Iron Maiden raises USD 57,600 for Japan relief

The band was travelling to Tokyo for two shows when the massive 9.0-magnitude tremor struck and they were forced to divert their jet in the wake of the disaster.

Both of their gigs were cancelled but the stars offered T-shirts intended for sale at the concerts to benefit the Japanese Red Cross, which continues to work hard to provide aid for victims of the quake.

"The terrific support from our fans has resulted in over 36,000 pound being raised in proceeds from the sales of the Japanese event shirt through the Iron Maiden shop and a retail version of the shirt which was sold in the US. The band have channelled all their profits and royalties into the fund, which has been donated to the Japanese Red Cross charity.

"We'd like to thank everyone who took part in this initiative in support of our fellow Maiden fans in Japan and the many others affected by the tsunami," the band said in a statement.