Nicko McBrain retires

Night Prowler

Night Prowler

Customer Deathcycle Manager
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www.ironmaiden.com

An Announcement from Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

An announcement...
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Statement from Nicko McBrain:

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. Today, Sat, Dec 7th, Sao Paulo will be my final gig with Iron Maiden. I wish the band much success moving forward.

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!

What can I say? Touring with Maiden the last 42 years has been an incredible journey! To my devoted fan base, you made it all worthwhile and I love you! To my devoted wife, Rebecca, you made it infinitely easier and I love you! To my kids, Justin and Nicholas, thank you for understanding the absences and I love you! To my friends that are always there for me, I love you! To my bandmates, you made it a dream come true and I love you!

I look into the future with much excitement and great hope! I’ll be seeing you soon, may God bless you all, and, of course, “Up the Irons!”

Nicko

Statement from Rod Smallwood on behalf of Iron Maiden:

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

P.S. Maiden always get their man and our already chosen new drummer will be announced very shortly.
 
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End of an era. It was going to happen eventually but it's still going to be hard to get used to. I thought he'd stick it out for the 50th. I guess the speculation begins on who is replacing him.
 
He must have struggled terribly on this tour. I didn't expect him to step back in the middle of the tour.
Shit, it's so sad, just a few weeks after Paul's death.
The pressure on his replacement is going to be terrible.
 
Wow, gonna be strange seeing them next year now without Nicko.

I totally get his reasons for this but it has come as a bit of a surprise as I always imagined the band would bow out together, ie if one of them stops they all stop.

I can only imagine that as the run for your lives tour has already been booked it would have caused a lot of financial pain to cancel it so I’m fully expecting any new drummer will be filling in for this tour then the band will all stop. Steve and Bruce and Adrian will all carry on with their solo/side projects and that will be the end of Maiden.

Fitting way to go out after the 50th anniversary. Can’t see another tour after Run for your lives without Nicko nor another album without him.
 
AncientMariner_Essex said:
Wow, gonna be strange seeing them next year now without Nicko.

I totally get his reasons for this but it has come as a bit of a surprise as I always imagined the band would bow out together, ie if one of them stops they all stop.

I can only imagine that as the run for your lives tour has already been booked it would have caused a lot of financial pain to cancel it so I’m fully expecting any new drummer will be filling in for this tour then the band will all stop. Steve and Bruce and Adrian will all carry on with their solo/side projects and that will be the end of Maiden.

Fitting way to go out after the 50th anniversary. Can’t see another tour after Run for your lives without Nicko not another album without him.
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Nicko could still probably record even if he doesn't tour with them anymore.
 
I'm very sad to hear it, but excited to hear how the band will sound with a new drummer. Time remains undefeated, and I totally understand Nicko wanting to hang it up with his stroke and challenges with what is an incredibly physical challenge at any age.

That said, what's the band gonna do without the handsome one?!
 
I edited Nicko and Rod’s statements into the original post.

Nicko is the GOAT. I think this is the right call but he had an incredible run and I’m amazed at what he was able to pull off these last two years. Big respect.
 
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