Photo via Mauricio Alvarado.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King and his solo band honored former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di’Anno by performing a cover of IRON MAIDEN‘s“Killers“ at recent shows in Australia.

The tribute took place on Tuesday at Sydney’s Roundhouse and again on Wednesday at Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre. Fans captured footage of both electrifying performances, sharing the heartfelt moment online.

Di’Anno, born Paul Andrews, passed away on October 21 at his home in Salisbury at age 66. On November 11, his family revealed through his official Facebook page that his death was caused by a “tear in the sac around the heart.”

Kerry King, speaking earlier this year, expressed admiration for performing rare or retired tracks during his band’s live sets. “I wanna play stuff that people can’t see or hear anymore,” King told American Musical Supply. “Like say for instance, ‘Ace Of Spades’. You’re never gonna see MOTÖRHEAD again. So, I think that’s cool to do. Or for instance, songs that bands don’t play anymore, like ‘Killers’ from IRON MAIDEN.”

King adds, “I wanna do things that actually aren’t just me having fun. I want it to be fun for the fans to where they see it, it’s the only place they can see it.”

King’s tribute comes amid ongoing discussions about IRON MAIDEN’s sound. In an interview with Riff X’s Metal XS, he remarked, “Nothing against MAIDEN, but their songs have gotten so long… my attention span isn’t that much.” His comments referenced MAIDEN’s latest double albums, The Book Of Souls and Senjutsu, known for their track lengths.

Watch fan-captured footage of Kerry King performing IRON MAIDEN’s “Killers” below.