Iron Maiden Name Simon Dawson As New Touring Drummer

Iron Maiden have announced their new touring drummer, fresh off the back of longtime percussionist Nicko McBrain’s decision to stop performing live with the band.

News of McBrain’s departure was announced on Saturday, Dec. 7, with the 72-year-old musician announced that he is retiring from the road, making Saturday’s concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil his final show with the legendary rock band.

“After much consideration, it is with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle,” McBrain shared in a statement on Iron Maiden’s website. “I wish the band much success moving forward.”

McBrain joined Iron Maiden in 1982, replacing Clive Burr, who had performed on the group’s first three albums. While McBrain had left the group Trust to take on the Iron Maiden role, Burr’s unceremonious exit saw him taking over McBrain’s newly-vacated role as drummer of Trust – effectively seeing the two musicians switching roles.

Despite being in Iron Maiden since 1982, McBrain was the second most-recent addition to the lineup, save for guitarist Janick Gers who joined in 1990.

In a statement shared on Sunday, Dec. 8, Iron Maiden have now revealed that drummer Simon Dawson will take on the role of drummer for the band moving forward, having previously performed with co-founder Steve Harris on his British Lion project.

“As The Future Past Tour concludes after 81 shows to over 1.4 million fans, from Ljubljana to the Coachella Valley and from Western Australia to Sao Paulo, Iron Maiden are delighted to announce that stepping in behind the kit for 2025 is a name familiar to many of our fans – Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and Steve’s rhythm section partner of the past 12 years with British Lion,” the statement reads.

“A native of Suffolk, England, Simon first teamed up with Steve Harris back in 2012. He debuted on three tracks on the first British Lion album and all of the second critically acclaimed The Burning, plus the many subsequent tours in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand &, most recently, both Mexico and South America.”

While McBrain has announced he will be stepping away from touring, he notes that he will remain closely connected to the band. He confirmed that he’ll continue to be involved in “a variety of projects” with Iron Maiden, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses.

“I look into the future with much excitement and great hope! I’ll be seeing you soon, may God bless you all, and, of course, ‘Up the Irons!’” he wrote.

Iron Maiden will launch The Run For Your Lives tour in 2025, celebrating 50 years of the band. The tour will launch in Budapest on May 27, with 32 other dates currently scheduled for around Europe.