"With joy and sadness" Iron Maiden drummer McBrain retires after 42 years
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain retires. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The band was always on the road with its own jet. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain retires. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The band was always on the road with its own jet. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
For decades he set the beat for the British heavy metal band, but now Nicko McBrain is calling it a day. The announcement comes as no surprise to fans.
07.12.2024, 20:12
dpa
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- Nicko McBrain has been behind the drums for Iron Maiden since 1982.
- Now he has announced his retirement due to ill health.
- Tonight he will give his last concert in the Brazilian city of São Paulo.
After 42 years, drummer Nicko McBrain is handing over the drumsticks to Iron Maiden. The concert this evening in the Brazilian city of São Paulo will be his last, the 72-year-old announced on the British heavy metal band's homepage.
"After careful consideration, it is with both joy and sadness that I announce my decision to take a step back from the stresses of an extensive touring life," McBrain was quoted as saying. "However, I will remain an integral part of the Iron Maiden family and continue to work on various projects." He is therefore looking at collaborations with the band as well as personal projects.
Songs sound different - due to stroke
McBrain had been playing drums for the band since 1982. After the drummer suffered a stroke in early 2023, some songs sounded different so that he could continue to play. "I couldn't play for a long time because I was paralyzed on the right side," the trade magazine Rolling Stone quoted him as saying in the summer.
Manager Rod Smallwood thanked the drummer on behalf of the band for his decades of service and announced that the group would soon be announcing a new drummer.