Nicko McBrain: “I Can’t Play Like I Did on Record Anymore”

The drummer of the Iron Maiden, Nicko McBrainexplained that the band has introduced a new rule within the group to accommodate the fact that, following the stroke he suffered in January 2023 that left him partially paralyzed, McBrain is not able to play as well as before despite an intensive physical therapy program that has allowed him to sustain the rigours of a concert.

The 72-year-old British musician recently performed live at the Titanium Tarta musical project of his parallel to the IronMaidenexplained to the audience present: “I have to be honest with you: last year was a breeze for me.

I couldn’t play. I was paralyzed on the right side. Luckily, there’s a girl named Julie Blum who took care of me and in three months she had me playing again. It’s not the old Nicko, it’s not the old Nicko at all. But at least it’s part of me. And my band, God bless them, Steve Harris and the other guys turned around and said, ‘If you can’t do something in a song, we just won’t do it.’”

McBrain cited the example of
“Caught Somewhere In Time”
song included in the 1986 album
“Somewhere in Time”

“Now there’s a middle section; it’s all snare drum on the record.

I can’t play it. Those of you nerds in the audience are going to say, ‘He didn’t do the drum fill!’ Well, that’s why, I can’t fucking do it! (.) Steve turned to me and I said, ‘Okay, I have an idea, ‘if I double on the snare.’ and I played it for him, and he said, ‘No. Do you have anything else?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll play it on the cymbal.’ ‘No. Do you have anything else?’ He thought about it for half a minute and then he was like, ‘Why don’t you just play it straight?’ I thought, ‘You’re a fucking genius, Harry!’ And I’m supposed to be the drummer who’s supposed to have these ideas… I hadn’t even thought of that. So we tried it from there, and then we played it, which I’m sure 90% of you don’t give a shit about that part anyway!’ .