Steve Harris was still a teenager when he formed Iron Maiden. This year, they celebrated their 50th anniversary with the massive Run For Your Lives world tour. Kicking off in May in Budapest, it marked the debut of new touring drummer Simon Dawson, brought in from Steve’s side-project, British Lion, following the news that Nicko McBrain would be stepping away from the road after 42 years.
The run also included a stop at London Stadium, home of Steve’s beloved West Ham, and boasted a setlist featuring rarely played favourites such as Murders In The Rue Morgue and The Clairvoyant. Oh, and did we mention they released a huge, glossy book called Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams?
But ’Arry isn’t done yet. He takes us inside the band’s whirlwind 2025, and their plans for the future.
How was 2025 for you?
“Great! We’ve done some great shows with a new set and obviously a different drummer, so there was all the stuff that goes with that going on. But it’s been very enjoyable and has gone really well. Some things were just incredible – for me in particular, I’d pick out the London Stadium. I don’t think that could’ve gone any better.”
There were songs that came back after decades. Are there any you were excited to dust off?
“I like them all! It’s hard to pick one. There’s certain songs like The Evil That Men Do that aren’t already in the set and I’d like to play. But we’ve bandied the ideas around and not ended up playing them this time. But it’s difficult to do a set from any part of our career [and not miss things out]. It’s a nice problem to have, I suppose.”
How’s the new boy [drummer Simon Dawson] been settling in?
“Really good. There’s been some levels of stress, I suppose, and it’s quite funny because the first thing Janick [Gers, guitars] said to him when he walked in was, ‘Are you shitting yourself?’ But he’s a cool customer and he’s knuckled down to get on with it.”
It can’t hurt that he’s been playing with you in British Lion.
“Of course. We’ve been in a band together for a long time and know each other well, so obviously he had that. But he’s also known a lot of the crew for a while, because some of them have worked with British Lion too. So he’s not walked into a position where he doesn’t know anybody other than me, and I think that’s helped him settle in. People might have comments about certain things, but that’s also because some people just don’t like change. This change was kind of forced on us, and we’ve handled it and moved on.”
No gongs dropping on him like Nicko had last tour?
“Well, we’ve not had a gong to drop on him this tour! Ha ha ha!”
Speaking of British Lion, you ended the year with a residency at the Cart And Horses. Is it strange going back to where it all started?
“This is the thing – we played London Stadium and it captured everyone’s imagination, because the Cart And Horses is just down the road, and that’s basically where we started out. So to be back there is great. You want both ends of the spectrum. It keeps me down to earth, anyway! But yeah, I love playing big gigs and small gigs. I’m lucky to get the best of both worlds.”
How far off do you think the third British Lion record is?
“We’ve got some new songs actually, some we’ll be bringing out for this tour. But we’ve been playing a couple of new ones in the set for a while anyway. We’ve got plenty of stuff, we’ve just not had chance to record it all.
I think I need some time off after all of this, because I didn’t really take any between the last two tours while I was working on the production, the book and everything else. I need a little bit of time. That’s the problem, trying to fit everything in without burning out. They think I’m mad enough as is! We are due to make another album at some point.”
You’ve certainly earned the rest.
“You’d think so. I don’t like to sit still and do nothing either, though. I think you just need some time away from it to recharge the batteries. A lot of this stuff is how I recharge them, not by sitting and doing nothing.”
What creative function do British Lion serve for you these days?
“It takes me back to the early days of Maiden, back to when we were really out there and fighting for something, trying to get in people’s faces. Of course, we’ve done festivals and I’ve enjoyed those too, but playing clubs with British Lion is what I thrive on. I do miss that side with Maiden, if I’m honest. But this way I get to do everything.”
There are certainly worse ways to wrap up the year.
“I’ll be freezing my nuts off, I suspect! But I enjoy it, I love playing around the UK – it brings back so many memories. It’s good all round.”
Back in the early days of Maiden, you kept a diary. Is that something you have continued?
“It wasn’t that kind of diary. Basically, I was looking after the band at the time, doing every single thing that a manger would and taking care of the accounts as well. So I just started writing down what we were getting paid, whether it was five quid or 15. People used to say, ‘Each?’ No, it was the whole band!
I started doing it for that reason, and then started putting in the odd comment about the gig. As soon as [Maiden’s first manager] Paull Sears came along and started doing accounting, I stopped doing it. Which is a bit of a shame. I was just keeping tabs on what we were getting paid.”
Which presumably wasn’t a massive amount back then…
“Everything we earned went straight back into equipment, rehearsals, vehicles… There was nothing we could hand out to somebody. We might get the roadies a beer if we could afford it, but in general we didn’t have any money leftover to do anything with. That’s the story of every band when they’re starting off. And some even further down the line, until you can hopefully get to a point where you’re earning a crust out of it. It took a long time to get to that stage, even for us.”
Starting out, did you ever think you’d be going this long?
“No, of course not. You don’t think like that, certainly back then. But we are still doing it, and we’re happy we’re still doing it. We’ll keep going as long as we can.”
Bruce Dickinson reckons Maiden are happier than you’ve ever been.
“Well, yeah. We always try and mix things up. We might do one tour where it’s all new material and then go back to play the older stuff. If we’ve got a new album, we’re never scared to play tracks from that. I think it’s important to do that – I think that’s a big part of how we’ve been able to carry on how we have.
But so long as we’re enjoying it, that’s the main thing. Like Bruce said, we probably are enjoying it more than ever, because we’ve not got too many years left so every gig is sacred. You tend to appreciate it even more.”
Could you ever see Maiden putting on their own Back To The Beginning-style event, with bands coming to pay tribute?
“I don’t know. We don’t tend to look back. I know we’ve had the book come out and we’ve been focused on that, but normally we’re more interested in what comes next. It sounds like some people would like that to happen, but I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Were there any surprises when you were putting the book together?
“Not really. It was almost like going through a family album in some ways and revisiting the nostalgic parts. It was a nice feeling.”
Are there any plans for a private celebration for Maiden’s 50th?
“No, not really. Celebrating by being out on tour is the best thing we could do. I don’t think we need the private party. Plus, we’d need the day off the next day, that’s for sure!”
After all these years, do you still feel like the kid who wanted to make the music he loved?
“I still get that adrenaline rush every time I go onstage. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small audience or a big one, but there’s something about playing clubs for me. I like a challenge.”
What do you see as being Maiden’s legacy?
“I’m just pleased to still be here! To still be alive and playing gigs. The fact we’ve been doing it for so long is just amazing. Who would’ve expected it? We certainly wouldn’t. Long may it continue.”
Iron Maiden: Infinity Dreams is out now via Thames & Hudson. The Run For Your Lives World Tour resumes in 2026, including a date at Knebworth on July 11. For the full list of dates, visit their official website.
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