"We had a decision to make as to whether we wanted to carry on or not": Steve Harris on Nicko McBrain's departure from Iron Maiden

Nicko McBrain and Steve Harris during Iron Maiden's record release party for Dance of Death in Battersea, London. September 3, 2003

Nicko McBrain and Steve Harris at a party in 2003 (Image credit: Tina Korhonen/Avalon/Getty Images)

Iron Maiden leader Steve Harris has revealed that the band had to decide whether or not they had a future after longtime drummer Nicko McBrain suffered a stroke in early 2023.

McBrain eventually took part in Maiden's Future Past Tour, but announced his retirement from the road at the end of 2024, saying he was "stepping back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle."

Now Harris, in an interview in the new issue of Rock Candy, says that McBrain's stroke forced Iron Maiden to consider their future.

"To be honest, we didn't really have a choice and had to make the change after Nicko suffered his health issues," says Harris. "It was what it was, and we had a decision to make as to whether we wanted to carry on or not.

"Obviously, we had a tour booked at the time that it happened, and the rest of us all wanted to continue. But ultimately, after we got through all that, it was Nick's decision to step away, and we all respected the fact that he'd decided to do that."

Since leaving, McBrain has continued to play with his Iron Maiden tribute act Tiutanium Tart, and recently launched the Metal Sticks Podcast with Modern Drummer CEO David Frangioni.

"Heavy Metal, Drumming and Iron Maiden have been my life, and have given me so much," says McBrain. "Now David and I can host a show that brings the audience inside the process, celebrating Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden and the amazing community that it embodies. We created the show that we would love to watch as both fans and musicians alike."

McBrain's replacement in Iron Maiden's live lineup, Simon Dawson, played his first show with them at the Sports Arena in Budapest in May on the opening night of their Run For Your Lives tour. The tour resumes in May 2026 - full dates below.

Iron Maiden: Run For Your Lives tour 2026

May 23: Athens OAKA, Greece
May 26: Sofia Vasil Levski Stadium, Bulgaria
May 28: Bucharest Arena Națională, Romania
May 30: Bratislava Národný Futbalový Štadión, Slovakia
Jun 02: Hannover Heinz von Heiden Arena, Germany
Jun 06: Nurnberg, Rock IM Park, Germany
Jun 07: Nurburg, Rock AM Ring, Germany
Jun 10: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Jun 13: Nickelsdorf Nova Rock, Austria
Jun 14: Hradec Kralove Rock For People, Czech Republic
Jun 17: Milan San Siro Stadium, Italy
Jun 22: Paris La Défense Arena, France
Jun 24-27 Cophenhell 2025 (date TBC)
Jun 24-27 Tons Of Rock 2025 (date TBC)
Jun 28: Lyon-Décines Groupama Stadium, France
Jun 29: Antwerp Live is Live, Belgium
Jul 01: Viveiro Resurrection Fest, Spain
Jul 04: Cartagena Rock Imperium Festival, Spain
Jul 07: Lisbon Estádio da Luz, Portugal
Jul 11: Knebworth Park, UK

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Artists

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.

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