Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox are celebrating Easter Sunday in a devilish way. For their latest “Sunday Lunch” performance, they take on the Iron Maiden classic “The Number of the Beast”.
Leave it to the quirky married couple to pay homage to the devil on the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The pair are once again joined by a mysterious guitarist, as they were last week with their performance of ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin'”. Looking like a naughty Easter Bunny, Toyah holds three carrots in her hand as she sings the metal opus. At one point she impressively holds a note for 10 seconds, giving Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson a run for his money.
“The Number of the Beast” is the title track to Maiden’s third album, and their first with Dickinson. It’s considered one of metal’s greatest albums, having also included classics such as “Run to the Hills” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name”.
Fripp, the founding guitarist of King Crimson, and Toyah, who had a string of new wave hits in the UK in the ’80s, have become YouTube sensations with their weekly “Sunday Lunch” performances, truly going viral with their rendition of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”. They’ve also taken on such rock classics as Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”, Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle”, Mötley Crüe’s “Girls Girls Girls”, and Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades”, among others.
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi took notice of their eccentric rendition of“Paranoid”, telling Heavy Consequence, “I think this lockdown has drove them mental.”
Enjoy Robert and Toyah’s Easter Sunday performance of Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast” below.
