SO SAD TO HERE: IRON MAIDEN WILL DROP SONGS NICKO MCBRAIN CAN’T PLAY ANYMORE
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain shared that the band has introduced a new rule to accommodate his reduced playing ability due to health challenges. After suffering a stroke in January 2023 that left him partially paralyzed, McBrain underwent extensive physical therapy and returned to performing, though not at his previous level.
During their summer tour that year, some fans noticed differences in his performance. McBrain, now 72, revealed that he was operating at about 70% of his former capacity. Speaking to the audience at a show in Pompano Beach, FL, with his side project Titanium Tarts, he candidly acknowledged, “It was touch and go for me last year. I was paralyzed on my right side and couldn’t play. But thanks to Julie Blum, who helped me through months of therapy, I’m back to playing again.”
He admitted, “I’m not the old Nicko – not by a long shot. But it’s still part of me. The band, especially Steve Harris, has been supportive, even saying, ‘If you can’t do something in a song, we just won’t play that song.’”
McBrain cited “Caught Somewhere In Time” from the 1986 album *Somewhere in Time* as an example. The song’s snare drum section posed a challenge, but Steve Harris helped him find a workaround. “I couldn’t play it the way it’s on the record,” McBrain explained. “So, I tried different ideas, but nothing worked until Steve suggested playing it straight. I thought, ‘You’re a genius, Harry!’ It’s funny, the drummer should come up with these ideas, but I didn’t even think of that. Now, we play it straight, and I’m sure most of you don’t even notice the difference!”
