Although he officially stepped down from touring duties in late 2024, legendary drummer Nicko McBrain remains a vital part of the Iron Maiden family. On Saturday, December 13, the musician made a special appearance at a Barnes & Noble location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to sign copies of the band’s massive new coffee table book, “Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History.”
The bookstore shared footage of the event, capturing the excitement as fans lined up to meet the rock icon. In a statement posted alongside the video, the venue expressed their gratitude for hosting the event:
“We were honored to welcome Nicko McBrain, the iconic drummer of Iron Maiden, to the store for a special signing of ‘Infinite Dreams‘! Fans stopped by to celebrate music history, meet a true rock legend, and grab signed copies of this incredible book. It was an unforgettable moment for metal fans and book lovers alike. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this such a memorable event.”
Released on October 7 via Thames & Hudson, “Infinite Dreams” serves as the ultimate visual archive for the band’s first half-century. The book is organized chronologically, documenting the group’s ascent from pub gigs in 1975 to their 1982 breakthrough with The Number of the Beast, and continuing through to the 2021 double album Senjutsu and the current “Run For Your Lives“ world tour.
Curated by Ben Smallwood and co-edited by Alexander Milas and Terry Burrows, the tome offers an unprecedented look inside the band’s vault. It features rare artifacts including handwritten lyrics, stage props, and instruments, as well as the evolution of their mascot Eddie—complete with commentary from creator Derek Riggs.
The project relies heavily on the personal archives of bassist and founder Steve Harris, who penned the book’s foreword (vocalist Bruce Dickinson provides the afterword). Harris admitted that even he was shocked by the condition of the memorabilia he had stored away for decades.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised at some of the stuff that I’ve managed to unearth for this book,” Harris stated. “I knew I had kept a lot of things from the early days but they have lasted really well and the photography has brought them back to life. I hope the fans are going to love looking at all the stuff presented like this! It’s the right time to bring it all together for part of our 50th celebrations.”
Tristan de Lancey, creative director at Thames & Hudson, emphasized the unique level of cooperation the publisher received from the band members.
“With astonishing archival access and more meticulous, hands-on participation from the band than I ever thought possible, we have been gifted the tools to create something beautiful, comprehensive and unique which, I have no doubt, raises the bar for illustrated books in this music genre,” de Lancey commented. “Every page will surprise and delight its audience — just don’t expect metal fans to be the only ones who buy it…!”
