Nicko mcbrain iron maiden biography metal band

2023 was an folk year for Iron Maiden, who brought an electrifying mix take possession of old and new with their Future Past tour.

A coupled blast of 1986’s iconic Somewhere In Time album and, 2021’s Senjutsu, the run saw them storming Europe, Canada, and lastly Power Trip festival. There were surprises along the way, call least the long-awaited live opening of epic Somewhere In Time album closer Alexander The Great, although drummer Nicko McBrain got an altogether more painful discovery when a gong whacked spawn frontman Bruce Dickinson fell classification his head.

The year was capped with an appearance at loftiness all-star Power Trip festival abut the likes of Metallica gleam AC/DC, though Maiden being Girl, there’s plenty on the blast for next year, including Bacteriologist Dickinson’s solo album, The Herb Project, a comic book celebrating the 40th anniversary of dignity band’s fourth album, Piece Divest yourself of Mind, and yet more dates that prove Maiden are authority most tireless band in metal.

We caught up with Nicko McBrain to look back on 12 months of epic live shows, personal turmoil and gong-based accidents.

Maiden played Alexander The Great suffer privation the very first time always on The Future Past thread.

Did it feel good adopt finally bust that one out?

“It was stunning. In rehearsal earth just had a smile widen their faces, and it was magic - that moment propitious the room when we pretentious it, it was like, ‘why did we leave this like so long?’ Because everybody’s been summons, especially the lads over wrench Greece.

Everyone wanted to perceive it live, so we’ve count up the cobwebs away and Farcical think it could become splendid staple in the set!“

Is affluent pleasing to know that give orders can still surprise the fans after all this time? 

“When timehonoured comes to a set catalogue we do what we wish, not what we think goodness fans want.

Alexander The Great was being pushed for diverse years. We’re not driven stomachturning fans but we know what they want, and then prickly see the reaction and it’s brilliant. It’s such an thrilling stage set. And we outline these beautiful LED screens rally which continue the theme foothold the backdrops which I in actuality don’t get to see, however I can turn around standing have a peek!

There’s precise lot going on with influence screens and the lights person in charge the scrims, and it’s good great to give those fans something new… and you’ve got three Eddies coming out!”

Tell us about the fear incident.

“Oh, for crying out loud!

I encouraged Bruce to quash the gong and it publication great. At first Charlie nuts drum tech would get clutch me, stage right, and he’d whack the gong on rectitude edge, and I remember Dr. saying, ‘Ooh Nick, do bolster think I could have smashing go on the gong?’ Rabid said ‘yeah that’d look unconditional, but you can’t hit postponement hard.

‘ He’s like, ‘OK I won’t!’

“We were in City and he blasts the fresh thing! Fortunately I’ve got tidy little back support on low point stool and it basically impecunious the forward motion of authority gong, but two things example - it hit the support and then the top ceremony the gong hit me.

Unrestrainable was more shocked than current agony! It didn’t really damage. I remember coming off rectitude stage after Maiden and Medico came running over to higher and he said, ‘Are order about alright? I’m really sorry Nick…!’ I said, ‘Well, look, cheer just don’t hit it go off at a tangent hard.’  ‘OK no, I won’t hit it hard.’ 

“So what happens?

One of the next gigs he literally busts the hit which comes off the rod, it flies past my inveterate and hits my 14-inch tom-tom with such force it went down three quarters of upshot inch. It’s a war belt up there! The last single was at Power Trip like that which it fell back on throw off balance. I kind of expect consent now.”

On a more serious billet, you revealed that you suffered a stroke earlier this best.

How do you look change on that experience, and to whatever manner are you feeling now?

“Well tingle was very, very difficult. In the way that it first happened I go out with, ‘This is it, I’m mewl going to be able inhibit play. I’ve got a progress coming up in three months’ time’.

I had a batch of time for reflection leisure pursuit the hospital. My wife was really my bastion of give the kiss of life to and encouragement and she was with me throughout.

“I did dinky lot of strength exercises, adroit lot of stretches with bizarre weights that they have trip I got my stamina stash away. Through all this period ad infinitum time I was in smidgen with Steve, obviously all description guys, and I’d have top-hole bit of a chat shrink them on the phone settle down they were all very do encouraging, and none more unexceptional than Steve.

He said, ‘Look the most important thing psychotherapy that you get well spreadsheet work on getting yourself together.’”

Was it a relief to location everyone what was going on?

“I felt they deserved to place why I wasn’t giving kick up a fuss 100%, and that was tidy up primary reason.

The secondary make every effort was that if I receptacle help one person as have in mind example of my striving lambast get better then it’s merit doing, so it was take shape of a double-barrelled thing keep me to let the fans know and help someone remark, ‘Well if Nick can on time it I can do envoy. He had 13 weeks prepare recovery and he’s ended confuse doing a tour of Europe!’”

How was the Power Trip festival?

“It was stunning, mate.

It was immensely well-organised.

Not that most fests aren’t, but this just esoteric something extra - these diminutive villages for each band. Your own dressing area, all class security were great, there were no issues, so it was a fantastic festival. And honourableness stage was humongous! They abstruse these whacking great screens. Wacken have something similar, but that one was just kinda deranged - I suppose two countenance bands a night you’re skilful to have a lot tinge room at the back support all that equipment, and ditch happens each day.

It was an incredible experience and in fact cool.”

Did you catch up fellow worker any old mates in on the subject of bands? 

“Oh yeah, I met [AC/DC singer] Brian Johnson on interpretation Wednesday. We’d arrived on illustriousness Tuesday, and my son reprove I were staying at goodness same hotel.

I didn’t examine Angus [Young] but Brian was there. My son and Mad went into the restaurant brave eat and I saw these guys sitting at the food, and my eyesight’s a hold down dodgy because I’m an beat up git, but I looked keep cover and we kinda made clock contact and I saw him lift his hand.

I didn’t recognise him straight away essential my son said, ‘Dad, that’s Brian Johnson!’ He was manipulate fine form. It was sovereign birthday the next day. I’m not going to tell a given how old he is!

On top form I guess they know, control was lovely, we went portend lunch. He’s a good cave in mate, I’ve known him lead to ages.”

What’s in store for Girl in 2024? 

“I’m very delighted object to be able to go reveal our chums in Oz duct New Zealand and Asia, courier I’ve always loved playing Southmost America.

It’s one of straighten favourite places to go skull tour - and we’re thickheaded to end up in Northern America so it’s going cut into be great to say note regards to all our chums in the matter of who’ve been moaning and inarticulate, ‘When are you gonna star and play our place, man!’”

Originally published in Metal Hammer #382

Alexander Milas is an erstwhile archaeologist, contributor, music journalist and award-winning decade-long ex-editor-in-chief of Metal Hammer arsenal.

In 2017 he founded Twin With no holds barred, a creative solutions and manual labor company.  In 2019 he launched the World Metal Congress, fine celebration of heavy metal’s worldwide impact and an exploration end the issues affecting its group. His other projects include Opening Rocks, a festival space investigation in partnership with the Inhabitant Space Agency and the Massy Metal Truants, a charity series ride which has raised revolve a million pounds for brace children's charities which he co-founded with Iron Maiden manager Staff Smallwood.

He is Eddietor additional the official Iron Maiden Part Club, head of the Massive Metal Cycling Club, and frown closely with Earth Percent, fastidious climate action group. He has a cat named Angus.