Synopsis
A stranded driver travels along a deserted road before encountering Iron Maiden's monstrous mascot, Eddie. The creature pursues him and leads him toward a mysterious stage, where the band performs amid towering flames and apocalyptic imagery. As the performance intensifies, the boundary between concert spectacle and ritual dissolves. The driver is drawn toward a giant wicker structure, while Eddie and the surrounding fire transform the video into a dark, theatrical celebration of Iron Maiden's return.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was filmed in Los Angeles in March 2000 during unusually wet weather. The band's official website noted that rain made the shoot considerably less comfortable than the location might suggest.
- The production marked one of the first major visual appearances of the Eddie incarnation associated with the "Brave New World" era. He appears as a towering, leather-clad figure rather than as a traditional historical or supernatural character.
- "The Wicker Man" was the first single from *Brave New World*, the album that reunited Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith with Iron Maiden after their returns to the lineup.
- The title and imagery pay tribute to the 1973 British folk-horror film *The Wicker Man*. The music video borrows the film's ritualistic atmosphere while reshaping it around Eddie, flames, and the band's concert presentation.
- The song was written by Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, and Adrian Smith. Its compact structure and immediate chorus made it a particularly direct introduction to the band's new era.
- The single's extra material included live recordings from the 1999 Ed Hunter Tour, connecting the release to the band's first touring cycle with Dickinson and Smith back in the lineup.