Iron Maiden's future

Ben Beast

Ben Beast

Educated Fool
Nowadays (or I guess maybe people always have been) lots of people seem to have pessimistic views about future. And well that includes also Maiden fans. Maiden can't play this or that song (Caught Somewhere in Time etc), they won't tour in 5 years time etc. But truth be told Maiden guys themselves haven't been most optimistic in their plans. I think it was Bruce who thought in around 2003 they are gonna be doing only arenas and less shows from that point onwards. Fast forward 20 years and they are doing stadiums with lots of shows and with even bigger production. But I guess that's just human nature to be pessimistic (or cautious with future plans, activities).
So why not in this post, let's just focus on positives and let's be optimistic. What are your optimistic thoughts on Iron Maiden future. It can either something related to touring - how many tours have left to be witnessed, what songs (deep cuts) they might play down the road or something related to studio work or just how long will they keep on going or being optimistic that they are not going to change any members no more.
Firstly, regarding the touring future, I am optimistic that there will be another tour after RFYL tour, either RFYL tour part ll or more likely new album tour and in connection with that I'm also positive that we will hear Brave New World (song) live again.
I am also optimistic that there will be another studio album from the boys with Nicko behind the drums.
So, what are your optimistic thoughts regarding Iron Maiden future?
 
If health serves them, I can see them doing RFYL tour (25-26) and another one after that (27-28). No farewell tour. Both tours with less shows, but on a bigger scale (stadiums). Both likely hits tours.

Basically what Rolling Stones have been doing for the last 20 years and what Maiden are doing next year.

After that, I think it'll be curtains for Iron Maiden as a live band. And it will come in the same vain as Nicko's retirement announcement did.

Regarding a new album, I think it depends on if Nicko feels like he can perform in the studio. I doubt they will record with Simon.
 
If we want to lean into optimism then let's celebrate what we've received. Around the time of Virtual XI I figured Maiden was just done. If a genie had granted me an Iron Maiden related wish in early 1999, I never would have had the audacity to wish for what actually came to pass.

It's been an incredible journey and the reunion era is nearly unprecedented. A whole new generation of fans. Hell, maybe two new generations.

Would ever would have thought?
 
If it's true that Nicko will be the only drummer on future Maiden albums, they've communicated really strangely.
For me, ‘projects’ for and with Nicko would be things like a podcast.
I would have said something like ‘he will continue to play a fundamental role for Iron Maiden’ or something similar.
 
TaaviMaiden said:
If it's true that Nicko will be the only drummer on future Maiden albums, they've communicated really strangely.
For me, ‘projects’ for and with Nicko would be things like a podcast.
I would have said something like ‘he will continue to play a fundamental role for Iron Maiden’ or something similar.
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That announcement was a bit all over the place. Bruce literally had to say on stage in Sao Paulo "He is not leaving the band, he just won't be touring with us anymore", which strongly implies that he might record with the band if they do so.
 
If you want Maiden to continue going beyond Run For Your Lives, then there's reason for optimism IMO. Replacing a long term member at this stage is a pretty strong indication that the band isn't quite ready to retire yet. I know there have been rumblings that Nicko made his decision pretty late, after the RFYL announcement, but I have to imagine that realistically they couldn't have agreed to do another tour without accepting the possibility that Nicko might not be able to do it (I also just don't buy that there was ever actual intention to have Nicko join the tour anyway). I don't want the band to go past their prime, but I also don't want to see them end on a tour that only covers half their discography. Something closer to LOTB would be more appropriate IMO and I hope something like that is in the pipeline. Even though Bruce's voice has aged quite a bit in the last decade, I think he still sounds pretty good for the most part and he has had a solid year of performances between Future Past and the solo tour. As long as he and Steve are up for it, I think Maiden can continue. I also think if the band has life beyond 2026 there is room for one more album.
 
Shouldn't this be an optimistic thread? There have always been new inventions bigger and better than people before believed was possible.
 
With new personalized medicinal products, Bruce will be helped much more specifically and quickly in future if he has a cold or flu.
 
Mosh said:
I know there have been rumblings that Nicko made his decision pretty late, after the RFYL announcement,...
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He hasn't. Everything points into the other direction. I think early RFYL announcement was tactical and not due to venue size, but due to touring member change (because Rod knows that most Maiden fans have a favourite member). The Jericho statement kinda confirms this (what was said to Chris by Nicko mid-October): 'I want the guys to go on when I'm ready to stop. And it's gonna be soon.'

So, the decision was made in late-August 2024 at latest IMO. I have a feeling that the Titanium Tart performances from the summer were the tipping point. Nicko had serious problems during those and hasn't improved since 2023. You can hear the tempo shifting during fills. And that was a problem that began this year and not last year.


Also, as soon as the tour was called Run For Your Lives, I had serious doubts that Nicko will drum for Maiden next year, since it's evident that he can't play RTTH anymore, going by the Marines footage.

 
The circumstances of Nicko's retirement and the announcement have been discussed at length in other threads, I don't want to derail this one by reiterating the same stuff.

Anyway, the only reason I brought it up in the first place is that I pretty much agree that this decision was made awhile ago and touring without Nicko was the plan all along. If people want to see Maiden continue beyond the RFYL tour, the fact that they made the decision to tour knowing full well that a band member would be unable to be part of it is a pretty strong sign IMO that RFYL is not intended to be the last tour as I don't feel Steve or Bruce are close to being ready to retire.
 
Mosh said:
The circumstances of Nicko's retirement and the announcement have been discussed at length in other threads, I don't want to derail this one by reiterating the same stuff.

Anyway, the only reason I brought it up in the first place is that I pretty much agree that this decision was made awhile ago and touring without Nicko was the plan all along. If people want to see Maiden continue beyond the RFYL tour, the fact that they made the decision to tour knowing full well that a band member would be unable to be part of it is a pretty strong sign IMO that RFYL is not intended to be the last tour as I don't feel Steve or Bruce are close to being ready to retire.
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Agree on that. Especially Bruce, who will likely pull double duty once again in 2025 with Maiden and the solo tour. As I said before, as sad as Nicko retiring from live duties is, I think him stepping down has prolonged Maiden's touring life span by 3-5 years.
 
DorotheaMe said:
With new personalized medicinal products, Bruce will be helped much more specifically and quickly in future if he has a cold or flu.
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If Bruce needs to have medical personnel dedicated to his performance due to his age just to get through one show I'd rather have him quit performing altogether. He's still pretty sturdy and a cancer survivor as well, so that's not a small feat from him. Pick up a sport, even a simple one like biking.
 
There is a chance that RFYL tour will be their last, but with the new drummer (the biggest impact), I think 2 more tours are possible. Until 2029/2030, 5 years. I'm not being optimistic, I believe it's manageable. I mean the theme of the new tour is still odd and since they knew about Nicko before they announced it, I think they will continue. Like I said, you don't replace a key member after 42 years for 1 tour.
  • Part 2 of RFYL and new album tour are the likely candidates. I believe they would want another album.
Although Bruce, Steve and Adrian having solo projects, everything is different with Maiden. They're not ready to retire. Bruce will do around 90 shows next year too.

Given Bruce's comments and the press release statement, Nicko should be part of a next album along with other projects of his own managed by Rod. I really doubt they would record without him. Although ''projects'' and the way it was worded may not be about future work with Maiden - but to be still part of the band means that, right. It depends on how Nicko feels really.

Now Steve's thought about semi-retirement but still releasing albums could be an option for the future. I'm expecting anything now.

Songs they could play? I hope for as much as deep cuts as possible, but will they do it with the new drummer? The last tour should have Reunion era songs! It's a must.

RFYL tour will be their biggest in terms of shows and stage set, so what can they do for the next one. I'm curious to know. Fewer shows, big scale... probably for the future. 2 Hits tours in a row? Idk, I guess they've reached that stage in their career.

No farewell tour is expected.
 
I think Steve knows better that it's useless to market stuff as "the final ever" especially considering the "final album we'll ever release" has been floating around since the DOD days and got even stronger when they released The Final Frontier, due to its title. They'll always be back, in one way or another. A lot of Maiden's popularity is owed to that mystique they have to them, like they are apart from the usual mainstream machine. It won't be like Kiss or Ozzy, who have been making farewell tours for 35 years, even though the last Kiss tour was apparently an actual, real, last tour ever.
 
Kalata said:
There is a chance that RFYL tour will be their last, but with the new drummer (the biggest impact), I think 2 more tours are possible. Until 2029/2030, 5 years. I'm not being optimistic, I believe it's manageable. I mean the theme of the new tour is still odd and since they knew about Nicko before they announced it, I think they will continue. Like I said, you don't replace a key member after 42 years for 1 tour.
  • Part 2 of RFYL and new album tour are the likely candidates. I believe they would want another album.
Although Bruce, Steve and Adrian having solo projects, everything is different with Maiden. They're not ready to retire. Bruce will do around 90 shows next year too.

Given Bruce's comments and the press release statement, Nicko should be part of a next album along with other projects of his own managed by Rod. I really doubt they would record without him. Although ''projects'' and the way it was worded may not be about future work with Maiden - but to be still part of the band means that, right. It depends on how Nicko feels really.

Now Steve's thought about semi-retirement but still releasing albums could be an option for the future. I'm expecting anything now.

Songs they could play? I hope for as much as deep cuts as possible, but will they do it with the new drummer? The last tour should have Reunion era songs! It's a must.

RFYL tour will be their biggest in terms of shows and stage set, so what can they do for the next one. I'm curious to know. Fewer shows, big scale... probably for the future. 2 Hits tours in a row? Idk, I guess they've reached that stage in their career.

No farewell tour is expected.
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I'll go on a limb and say that this is the biggest tour they'll ever do again unless they advertise one as the last. Many casuals feel this is indeed the last one and it covers the classic era albums. There is no way they are playing in stadiums with a tour concentrating material from 90s/reunion to Senjutsu.

New music might be possible, maybe even after retirement from touring, but personally I don't have much interest in that.
 
matic22 said:
Basically what Rolling Stones have been doing for the last 20 years and what Maiden are doing next year.
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Also Maiden are kind of doing this for the last 20+ years with best of tours being the bigger ones and injecting album tours on alternate.

Not to understate AMOLAD & “ATG” Tours which were brilliant, literally once in a life time and kudos to them.
 
I think Maiden themselves noticed it. AMOLAD's tour was probably a hit to their egos, since they were extremely proud of that record (and with good reason). When they played FTGGOG during the LOTB tour, only the hardcore guys at the front were vibing with the band. The rest of the people were all silent. Ironically, this didn't used to happen during the BNW or DOD tours with new tracks... Becoming "big" again also had its issues.
 
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