Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain Retires from Touring After 42 Years

Introduction

Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden made a significant announcement on Sunday regarding their upcoming 50th-anniversary tour. The band revealed that Simon Lawson from British Lion will be stepping in as the drummer for the tour. This news comes shortly after Nicko McBrain, Iron Maiden’s longtime drummer, announced his retirement from touring.

Iron Maiden Honors Nicko McBrain

Hours after Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain announced his retirement from touring, the band honored the drummer during their final gig together Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

A Special Night for Iron Maiden Fans

“Tonight is a very special night, as some of you, I think probably all of you, will know, because this morning we announced, Nicko announced that he was stepping back for playing live drums with Iron Maiden,” singer Bruce Dickinson told the audience (via Blabbermouth).

Celebrating Nicko’s Legacy

“For 42 years Nicko’s been in this band. He was a drummer before I was a singer, he was a pilot before I was a pilot, and now he’s not leaving the band, but he’s just not playing live with us anymore. So, we have a lot more music to get to tonight, and I want the rest of the night to be a celebration of Nick, a celebration of the joy that he’s brought to everybody around the world, not just here in Brazil.”

Nicko McBrain’s Retirement

Earlier in the day, McBrain — who suffered a paralyzing stroke in 2023 but recovered enough to continue performing after extensive therapy — revealed plans to retire from touring after 42 years with the band, although he would remain a (presumably studio-only) member of the Iron Maiden family.

Simon Lawson to Join Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden will return to the road in May 2025 for their upcoming 50th anniversary tour, and on Sunday, the heavy metal legends announced who would serve as McBrain’s replacement on drums.

“Iron Maiden are delighted to announce that stepping in behind the kit for 2025 is a name familiar to many of our fans – Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and Steve [Harris]’s rhythm section partner of the past 12 years with British Lion [the bassist’s side project],”  the band said in a statement Sunday.

Conclusion

Iron Maiden bids farewell to Nicko McBrain as he retires from touring after 42 years with the band. The heavy metal legends look forward to their upcoming 50th-anniversary tour with Simon Lawson taking over on drums.

FAQs

Q: Who will replace Nicko McBrain as Iron Maiden’s drummer?

A: Simon Lawson from British Lion will be stepping in as the drummer for Iron Maiden’s upcoming 50th-anniversary tour.

Q: How long was Nicko McBrain with Iron Maiden?

A: Nicko McBrain spent 42 years as Iron Maiden’s drummer before announcing his retirement from touring.

Credit: www.rollingstone.com