SÃO PAULO, Brazil (CelebrityAccess) — Iron Maiden‘s longtime drummer Nicko McBrain, announced that the band’s performance in São Paulo, Brazil on Saturday, would be his final show with the group.
“After much consideration, it is with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle,” McBrain shared in a post on the band’s website.
He went on to note that while his days of touring are, apparently, over, he will remain a part of the band for the foreseeable future.
“I will, however, remain firmly part of the Iron Maiden family working on a variety of projects, my long time managers, Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor, have in mind for me. I’ll also be working on a variety of different personal projects and focusing on my existing businesses and ventures, including The British Drum Company, Nicko McBrain’s Drum One, Titanium Tart, and of course, Rock-N-Roll Ribs,” McBrain added.
McBrain first joined Iron Maiden way back, stepping in for drummer Clive Burr, who stepped away amid personality conflicts with Steve Harris, according to Bruce Dickinson’s 2017 autobiography. He would go on to become a key part of the band, providing rhythm for more than 3 decades and contributing drum parts for the band’s music, including songwiting credits on “New Frontier”, from 2003’s Dance of Death.
McBrain was sidelined last year after he suffered a stroke in January 2023, requiring him to undergo intensive physical therapy before rejoining the group in May 2023 ahead of the European leg of the Future Past World Tour.
Following the news of McBrain’s retirement from touring, the band’s longtime manager Rod Smallwood released a statement on behalf of the band:
Nicko,
And we all love you too!!
Thank you for being an irrepressible force behind the drum kit for Maiden for 42 years and my friend for even longer. I speak on behalf of all the band when I say we will miss you immensely!
Ever since Rock in Rio in 1985 we have had a special relationship with Brazil so to bow out of touring in front of 90,000 fans here in Sao Paulo over 2 nights is poetic and you are deserving of all the accolades I am sure these marvellous fans will give you on this last show.
Phantom look forward to many more years of working with you on the projects you mentioned and I am sure we can find a few more special ones around the Maiden family and FC!
The band and I all have a thousand great memories of the past 42 years, great gigs, copious platinum and gold discs and awards, love from the fans and one beer too many on too many occasions! Such a bond is forever! And, as Steve Harris says, ‘Nicko is and will always be part of the Maiden family’.
Rod, Andy, Steve, Bruce, Davey, Adrian & Jan
Iron Maiden also announced that Simon Dawson would be stepping in on the drums following McBrain’s departure. A longtime session drummer, Dawson has also been the drummer for Steve Harris’ side project, British Lion for more than a decade.
