Bruce Dickinson said Iron Maiden‘s new drummer Simon Dawson reminded him of breakthrough-era member Clive Burr during a try-out session last year.
He revealed the band had been pleasantly surprised when they ran through their tour set with Dawson, and realized he’d be able to cover outgoing drummer Nicko McBrain on short notice if it became necessary.
McBrain announced his retirement from playing at the end of Maiden’s last world tour as a result of health issues. When they return in May, Dawson – a member of Steve Harris’ band British Lion – will be behind the kit.
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“We were hoping Nick was going to [complete] the tour, but there were some times during the show when… we were worried,” Dickinson said during a recent interview at the Musicians’ Institute in Hollywood (video below).
“We were like, ‘We do not want to end up with Nick in hospital, and we do need to have a backup.’ And Simon was suggested by Steve, and we all went, ‘Yeah, but how do we know it’s gonna work?’”
With McBrain’s agreement, the band booked a rehearsal studio in Portland, OR, to see how Dawson would cope. “And honestly, I was pleasantly shocked,” the singer reported. “We went through the whole set without a break.
“And this guy had not rehearsed with anybody – he just, like, turned up with Maiden. We went through the entire set… and it was all there. I thought, ‘My God, we could do a show tonight if we had to.’ That’s unreal.’”
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Dickinson confirmed some well-known musicians had been “kind of in the frame” to take McBrain’s place, but added: “Although they were very good drummers… they all wanted to sound like Nick. And you can’t replace Nicko – you shouldn’t even try to replace him. You don’t want a Nicko clone. You want a drummer that plays the material, but plays kind of their own style.”
Returning to the session with Dawson, he namechecked Burr, who played on Maiden’s first three albums Iron Maiden, Killers and The Number of the Beast, and who was replaced by McBrain in 1982.
“If I closed my eyes at moments during that rehearsal, it was like having Clive Burr back in the band,” Dickinson said. “He’s got that feel… that big band swing time feel. He has all the same influences and everything. And I was just, like, ‘Oh my God! Wow!’ So I’m actually really excited.”
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Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
