Nicko McBrain has described in his new autobiography how Clive Burr reacted after McBrain replaced him as Iron Maiden’s drummer, including an angry phone call and what McBrain believes was a hostile comment made by Burr at an event, according to Louder Sound.
McBrain recalls the immediate aftermath of taking over the drummer role from Burr, including a confrontational phone call that came about a week after the change was made.
“About a week had gone by when I got a phone call from Clive,” McBrain explained in his autobiography. “‘You f*cking arsehole!’ he screamed. ‘You motherf*cking cunt! You’ve had my gig!'”
McBrain also describes an incident at an event where he performed a solo and took questions from the audience. One audience member shouted an offensive question at him.
“After doing a solo, which I thought was pretty good, I got up and asked if anyone had any questions, and someone shouted, ‘How big’s your willy?’ McBrain said. “I thought, ‘What kind of question is that?’, and although I didn’t see who asked it, I swear blind it was Clive.”
McBrain believes the tone of the remark was hostile rather than joking. “It was definitely his voice, and it wasn’t said in a light-hearted way; it had a hint of aggression about it, as if the person was pissed off at me,” he continued. “When I asked Clive if it was him many years later, he changed the subject.”
McBrain’s autobiography details his account of the tension that followed his appointment as Iron Maiden’s new drummer. Burr never confirmed whether he was the one who made the comment at the event.
McBrain’s account in his autobiography reveals the difficulty of the drummer transition for both men. McBrain was approached by Maiden’s co-manager Rod Smallwood while Burr was still in the band and put on retainer as “back-up,” something that made Burr furious when he found out. When Burr temporarily left the band’s tour to attend his father’s funeral, McBrain filled in for him, and by the time Burr returned, McBrain had already been anointed as his permanent replacement.
McBrain officially joined Iron Maiden in December 1982 for the 1983 “Piece Of Mind” album and tour. Burr was fired following the tour for 1982’s The Number Of The Beast album. Burr indicated that he was ousted from the band after taking a break to mourn his father’s death, rebutting claims that his departure was due to overindulgence.
The two drummers brought different styles to the band. Burr was often lauded for his heavy-handed, punk-oriented style, while McBrain played with a degree of dexterity and flair that helped primary songwriter Steve Harris take Maiden down more adventurous paths. While McBrain praises his predecessor, who died in 2013, as an “amazing drummer” and acknowledges his part in Maiden’s success, the tensions McBrain describes in his autobiography show how difficult the personnel change was for both men.
McBrain’s autobiography, “Hello Boys And Girls!”, was published by Harper Nonfiction on October 22, 2026. The book covers moments from the period when McBrain was brought in as Burr’s replacement during a turbulent time for the band.
