Iron Maiden Founder Steve Harris Admits Doubts Over Bruce Dickinson’s 1999 Return

The 1999 reunion of Iron Maiden’s classic lineup is widely regarded as one of the most successful comebacks in heavy metal history, launching a second golden era for the band that continues to fill stadiums today. However, bassist and band leader Steve Harris has revealed that the decision to welcome frontman Bruce Dickinson back into the fold was not an immediate “yes,” admitting that he harbored deep skepticism regarding the singer’s motives.

In a new interview with MusicRadar, Harris reflected on the turbulent period following the dismissal of vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted the band for the controversial albums The X Factor (1995) and Virtual XI (1998). While fans were ecstatic at the prospect of the “Air Raid Siren” returning, Harris was still stinging from Dickinson‘s departure in 1993 to pursue a solo career—a split that caused significant friction at the time.

“When Bruce came back it was a wonderful thing to certain degree,” Harris explained. “But I wasn’t a hundred per cent sure of the reasons behind it. So I was like, ‘Well, okay, let’s see.’”

The bassist confessed that trust had to be re-earned, noting that the relationship between the two strong-willed musicians had always been complex. Dickinson had famously warned Harris during his 1981 audition that he would be “a pain in the ar*e,” and the 1993 split only deepened the divide.

“It was great. We did a great tour, and from then on it was alright. It’s been great ever since,” Harris recalled of the reunion era. “But at the time, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure.”

To make the new six-piece lineup work—which also saw the return of guitarist Adrian Smith alongside Dave Murray and Janick Gers—Harris adopted a pragmatic approach to leadership. He realized that holding onto past grievances would only derail the band’s future.

“You have to put things to one side,” Harris said. “I think the older you get, the easier it is to deal with, in the sense that you just bite your tongue and get on with it. You don’t let things get bogged down where they might have done a few years before.”

He continued, offering insight into the internal dynamics of a band that has survived five decades: “You know, people are tough to live with anyway. I mean, everyone is. So you just have to work out what works for everybody. And I think with a band, you just learn when to leave people alone.”

Regarding his frontman’s eccentricities, Harris added: “[Bruce] is unusual, put it that way. Which is probably what makes him so good. He’s got an unusual quality to his voice. But it’s difficult to talk about other people and analyse what they are or what they’re not.”

One of the key testing grounds for this renewed partnership was the setlist. Harris was adamant that the band not ignore the material recorded with Blaze Bayley, specifically epic tracks like “Sign of the Cross” and “The Clansman.” To Harris‘s relief, Dickinson embraced the challenge of singing songs from the era he was absent for.

“To be fair to Bruce, he didn’t have a problem doing those songs,” Harris noted. “He never put up a fight or said, ‘I don’t want to do them because it’s not my era.’”

Harris praised the singer’s professionalism in honoring the band’s complete history, drawing a parallel to when Dickinson first joined in 1981 and had to perform Paul Di’Anno era tracks.

“[Bruce] is a team player when it comes to that type of thing. He knows that it’s the history of the band, whatever period. He wasn’t there for all of it, but he realises how important it all is. And I respected him for that, definitely,” Harris said.

However, the bassist couldn’t help but speculate on Dickinson‘s competitive streak: “But also, I suppose there’s maybe an element that he wanted to prove that he could do this songs better, perhaps, or differently, or whatever. I don’t know.”

Ultimately, Harris‘s gamble paid off. The band released the critically acclaimed Brave New World in 2000, and the tension that once threatened to derail the band was channeled into a creative resurgence that persists to this day.

Reflecting on the burden of making those lineup changes, Harris concluded: “It’s not that I’m totally, brutally honest with absolutely everything. You have to be diplomatic to a certain degree in all walks of life. But you also have to do whatever you think is right. It’s never easy making the big decisions. It’s not comfortable. But when the chips are down, you have to stand up and be counted.”