We Need To Talk About Nicko

It was, as ever, a privilege to see the mighty Iron Maiden at the O2 in London for two nights of Somewhere In Time tunes, some classics, and… some other stuff. The boys brought back a good chunk of the stage show from the 1986/87 tour, although (marginally unnecessary spoiler warning, as this shit’s all over the internet by now anyway) I would have preferred the big SiT Eddie to rise up behind the drum kit rather than the boring Senjutsu equivalent.

One thing was quite sobering though, and it wasn’t the price of a pint of crappy Budweiner beer. No, it was Nicko, one of my biggest influences as an air drummer, and a guy who I’ve looked up to from down on the stadium floor for over thirty years. As the dust has settled after both nights, one thing has become clear. We need to talk about Nicko.

Somewhere Back In Time⌗

The year is 1986. A young not-so-Grumpy and not-particularly-Metal guy gets his first taste of Iron Maiden though Somewhere In Time¹, then voraciously devours their entire back catalog. Part of that back catalog included Live After Death, one of the greatest live albums of all time. I got the vinyl, and not long after that, the home video release as well.

Watching Maiden play on-screen instead of on vinyl was a defining moment. The stage show, the live renditions of the tunes, and the sheer energy displayed on stage blew me away like nothing had before it. This was what real music was. And behind it all, nestled away at the back of the stage, was a ridiculous drum kit with an octopus sitting behind it. The octopus would hit all of the drums at the same time, and sometimes poke its head over the top of the kit and yell “Motherfuckers!” at the crowd². (I still feel particularly sorry for the friends I invited around to watch Live After Death for my birthday party, even though they didn’t like Iron Maiden. Sorry guys!)

I’d see Iron Maiden live for the first time in 1992, and even though Fear of the Dark isn’t an amazing album, and the crowd was kinda small (thanks grunge!), it was a pivotal moment. On the spot, I decided not to ever cut my hair again. I was also able to see the human octopus himself, Nicko McBrain, behind the kit for real. Better than watching him on video, he was a mesmerising force, not just in his playing, but also his cheeky antics in between the songs. He was, in many ways, the life and soul of the show.

Back To The Future⌗

Fast forward to 2023. The hair is still long, although with significantly more grey in it. As Doctor, Doctor begins to play over the speakers, the crowd surges, and hair flails wildly all around (mostly mine). As the last notes fade out, the futuristic sound of Vangelis' theme from Blade Runner begins, electronica filling the dome of the O2. Anticipation is through the roof as the intro to Caught Somewhere In Time plays. Then, in an explosion of noise and light, Iron Maiden hit the stage. Steve prowls from left to right, fingers plucking furiously at the bass strings. Dave smiles at the crowd, as happy as ever to be playing. Adrian looks serious as Bruce begins to sing. We all ignore Janick.

But somehow, the octopus isn’t there anymore. Nicko is, as ever, hidden behind a vast array of toms and cymbals. But the drumming is noticeably different to previous gigs. Far less flashy. All those great fills from Caught Somewhere In Time are gone, replaced with some simple snare drum hits. That can be forgiven - he’s not Lars for fuck’s sake! - but there’s more to it than that. The cameras rarely cut to the drum kit, spending nearly all their time on the front of the stage. And when they do, they show Nicko focusing intently on playing even relatively (for Maiden) simple beats. The effortless playing was nowhere to be seen.

For the first time in my memory, Nicko looks like he’s struggling.

Wasted Years⌗

All of this shouldn’t really be a surprise though. Nicko turned 71 earlier this year. Maiden don’t play music like the Rolling Stones, so you can’t compare Charlie Watts still playing into his 80s with Nicko playing Maiden songs in his 70s. Maiden shows have always been physical endeavours, for both the band and the crowd. The issue is only partially with his playing though. He didn’t interact with the crowd the way he used to. Once or twice, he stood up behind the kit, but looked more like he was holding on for dear life, rather than using it as a platform to poke fun or interact with the crowd. He was a pale shadow of the drummer he was before.

It took a couple of songs for me to notice the change, but once I did, it was very hard to ignore. And of course, once I spotted it in Nicko, I looked at the other guys too. Bruce, Steve and Dave were unchanged really from previous tours, but Adrian looked a little slower than usual. I ignored Janick.

I didn’t think too heavily on it during the gig, there was too much other stuff going on (including the better-than-I-ever-hoped-it-would-be Alexander the Great). But afterwards, it struck me that on a tour that revolves around the theme of time, it’s ironic that time finally appears to be catching up with Iron Maiden. They always seemed invincible, and that they’d play forever. That clearly isn’t the case. This thought was more sobering than the beer choice at the venue. The obvious question then is how long they can go on for.

This Is The End⌗

With what I saw at the O2, it seems that Nicko won’t be able to do this for much longer. As the oldest member of the band, this makes sense. With the current tour due to continue into 2024, the typical Maiden cycle would normally be that they record a new album and go on tour a year or two after the current tour wraps up. That just doesn’t seem likely to this Grumpy Metal Guy. While they may follow other bands by continuing to record, I’d guess that they’re going to go into a retirement touring cycle in early 2025, one that will last considerably less time than the “final” Kiss tour.

With these thoughts, there also comes a more general feeling of time catching up with all of us. I grew up with Iron Maiden, and in turn, they’ve aged as I have. Seeing them at what is, for most people, retirement age, can’t help but make me think about my own aging process. This is never an easy topic at the best of times, and has led to some melancholic contemplation about life, the universe and everything on my part. It was, despite some flashes of sheer brilliance, an existentially depressing end to what should have been one of the highlights of my musical life.