Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy has shared his thoughts on Nicko McBrain’s decision to retire from Iron Maiden.
Portnoy posted several photos of him with the former Iron Maiden drummer on social media and wrote a message for him. “Shocked to hear the announcement of Nicko McBrain’s retirement from touring with Iron Maiden. I wish my friend all the best in his retirement… thanks for all the years of music and friendship, you’re the best Nicko,” he wrote.
Jeff Scott Soto also shared his thoughts on McBrain’s retirement in a separate post: “When Clive Burr exited Maiden, I was bummed as he had a unique take on Maiden’s music…when I 1st heard Nicko on ‘Piece Of Mind,’ I was convinced the band were in great hands going into the future! Thank you Nicko for your contributions and loyalty… and a hell of a nice guy to boot! Up The Irons to you sir.”
Nicko McBrain announced his retirement from touring after 42 years on December 7. In a statement posted on Iron Maiden’s official Twitter account, McBrain confirmed his final performance with the band would be that night in São Paulo, Brazil.
During the show, Iron Maiden’s frontman Bruce Dickinson paid tribute to McBrain. Before starting the third song, ‘The Writing On The Wall,’ Bruce spoke about his bandmate’s retirement.
“For 42 years Nicko’s been in this band. He was a drummer before I was a singer, he was a pilot before I was a pilot, and now he’s not leaving the band, but he’s just not playing live with us anymore.” He added: “So, we have a lot more music to get to tonight, and I want the rest of the night to be a celebration of Nick, a celebration of the joy that he’s brought to everybody around the world, not just here in Brazil. All right? And with that, on we go!”
The band has also announced their new drummer, Simon Dawson. Dawson joined the band during the creation of Steve Harris’ 2012 solo album, ‘British Lion.’ He played on three tracks from the album and performed as a band member on their 2020 album, ‘The Burning.’
Dawson will join Maiden for their 2025 ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour. It starts in Budapest, Hungary on May 27.
