustration and frailty at a desperately low ebb. But Paul had been endeared to Wes' brief for the project as punk rock filmmaking, and such an abrasive, real, warts-and-all approach to its subject serves Paul's legacy far more compelling than some sanitized panegyric. Throughout the film, Paul's mind and body fluctuate wildly. Being reunited with his old Maiden bandmate, Harris, in Zagreb is a high point, and after surgery he bubbles with joy like a giddy teenager. Elsewhere, he confronts feelings of suicidal depression. Wes witnessed the most pronounced and catastrophic change in Paul's physical and mental health across two months and two countries.'This is my last image of Paul in Croatia. He lost a ton of weight. He's built up muscles in his chest, shoulders and arms. He's got a full set of new teeth. His spirits are over the moon,' Wes recalls.""The last bit of footage I shot there, he stood up on his own. He fell in love with a woman in Croatia, so the Paul that I left in November 2022 was like,'Oh my God, this is gonna happen.' Cut to January 2023, Paul's back in England with no healthcare, no one to look after him. His leg has ballooned. He is in terrible shape." Oh, man. Just a year later."His voice is super hoarse, almost a whisper. But the weird thing is, he seemed invincible. He didn't seem like he was going anywhere. Paul's tragic death in October 2024 may have denied the film a happy ending, but it retains a sense of inspirational heartwarming positivity through the overwhelming love of the man's fans. It is abundantly clear how treasured Paul was across the world. His unique voice and his lovable wayward character, and seeing this one-time wild man in such a vulnerable state intensified so much concern and goodwill." West is keen to acknowledge the importance of two especially dedicated supporters, Kastro Perjoni, owner of The Cart and Horses, the site of Iron Maiden's first gig, who started a fund to help pay for Paul's treatment. Maiden themselves brought it up to Target."And his manager Stijan Juris, who masterminded Paul's move to Croatia for surgery.'If it wasn't for these two, I wouldn't have a film,' emphasizes West.'These two Maiden fans trying to help Paul turn his life around, that's the heart of my film. I made it for the Maiden faithful, not for the mainstream.'" Right on. It says here Deanna... Iron Maiden's Lost Singer is due for release this year. Wow, short and sweet. You know what? To be honest, I had no idea he died. I had no idea he Rest in peace, Paul. Thank you for everything you've done. Hope you're looking down on us and just rocking out with man, those two albums, still an amazing legacy that he left and Iron Maiden... I could say Iron Maiden hasn't been the same since. Obviously they morphed and they became this great thing. I love the band now. But it definitely was a special moment of Iron Maiden, those two albums in those first couple years when Paul was at the helm. I mean, he definitely had a unique sound. Sometimes I go back and listen to the albums and like, man, really kind of a more rugged street sound, you know, that they'll never be able to replicate. us. Hopefully this entertained you. Hopefully you learned a thing or two. Rock On One Ladder. 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