Nicko McBrain Fires Back at IRON MAIDEN’s New Drummer, Declares ‘He’s Not Me’ and Says Band Can’t Replace 42 Years of History

Former Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain is enjoying life after retirement, but he’s still got a few things to say, especially about the band he spent over four decades performing with.

At 73, McBrain is staying active through his side project Titanium Tart, which just wrapped a string of Florida shows in July 2025. During the final concert in Clearwater on Saturday (July 26), the longtime drummer addressed the crowd and opened up about what it’s been like watching Iron Maiden continue without him.

Life after Maiden

McBrain officially retired from Iron Maiden in December 2024 following the band’s show at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil. That performance marked the end of an era for one of the most recognizable names in metal drumming.

The band has since brought in Simon Dawson as his replacement. Dawson, known for his work with British Lion (the side project of Maiden bassist Steve Harris), is now handling the drum duties on the road for Iron Maiden’s 50th-anniversary “Run For Your Lives” tour.

During the Clearwater show, McBrain spoke to the audience about Dawson with a mix of humor and sincerity. As quoted by Blabbermouth, he joked, “He’s a baby. He’s got a little tiny drum set…”

But then came the real point.

“You might ask how I feel about seeing another drummer in my place after 42 years,” McBrain said. “The simple answer is: I’m still the best-looking guy in Iron Maiden.”

“No one can replace me”

While McBrain made it clear he has no hard feelings toward Dawson, in fact, he thanked fans for accepting him, he still emphasized that he’s irreplaceable, at least in spirit.

“Regardless, he’s not me; no one can replace me,” he said. “I’m not saying this to boost my ego. I don’t think I’m the best Maiden drummer. It’s just that it’s impossible to replace someone with so much history in the band.”

That kind of statement could sound arrogant in another context, but coming from McBrain, who joined the band in 1982 and helped shape its sound for over 40 years, it reads more like a statement of fact.

Old-school vs. new visuals

McBrain also touched on the visual changes to the band’s current tour. Iron Maiden has shifted from traditional stage backdrops and props to large digital video screens. Not everyone’s a fan of the change, including McBrain.

“What do you guys think of these big screens?” he asked the crowd. “Who prefers the old way?”

After some audience members raised their hands in support of the physical sets, McBrain recalled a conversation with longtime Maiden manager Rod Smallwood.

“I saw the sketch with these screens and said, ‘I don’t think we should change,’” he said. “He told me, ‘We have to get into the 21st century, Nick.’ So I said, ‘Put in more curtains. In The Trooper, have Eddie shooting too, not just with the sword!’”

He didn’t hold back on what he would have preferred: “I’m old school. I would’ve liked to see the drapes and the screens on the side.”

Classic Nicko

Always known for his sense of humor, McBrain even managed to poke fun at longtime bandmate Bruce Dickinson, joking about the frontman’s timing on stage.

“They’re doing great on the road,” McBrain said. “Although Bruce sometimes slips a little in time with the songs, but that’s never exactly new.”

Dickinson has often been known to take liberties with song structure during live performances, occasionally entering lines early or late. Coming from McBrain, the jab felt more like good-natured ribbing than any kind of serious complaint.

A rough few years

McBrain’s retirement came after a number of health scares. In January 2023, he suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed on one side. At the time, he feared it might end his career entirely.

When he spoke publicly about the incident in August 2023, McBrain said he had been “paralyzed” and was “worried” about ever playing drums again. But he worked through a long recovery and was able to return to the stage.

That wasn’t his first health battle. In 2020, he was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer, though he didn’t speak much about it publicly until a 2021 interview. The cancer was removed surgically, and McBrain has remained cancer-free since.

A long road behind the kit

Born Michael Henry McBrain in East London in 1952, Nicko started playing drums at 12 after years of banging on kitchen utensils. His first influences came from jazz, especially Joe Morello of The Dave Brubeck Quartet, but his musical tastes soon expanded to rock icons like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Animals.

By the time he was 15, McBrain was already playing in local pub bands. He went on to perform with groups like Streetwalkers and the Pat Travers Band, eventually joining Iron Maiden in 1982, replacing Clive Burr just before the recording of Piece of Mind.

He brought a different energy to the band, less punk, more finesse, which helped Iron Maiden explore more complex song structures through the years.

McBrain would go on to become the third longest-tenured member of the band, behind only Steve Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.

Still drumming

Even after stepping back from the big stage, McBrain shows no signs of slowing down. He’s still playing shows with Titanium Tart, and still making jokes like a man who’s had a drumstick in one hand and a mic in the other for most of his life.

And while he may be off the Maiden tour bus, there’s no doubt he’s still watching. Just don’t expect him to say anyone else can do it quite like he did.

As he put it on stage: “There’s no one that can replace me.”

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