Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has revealed that there are some songs that he “can’t play” in the way he did before he had a mini-stroke.
McBrain suffered a minor stroke, or transient ischaemic attack, in January 2023 which left him partially paralysed on his right side from the shoulder down.
He underwent 10 weeks of “intensive therapy” in an effort to get back to full strength, and within months he was ready to start rehearsals with the rest of the band, ahead of their ‘The Future Past’ tour.
Now, during an appearance on the Washington Tattoo podcast, he has spoken about the ongoing effects of the attack.
“I can’t do a 16-note roll going into 32nd-note rolls anymore,” he noted, referring to Maiden’s classic 1983 track ‘The Trooper’.
“I don’t play [that] fill anymore because I can’t get it… It’s the speed of it. I can do everything slow, but I’ve had to make sure that as long as I can keep the groove of the song, which is normally…,” he continued, making clear he feels he is otherwise back to good strength.
In an interview with Metal Hammer in December, he described the experiences as “very, very difficult”.
“When it first happened, I thought, this is it, I’m not going to be able to play. I’ve got a tour coming up in three months’ time. I had a lot of time for reflection in the hospital. My wife was really my bastion of strength and encouragement and she was with me throughout.”
He also spoke about the support he received from the rest of the band. “Throughout all this period of time, I was in touch with [Iron Maiden bassist] Steve [Harris]. Obviously, all the guys, and I’d have a bit of a chat with them on the phone and they were all very, very encouraging, and none more so than Steve.”
McBrain did not initially share the news of the stroke publicly, saying he wanted to focus on his performance, but he did disclose last October that he felt “fully recovered”, despite admitting difficulty with the speed and dexterity of his fingers.
Iron Maiden are preparing to play the North American leg of ‘The Future Past’ tour in autumn 2024, kicking off in San Diego on October 4. Visit here for tickets.