We’re now nearly two weeks removed from a massive announcement in the Iron Maiden camp. On December 7^th, drummer Nicko McBrain played what stands as his final live show with the band in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Maiden were wrapping up their Future Past tour on this date and McBrain announced his intentions hours before the show.

Nicko McBrain was born in the Hackney district of London, England in 1952. He got his start drumming in the 1960’s in various pub bands. Through the ’70’s he would drum with Pat Travers, Gordon Giltrap and others before joining the group Trust. Through Trust, McBrain would meet Iron Maiden and would join that group in 1982.

For 42 years McBrain held down Iron Maiden’s drum throne, appearing on 14 studio albums and countless live shows. Nicko also owns a restaurant in Florida and a music store in England.

Recent years have been challenging for Iron Maiden’s oldest member. He had a bout with cancer in 2021, an early stage incident for which he has been treated. He also suffered a stroke in early 2023, just months before Maiden embarked on their recent Future Past tour. He was able to recover and perform the tour after rehabilitation.

The announcement was a sad yet celebratory matter – Nicko has clearly been through the ringer the past few years and his decision to step away from live performances is totally understandable. He has been a central cog to Iron Maiden’s sound, his unique sense of rhythm played well with Steve Harris’ kinetic bass playing and laid a solid foundation for the band’s music.

This also isn’t a full case of retirement. Nicko remains a member of Iron Maiden and is expected to participate in studio work. He is simply stepping away from live performances, of which Maiden are planning a two-year long tour celebrating their first 9 albums.

This news has caused even more speculation than normal about when the eventual end of Iron Maiden will be. While Nicko is a few years older than the rest of the band, it’s true that everyone is getting up there in age. Nothing has been officially announced or hinted at, only that Steve Harris has said he intends to keep going. News like this will naturally lead fans to wonder about the sad day when Iron Maiden hangs it up, but that does not appear to be on the horizon right now. The new touring drummer for Maiden is Simon Dawson, who has spent the past 12 years performing with Steve Harris in the band British Lion.

It is sad news but it’s also easy to celebrate Nicko’s decades of service to Iron Maiden. Here’s to you Nicko, and long may Iron Maiden reign.