Simon Dawson is the new drummer

I'd say as important as Steve is from the musical standpoint, Rod is probably the most important guy behind the band's success. Despite him being a borderline unbearable bastard to people around Maiden, he brought them to stadiums in Europe.

At this moment, I think Maiden has 3 directors and I think that has been since Bruce's cancer scare:

- Steve - musical director, also decides setlists and tour themes
- Bruce - director of band's image and presentation, also decides setlists and tour themes
- Rod (and Shacky) - managment, executioner of the ideas, also decides setlists and tour themes (LOTB)

I think those are the core of the band and have been since 2016. Before that, it was more Steve only.
 
Meliegree said:
But... British Lion is also Steve project and they are nowhere near the level of first maiden albums (and with Steve current experience this should be in their reach).
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I'm not sure Steve brings anything to the table for British Lion, I suspect he only just arranges and spruces up ideas the other guys bring, much like when he collaborates with the members of Maiden. There's no way he uses any of his own ideas for BL, unless it's maybe something unsuitable for Maiden.
 
harrisdevot said:
Well, Mankind is part of Nature, no doubt. But saying that businesses mimic nature is a pure (maybe uncouncious, I will leave you the benefit of doubt) liberal (in the economic sense of the word) discourse. There is nothing "natural" there, nor in the so-called "market". There are not self-working processes. Behind them (and the Lizzy thing is a perfect illustration, as is the fact that Motörhead has never been declared dead, contrary to all logics) there are calculations, fuelled by pure greediness.
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But there is greed in nature! The difference is that in nature when the leader is no more someone else will take over the pride. This is the natural thing to happen.
I don't see why a successful business has to stop when the founder dies. And if you claim this is more than business and there is a message and a soul, even the better, pass the torch to someone else so the message continues to be transmitted.
When Marx died, Engels took over and published the rest 2 (out of 3) volumes of Capital. If we follow your logic he should quit, since Capital was Marx's life work. Of course not. The important was not who did what, the important was the message.
The two albums The Doors released without Morrison are terrible, but kudos to them that they had the guts to risk huge failure. And huge failure they had.
Fleetwood Mac without Peter Green became FM rock. So what? I can very well distinguish the different eras and leave them be with the teanths of millions of albums they sold without him.
 
srfc said:
I'm not sure Steve brings anything to the table for British Lion, I suspect he only just arranges and spruces up ideas the other guys bring, much like when he collaborates with the members of Maiden. There's no way he uses any of his own ideas for BL, unless it's maybe something unsuitable for Maiden.
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This makes little sense, one doesn't form a band just to arrange other people's ideas. And besides, pretty much everything BL is unsuitable for Maiden.

matic22 said:
I think those are the core of the band and have been since 2016. Before that, it was more Steve only.
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Interesting. Did Bruce's cancer changed Steve so much? Also interesting that in 2015 we first saw songs without Steve's name since New Frontier.
 
____no5 said:
This makes little sense, one doesn't form a band just to arrange other people's ideas. And besides, pretty much everything BL is unsuitable for Maiden.



Interesting. Did Bruce's cancer changed Steve so much? Also interesting that in 2015 we first saw songs without Steve's name since New Frontier.
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He didn't form British Lion.
 
GhostofCain said:
Are we really discussing the possibility of Iron Maiden carrying on without Steve Harris?? It is his band and there is no way it can exist as a living breathing band without him.
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I think that isn't the question. The question is would IM carry on without Bruce and I think the answer at this point is no.

Bruce's cancer and passing of close friends changed Steve to some degree. And I think since ME he allowed Bruce to have much more control over the band since then.

As I said before, Maiden is still Steve's band, but it currently has 2 leaders. Steve is the leader music-wise, while Bruce directs more of the image and marketing side of the band.

Steve-Bruce relationship is at the best as it has ever been IMO. The fact that Bruce was allowed to take the core of Maiden crew to work on his tour kinda shows that.
 
matic22 said:
Steve-Bruce relationship is at the best as it has ever been IMO. The fact that Bruce was allowed to take the core of Maiden crew to work on his tour kinda shows that.
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Whilst I have no doubt that Bruce and Steve get on better now than they have had in the past, employing the same crew whilst they are not working for Maiden does not necessarily have anything to do with it.
 
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Bruce literally has said at some point in the last few years that he'd urge the band to continue without him and that he'd even help find a replacement. Whether they'd be successful without him is an entirely different question, but Bruce can be replaced. We've already had a good number of years without him.

Nicko got already replaced. Dave barely contributes to the songwriting and despite being a major influence on the overall sound of Maiden's guitars, he's "just" a guitar player and could be replaced easily.

Janick is much more important, having become one of the major songwriters for the last quarter of a century, but being a guitar player he could be replaced easily as well.

Adrian is a bit more involved behind the scenes and has opinions on things like production or the tempo they play live. His views on the former are ignored, on the latter they are heeded. Considering that he left the band for a decade before, he'd be just as replaceable.

Steve on the other hand is involved on multiple levels. Yes, he doesn't write almost entire albums by himself anymore, yet he still oversees everything. He wrote half of Senjutsu completely on his own. For the other half he wasn't involved with roughly 13 of the 40-ish minutes of music. He is all over the record. He is all over all the other decisions as well (with Bruce having much more input on the setlists nowadays). Him and Rod and simply on another level of involvement and leadership.

Let's hope it never comes to this, but if Steve were to die before retiring it would be the end of Maiden. I'm absolutely convinced of that.
 
matic22 said:
Steve-Bruce relationship is at the best as it has ever been IMO. The fact that Bruce was allowed to take the core of Maiden crew to work on his tour kinda shows that.
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Was allowed? The crew, like Pooch, Dave’s tech are, as most in the business, not permanent employees but hired on short-term contracts/ tour basis. Inbetween tours they work with other people, do corporate sound, whatever.
 
Vaenyr said:
Bruce literally has said at some point in the last few years that he'd urge the band to continue without him and that he'd even help find a replacement. Whether they'd be successful without him is an entirely different question, but Bruce can be replaced. We've already had a good number of years without him.

Nicko got already replaced. Dave barely contributes to the songwriting and despite being a major influence on the overall sound of Maiden's guitars, he's "just" a guitar player and could be replaced easily.

Janick is much more important, having become one of the major songwriters for the last quarter of a century, but being a guitar player he could be replaced easily as well.

Adrian is a bit more involved behind the scenes and has opinions on things like production or the tempo they play live. His views on the former are ignored, on the latter they are heeded. Considering that he left the band for a decade before, he'd be just as replaceable.

Steve on the other hand is involved on multiple levels. Yes, he doesn't write almost entire albums by himself anymore, yet he still oversees everything. He wrote half of Senjutsu completely on his own. For the other half he wasn't involved with roughly 13 of the 40-ish minutes of music. He is all over the record. He is all over all the other decisions as well (with Bruce having much more input on the setlists nowadays). Him and Rod and simply on another level of involvement and leadership.

Let's hope it never comes to this, but if Steve were to die before retiring it would be the end of Maiden. I'm absolutely convinced of that.
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Can't agree. Dave can't be replaced. His shredding and his legato both so unique, so is his tone.
 
matic22 said:
Steve-Bruce relationship is at the best as it has ever been IMO. The fact that Bruce was allowed to take the core of Maiden crew to work on his tour kinda shows that.
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But they're all grown ups with individual free will, so if they wanted to tour with Bruno they'll just do it?
 
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Dick Brucinson said:
Can't agree. Dave can't be replaced. His shredding and his legato both so unique, so is his tone.
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Note what we mean with "can be replaced":

I'm not saying someone else is going to sound identical to Dave or do justice to his work. I'm saying that despite his unique tone, Maiden can continue playing without him.
 
Iron Lurker said:
Rock bands aren't your typical business. Just because a band "could" continue without a Lemmy or Dave Mustaine or Steve Harris means they should. Ridiculous notion.
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Neither should they. Music is still art. I hate this notion of basically having to find ways to let a band continue forever just to maximize, what, money? Sales? Would it be a worthwhile addition to their legacy to continue without Steve for example?

I don't care what random bassist X has to add to Maiden. It's Steve's baby and has been for quite literally half a century.
 
Vaenyr said:
Bruce literally has said at some point in the last few years that he'd urge the band to continue without him and that he'd even help find a replacement. Whether they'd be successful without him is an entirely different question, but Bruce can be replaced. We've already had a good number of years without him.
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That was Bruce hinting that the band will go on if anyone decides to retire.

Maiden without Bruce isn't happening. Unless they want to go back to playing very small venues again.
 
Poto said:
That was Bruce hinting that the band will go on if anyone decides to retire.

Maiden without Bruce isn't happening. Unless they want to go back to playing very small venues again.
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As I said, success is an entirely different conversation. I'm not even making the case that they'd continue without Bruce. It was mostly to illustrate how irreplaceable Steve is in my opinion.
 
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