Why Iron Maiden’s ‘Senjutsu’ Made Nicko McBrain ‘Grumble’
Drummer Nicko McBrain admits that he wasn't exactly thrilled when Iron Maiden started work on their latest album Senjutsu.
Despite having agreed to the three-month session, he found himself complaining about the arrangement to frontman Bruce Dickinson.
“I gotta be honest with you: I had a bit of a moan and a grumble when I got into the studio,” McBrain tells Consequence. “I said to the boys, I said to Bruce, ‘What the hell are we doing in here doing a new record?’ And he said, ‘Well, you know, we did discuss this thing.’ I said, ‘Well, it’s the middle of bloody winter, right, in Paris.’ So I was a bit … moany for a few days, because I don’t like the cold. That’s why I live in Florida, mate!”
He went on to describe Iron Maiden as “motivated” but “selfish” when it came to album work. “We love our fans. When we go out on tour, that’s when we think of you guys,” McBrain said. “But from an album standpoint, when we go in the studio, I’m sorry, none of you lot out there are even thought one millisecond about. Please don’t get offended.
“The fans, we really think about you guys primarily when we’re putting tours together and the visual aspect of it,” McBrain added. “But we are really very selfish. We do it for ourselves really. And we pretty much know what you like, so that’s where you guys come into it.”
Iron Maiden recently announced a run of tour dates for 2022. McBrain says they have accepted that the set lists can't please everyone. “You’re gonna have different fans and attitudes around different parts of the world,” he pointed out. “You’re all one big family, but say South America. … They might want to hear certain older songs or whatever.”