After officially retiring from touring in December 2024, former Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain is shedding light on his departure. In a recent appearance on “Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen & Shane McEachern,” the 73-year-old heavy metal legend revealed that his decision to hang up his drumsticks was actually set in motion years before his final show in São Paulo, Brazil.
When asked if leaving the band was a difficult choice, McBrain explained that the seeds of his retirement were planted long before his 2023 stroke.
“To be very, very honest with you, when we made the Senjutsu record back in 2018, 2019, I thought then I would do the tour of that album and then I’d probably hang it up. And then knowing that the ‘Run For Your [Lives‘ tour was coming up] — at the time we didn’t know that that was the name of the tour, but I knew that in 2025 it would be the 50th anniversary [of the band]. And I thought, ‘Well, I’ll come out of retirement for that, if they want me.’ Because we hadn’t planned on [the] ‘Legacy Of The Beast‘ or ‘The Future Past‘ [tours at that point]. It was all Senjutsu, and that was gonna be over a two-year world tour, and I thought that that would do for me. So I had it in my mind that I would probably retire after that tour. But then, of course, we know what happened — the wonderful, great pandemic hit and ruined all the best-laid plans of a lot of businesses and people, personally as well as bands going out on tour. So that kind of put the spanner in that works. And it was decided that we would do the ‘Legacy‘ tour and not a Senjutsu album tour. It was gonna be like a mix of all kinds of stuff. Anyway, we did that, and then I had my stroke in ’23. But there was the end of the ‘Legacy‘ [tour] and then ‘The Future Past‘ tour came along. So, the guys let me go with it and they carried me on their shoulders, which is phenomenal. I’m so eternally grateful to each and every one of ’em for that, and our management team,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
He noted that because the idea had been brewing for a while, he felt confident in his ultimate decision to step down, even if it meant saying goodbye to a 42-year career.
“It wasn’t one of those decisions where I was, like, ‘Ah, did I make the right decision?’ I knew back in 2019 that I was planning on hanging it up. And I’d made rumors to the guys — I’d spoken to Davy [Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray] about it back then, and I hadn’t really mentioned it to Steve [Harris, Iron Maiden bassist]. I’s kind of brushed upon it, but it wasn’t talked about in depth.
“So, yeah, it was hard,” he added. “Any time you’ve been in a band or working for someone for 42 years, it’s a difficult decision. But it was made easier for me because I had it in my mind earlier on anyway, and having the stroke kind of put the cherry on it and I thought, ‘This isn’t fair for the rest of the guys.’ And so that, that helped it out immensely.”
During the interview, McBrain also addressed circulating rumors that guitarist Dave Murray might be considering his own retirement. Pointing to the intense physical demands of their live shows, the drummer suggested that Murray has plenty of personal reasons to consider staying off the road.
“Well, yeah. We’ve all been away from our families, and David‘s family expanded, and Tasha, his daughter, had a little baby, baby boy, I believe. And he’s a granddad. And he’s ensconced himself in Maui with his wife, Tamar. And I talk to him about longevity and stuff and how physically demanding it is for us playing our kind of music — I think for anybody at our age playing any kind of music [is demanding], to be honest. [Laughs] Some are a little easier than others. I mean, we are high octane, from start to finish.”
Reflecting on the aging process and life after touring, McBrain shared what he misses about the road, while noting that the band’s planned break in 2027 will give everyone time to evaluate their futures.
“So, I would probably say that, in my opinion, I think that this is not likely to be the end, but I think if they do go carry on — I know 2027 is a year off for ’em, and that’s okay. That’s all great. That’s like sitting back for a year and going, ‘Oh, breathing time. Back to family.’ But that’s another year older. I mean, Harry [Steve Harris] will be 71. That’s okay. I mean, I was 72 [after] I had my stroke … so age catches everybody up. Father time, he’s gonna get you in the end. I just think with Davey, he’s got more reason to wanna be at home, perhaps. I haven’t spoken to him in a couple of years about ideas of retiring. … But, yeah, everybody’s got their own thoughts about that, and I can’t really speak for anybody else. But I made my decision, and I’ve been happy about that. I do miss being on stage, looking out and seeing our wonderful fans that we have around the world. I miss that. I miss my little walks with Janick [Gers, Iron Maiden guitarist] or on my own and meeting in a coffee shop during our days off or days of the show. I do miss that. I don’t miss the travel and living out of a suitcase. That I do not [miss].”
McBrain also discussed whether Iron Maiden might record another studio album and whether he would be part of it. The drummer left the door open for a partial return to the studio, revealing a recent conversation he had with frontman Bruce Dickinson.
“Watch this space. That’s a question mark. And I can’t answer it, because I don’t know. I did speak to Bruce [Dickinson, Iron Maiden singer] — in December I [appeared at] a Monsterpalooza [convention] with him in California. And I said to him, ‘Do you wanna do another record?’ ‘What do you think”, he said, ’cause he is the baby of the band. He’s got that baby gene in him. Look, he’s just been in a studio and finished a new album, solo album, after The Mandrake Project. But he said he wanted to do one, but he didn’t know if anybody else wanted to. So that could change. That was three months ago. They obviously still talk to one another, and I don’t see why not. And if they do, I would be delighted to go in and do a couple of tracks. I don’t think I would do the whole album because [of] my handicap [following my stroke].”
