Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain says the band will keep going for as long as they can without making a mockery of their legacy.
The NWOBHM giants have just launched a world tour in support of 16th album The Book Of Souls – and the warm reception given to the work has given them a new lease of life.
McBrain tells MusicRadar: “On this album we analysed everything as a band. It was the first time we have sat down in the control room after putting the tracks down.
“Sometimes we’d do two or three versions and we would analyse each other’s parts. It wasn’t contrived, it just happened that way.
“Everyone was critiquing each other’s playing – 90% of it was complimentary, but then the other 10% might be, ‘Oh you sped up a bit here, Nick.’ We analysed it all. It was a wonderful experience.”
Despite having toured the world dozens of times in his career, McBrain still has two live ambitions remaining – to perform in China, and to play at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
“I thought if I had made a record and played at the Royal Albert Hall by the time I was 25 then I would have made it,” he says. “That motivated me.
“I don’t think there’s any way Iron Maiden could play there – we’re too much for it. It’s a small gig, maybe 5000 people, but for me that was like the Americans wanting to play Carnegie Hall.”
At the age of 63, he knows it can’t go on for ever. “I’m the twilight of the band,” he reflects. “I’m not a granddad but I’m at that age where people wonder how long I can keep going.”
But he adds: “If we’re going to make music like The Book Of Souls, who knows? As long as we have our health and we can still get up and do it then we will. We won’t ever become a parody of ourselves.
“If we can’t rock out and pay The Number Of The Beast, Run To The Hills and the new stuff, then what’s the point?”
Iron Maiden release Legacy Of The Beast trailer
Iron Maiden The Book Of Souls world tour
Mar 03: Mexico City Sports Palace, Mexico
Mar 04: Mexico City Sports Palace, Mexico
Mar 06: San Salvador Estadio Jorge Magico Gonzalez, El Salvador
Mar 08: San Jose Estadio Ricardo Saprissa, Costa Rica
Mar 11: Santiago Estadio Nacional, Chile
Mar 13: Cordoba Estadio Mario Kempes, Argentina
Mar 15: Buenos Aires Estadio Velez Sarsfield, Argentina
Mar 17: Rio De Janeiro HSBC Arena, Brazil
Mar 19: Belo Horizonte Esplanada Do Mineirao, Brazil
Mar 22: Brasilia Nilson Nelson Arena, Brazil
Mar 24: Fortaleza Ginasio Olimpico, Brazil
Mar 26: Sao Paulo Allianz Parque, Brazil
Mar 30: New York Madison Square Garden, NY
Apr 01: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Apr 03: Toronto Air Canada Center, ON
Apr 05: Detroit Palace of Auburn Hills, MI
Apr 06: Chicago United Center, IL
Apr 08: Edmonton Rexall Place, AB
Apr 10: Vancouver Rogers Arena, BC
Apr 11: Tacoma Dome, WA
Apr 13: Denver Pepsi Center, CO
Apr 15: Los Angeles Forum, CA
Apr 16: LA Forum, CA
Apr 20: Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan, Japan
Apr 21: Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan, Japan
Apr 24: Beijing LeSports Center, China
Apr 26: Shanghai Mercedes Benz Arena, China
Apr 29: Christchurch Horncastle Arena, New Zealand
May 01: Aucklane Vector Arena, New Zealand
May 04: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Australia
May 06: Sydney Allphones Arena, Australia
May 09: Melbourne Rod Laver Arena, Australia
May 12: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Australia
May 14: Perth Arena, Australia
May 18: Cape Town Grand Arena, South Africa
May 21: Johannesburg Carnival City Festival Lawns, South Africa
May 27: Dortmund Rock Im Revier Festival, Germany
May 29: Munich Rockavaria Festival, Germany
May 31: Berlin The Waldbuehne, Germany
Jun 03: Lucerne Sonisphere Allmend Rockt, Switzerland
Jun 05: Rock In Vienna Festival, Austria
Jun 08: Arnhem Gelredome, Netherlands
Jun 10:Paris Download Festival, France
Jun 12:Donington Download Festival, UK
Jun 15:Oslo Telenor Arena, Norway
Jun 17: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, Sweden
Jun 19: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium
Jun 21: Herning Jyske Bank Boxen, Denmark
Jun 23: Kaunas Zalgirio Arena, Lithuania
Jun 25: Moscow Olimpiyskiy, Russia
Jun 29: Hameenlinna Kantolan Tapahtumapuisto, Finland
Jul 01: Sopron Volt Festival, Hungary
Jul 03:Wroclaw Stadium, Poland
Jul 05: Prague Eden Arena, Czech Republic
Jul 06: Zilina Airport, Slovakia
Jul 09: Viveiro Resurrection Festival, Spain
Jul 11: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal
Jul 13: Madrid Barclaycard Center, Spain
Jul 16: Barcelona Rock Fest
Jul 22: Milan Mediolanum Forum, Italy
Jul 24: Rome Rock in Rome Sonisphere, Italy
Jul 26: trieste Piazza dell’Unita D’Italia, Italy
Jul 27: Split Spaladium Arena, Croatia
Aug 02: Esch-sur-Alzette Rockhal, Luxembourg
Aug 04: Wacken Open Air, Germany
