Simon Dawson is the new drummer

wizardry said:
Yeah, holograms of them like that thing Kiss wants to do.
Click to expand...
Make "Eddie" versions of each band member. Then they run with it as far as what kind of show to put on.

Not saying they should do this. Actually don't want them to do this or any other avatar thing, heh
 
Well, talking about the fact that there are dozens of great drummers in the world who could play in Iron Maiden is a paradox. It is both true and false.

True because they do exist and they are good.

False because it doesn't work that way.

Steve decides who will be in the band and we all know that he is not only stubborn but he likes solutions that work. You can see it in crazy experiments with the band's sound ( :-) ) and song structure and in the equipment he has been using for years. This means that for Iron Maiden there are really only 3 drummers. Nicko, Simon and (maybe) Joe.

Simon has a huge advantage in that Steve has played with him on stage many, many times. This means that he is proven, knows how to communicate on stage with him and fits into the philosophy that Steve chooses proven solutions that work. Logically - why should he look for a drummer on the other side of the world if he has someone he has been playing with for years and gets along with? Historically speaking, after Steve's decisions, Joe was at a disadvantage, mainly because recording covers, no matter how good, is less important than someone you've been playing with on stage for years.

You could even say that the last few years of British Lion were a constant audition for Simon. :-)
 
That's something that's bothering me, people talk of Simon as if he's come out of nowhere. He's been in the business almost as long as Maiden has. He has a session musician type profile, but, if anything, that's the sort of guy you want for your band, because session guys can sit and play whatever you throw at them. It's in their job description.
 
wizardry said:
That's something that's bothering me, people talk of Simon as if he's come out of nowhere. He's been in the business almost as long as Maiden has. He has a session musician type profile, but, if anything, that's the sort of guy you want for your band, because session guys can sit and play whatever you throw at them. It's in their job description.
Click to expand...
No one denies this, but he is probably best known for BL.

Curious question - would Maiden with a session and a versatile (this was important to Steve, I guess) drummer/musician rotate or change songs during one leg of a tour? Like with Bruce's solo tour, an additional 4-5 songs. Doubt it because of habits and especially if it's a last tour.
 
The Garlon said:
To people who are upset about Simon Dawson being chosen as the new drummer, uuuuhh why? Why wouldn't Steve want a drummer he already knows and has played with for years? What would be the benefit of hiring someone different?
Click to expand...
Good point. But we have to say Steve didn't played with Nicko and look at the chemistry they had. I assume 42 years later he wants someone he knows and has played with, that's the difference. Because of all this - I don't want to question his choice. He knows better.

Considering Simon's back catalogue, he would be a curious studio drummer for Maiden. Not that they're willing to change now, but imagine the different stuff and approach they could create. Like Bruce's solo. If they decide to continue forward with him, they'd definitely use him in the studio and it'll be easier for Steve. Not that I expect that.

I guess one of the reasons was also because Joe has his own stuff, not that he would have rejected ofc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jcv
____no5 said:
At last, we'll see Face in the Sand live :wub:
Click to expand...
Face In The Sand would be a great live song, the vocals are not that easy for Bruce. I wonder if they would have played it back in 2003 if double bass wasn't used. A true gem. A double bass is just what the song needed, for the vibe and theme, Nicko just had to play it straightforward, nothing else.
 
Last edited:
wizardry said:
That's something that's bothering me, people talk of Simon as if he's come out of nowhere. He's been in the business almost as long as Maiden has. He has a session musician type profile, but, if anything, that's the sort of guy you want for your band, because session guys can sit and play whatever you throw at them. It's in their job description.
Click to expand...

What I would add to this is that *Nicko himself* had a session musician type profile before joining Maiden. His studio session work is fairly undocumented but he seems by his own admission to have done at least some anonymous session stuff earlier in his career.

And even with e.g. Pat Travers and Trust, it seems to me like his career was very much on a 'journeyman professional drummer' trajectory before Maiden. At least, I doubt that those bands were the peak of his professional ambitions.

Which isn't to say that I think he's easy to replace (he is after all my favourite musician of all time). But I'm not going to dismiss Simon on the basis that he's 'only' as session drummer. Nicko was, too, before he found his true vocation!
 
mihai said:
Not exactly their best period guitarwise.
Click to expand...
Not FOTD album imo.
OilyOarsome said:
Everyone is overthinking this.
Dear old Nicko had a stroke. He (pretty miraculously) got the band through the tour he was booked in for. An amazing achievement by any standards.
It was likely very hard going for him to get through it. But he soldiered on and did an exceptional job.
Steve drives the band and needs someone he’s comfortable with. Les Dawson is perfect. Right age range, can play in various styles.
They said that Nicko is still in the band. So SD will be drumming on next year’s tour. Keeps options open for studio stuff and Nicko.
If you look at their past, newcomers were often treated differently in terms of credits and royalties. That’s why he’s the 2025 drummer.
If it works out well, they’ll keep him on. Until then, they’re not going to insult Nicko with ‘here’s the new drummer’. He’s the new guy until enough time passes.
Click to expand...
I agree, but if they decide to continue forward, do you think they'll use 2 different drummers for 1 tour? It's as if Maiden will try musicians live every new tour? If it works out? Um, there are auditions for that, although you can't replicate big live shows or tour dates. He's around their age after all. Idk what happened with Joe, but if Steve wanted him, he would have been the choice. The tour starts next summer.
btx109 said:
I've looked up Simon's work via YouTube clips and come away with confidence that he can certainly play the parts. What will be the challenging part of the gig is FEEL. After playing together for over forty years and literally thousands of gigs and recordings, those guys are so locked in rhythmically that their timing together is intuitively telepathic now...and that is not something that can be replicated or achieved in a matter of rehearsals over a few months. That said, the music itself will not only be fine, it may even be sharper because everyone will be focused on getting it "right" - ESPECIALLY Simon, as this is his big break after decades of performing and he wants to do well for Steve, the band, the legacy and himself.
I've been struggling to put together the backstory of how we got here once I got past the emotion of the announcement. Obviously management and the band made a decision long before now. I'm assuming they've played with Simon already and he not only was on standby for this tour, he's prepped for the RFYL setlist. We all know Maiden works in year-long cycles regarding their tours; the timing of announcing the '25/26 run during the current tour was unusual, to say the least. We're in December; May 2025 is logistically right around the corner. Post holiday break, that's really not a lot of time to rehearse for an elaborate show featuring a key new member. No conspiracy theories here; I'm just realizing that a LOT has been going on behind the scenes while navigating a spectacular world tour and the emotions of performing for the final time with a cherished brother.
Click to expand...
I also think the decision should have been made last year, as British Lion had dates with Maiden and given Maiden's plans in advance and ideas for production. I don't think it's easy for a new drummer in Maiden, Nicko is unique. Steve recently said that they don't know the setlist yet, which is normal, since they have to rehearse all songs with Simon now. But they probably rehearsed with him already.
cyanopsis said:
Why oh why would they ever plan for someone else to take the drummer seat for 2026?! Just because they left that part out when it was announced? Simon must be beyond terrible if that would ever be put out on the table.
Click to expand...
At the same time he can't miss such opportunity, right. He's helping Steve in a ''tough'' time for the band.
Smither said:
I think that because Simon Dawson is 66 and would probably play 2 or even 3 nights in a row lots of times during a tour. That would be harder for a drummer than for Steve. But that doesn't mean he's out, of course.
Click to expand...
This. I don't expect Joe in BL though. They won't support Maiden. With a new drummer, yes.
Mosh said:
We'll see.
Click to expand...
This is wild. Steve, Bruce and Dave are Maiden sound. Adrian is needed for the band, Janick brings some magic too. Plus Steve had a thought about semi-retirement. Maiden would never go down that route, this is Steve's band after all.
Manic Gers said:
What I would add to this is that *Nicko himself* had a session musician type profile before joining Maiden.
Click to expand...
That's actually true.
Meliegree said:
Well, talking about the fact that there are dozens of great drummers in the world who could play in Iron Maiden is a paradox. It is both true and false.
True because they do exist and they are good.
False because it doesn't work that way.
Steve decides who will be in the band and we all know that he is not only stubborn but he likes solutions that work. You can see it in crazy experiments with the band's sound ( :-) ) and song structure and in the equipment he has been using for years. This means that for Iron Maiden there are really only 3 drummers. Nicko, Simon and (maybe) Joe.
Simon has a huge advantage in that Steve has played with him on stage many, many times. This means that he is proven, knows how to communicate on stage with him and fits into the philosophy that Steve chooses proven solutions that work. Logically - why should he look for a drummer on the other side of the world if he has someone he has been playing with for years and gets along with? Historically speaking, after Steve's decisions, Joe was at a disadvantage, mainly because recording covers, no matter how good, is less important than someone you've been playing with on stage for years.
You could even say that the last few years of British Lion were a constant audition for Simon.
Click to expand...
Well said. Steve also wrote with him, right? Arrangements. He once again didn't want a ''copy'', but something different. Simon should bring energy and power to the live sound.
 
Kalata said:
No one denies this, but he is probably best known for BL.

Curious question - would Maiden with a session and a versatile (this was important to Steve, I guess) drummer/musician rotate or change songs during one leg of a tour? Like with Bruce's solo tour, an additional 4-5 songs. Doubt it because of habits and especially if it's a last tour.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's going to happen. Nicko was not the reason for having static setlists. Even when they were younger, they hardly ever made changes. Maybe some small changes to play around with the setlist and that would usually happen at the beginning of a tour. They always said this is because of production reasons (backdrops, lighting etc..), but I think they could rotate more if they really wanted to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top