IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain has announced that he is leaving the band after 42 glorious years. The 72-year-old Metal legend, who replaced Clive Burr in IRON MAIDEN in 1982, issued a statement to their fans, confirming that the concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil, will be his last with IRON MAIDEN.
This concert marks the final night of IRON MAIDEN’s The Future Past Tour, ahead of the celebration of their 50th anniversary in 2025 with the Run For Your Lives Tour. Nicko suffered a stroke in early 2023 but recovered well enough to play drums with IRON MAIDEN in 81 concerts during the Future Past World Tour.
In his announcement, Nicko McBrain stated:
“After much thought, with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to retire from the demanding lifestyle of extensive touring. Today, Saturday, December 7th, 2024, São Paulo will be my last performance with IRON MAIDEN. I wish the band every success in the future.
However, I will remain a steadfast member of the IRON MAIDEN family, participating in various projects that my longtime managers, Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor, have in mind for me. I will also focus on several personal projects and dedicate my energy to my existing businesses and ventures, including The British Drum Company, Nicko McBrain’s Drum One, Titanium Tart, and, of course, Rock-N-Roll Ribs!
Touring with IRON MAIDEN for the past 42 years has been an incredible journey! To my loyal fans, who made it all worthwhile, I love you! To my devoted wife, Rebecca, who made everything infinitely easier, I love you! To my children, Justin and Nicholas, thank you for understanding my absences, I love you! To my friends, who are always there for me, I love you! To my bandmates, who made my dream come true, I love you! I look to the future with great excitement and hope! I’ll see you all soon, may God bless you all, and, of course, ‘Up the Irons!’ – Nicko”
IRON MAIDEN’s manager, Rod Smallwood, made a statement on behalf of the band:
“Nicko, we love you too! Thank you for being an unstoppable force behind the drums for IRON MAIDEN for 42 years and our friend for even longer. Speaking on behalf of the entire band, I can say that we will miss you immensely!Since Rock in Rio in 1985, we’ve developed a special relationship with Brazil, so for you to bow out of touring in front of 90,000 fans over two nights in São Paulo is poetic. You deserve every bit of the praise I’m sure these amazing fans will give you at your final show.
Phantom looks forward to working with you for many more years on the projects you mentioned, and I’m sure we can find a few more special ones within the IRON MAIDEN family and Fan Club community! The band and I have thousands of great memories from the past 42 years – amazing gigs, countless platinum and gold records and awards, love from the fans, and… one too many beers on too many occasions! Such a bond is forever! And, as Steve Harris says, ‘Nicko is and will always be part of the IRON MAIDEN family.
P.S. IRON MAIDEN always gets their man, and our already chosen new drummer will be announced very soon. – Rod, Andy, Steve, Bruce, Davey, Adrian & Jan”
