Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain Still Has a Couple of Places Left on His Concert Bucket List

Even after all these years, there are still a few venues that Iron Maiden has yet to rock, and drummer Nicko McBrain would like to take those stages before the band calls it a day.

McBrain spoke with MusicRadar on the eve of the band's current Book of Souls world tour, and offered a quick answer when asked about his concert bucket list: "The Royal Albert Hall. I always wanted to play there. I thought if I had made a record and played at the Royal Albert Hall by the time I was 25 then I would have made it. That motivated me. I’ve still not played there."

Much as he might like to see it happen, McBrain admits the prospect of Iron Maiden in the Royal Albert Hall is probably more appealing in theory. "We’re too much for it. It’s a small gig, maybe 5,000 people," he continued. "But for me, that was like the Americans wanting to play Carnegie Hall – I have played there. I’d like to play in China as well. I’ve always thought China was a great untapped market for metal and for Iron Maiden, Maybe one day we’ll get there. That’s two things I’d like to do before the good lord says, ‘C’mon son, it’s your time to come up here.'"

Not that McBrain is offering any indication that Maiden is anywhere near retiring — and judging from the strong reviews and sales that greeted last year's The Book of Souls double-album set, demand for new music from the group remains high. Still, he can't deny that he's in what he described as "the twilight of the band" — or that he's reached "that age where people wonder how long I can keep going."

"If we’re going to make music like Book of Souls, who knows? As long as we have our health and we can still get up and do it then we will," McBrain concluded. "We won’t ever become a parody of ourselves. If we can’t rock out and play ‘Number of the Beast’, ‘Run to the Hills’ and the new stuff, then what’s the point?"

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