IRON MAIDEN NEWS & TRIVIA

 

 SIMON DAWSON - WHO IS HE?!!

On December 8 of 2024, Iron Maiden announced that their longtime drummer for over 42 years, Nicko McBrain, was retiring from constant touring. The news deeply shocked Maiden fans and the whole metal community, as McBrain has been an integral part of Iron Maiden ever since he joined the band in its early years in the end of 1982. Not only has Nicko contributed on every one of Iron Maiden’s studio albums since 1983’s Piece of Mind classic, but Iron Maiden hasn’t toured with any other drummer since McBrain joined the band in December 1982. Drummer Simon Dawson will be replacing Nicko McBrain as Iron Maiden’s New Drummer! Iron Maiden just concluded highly successful The Future Past World Tour. The band played in 27 countries, gave 77 shows billed individually, for which about 1.5 million tickets were sold, and 5 festival gigs, which gathered about half a million fans in total. All 82 concerts of the tour played between 2023 - 2024, were seen by a total of about 2 million people in 27 countries, on five continents of the world. In net terms (without additional ticket pools and festivals), over 1.4 million tickets were sold for the entire tour

But who is he?! Many Iron Maiden fans are unfamiliar with the band’s new drummer, Simon Dawson. However, for fans who’ve followed Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris, Simon Dawson has been the drummer for the Harris’s side project, British Lion. Dawson has performed with the Steve Harris and his side project for the last 12 years, making it easy to understand why Dawson might’ve been the first and only drummer that Iron Maiden had in mind to sit behind the kit.

Dawson’s drumming career stretches far beyond British Lion. He has been the drummer for a number of lesser-known acts throughout the last several decades including Deep Switch, The Outfield, Dirty Deeds, Air Race, and Dearly Beheaded. His body of work showcases his versatility and prowess with the drums — Dawson’s playing in the death metal band Dearly Beheaded is particularly technical.

While it remains a mystery whether Simon Dawson is the right fit for the band, his prior work and long history with Iron Maiden’s members already paint him as a perfect choice.  Additionally, Steve Harris’s side project British Lion is sonically similar to Iron Maiden, so technically Dawson is already a great match. Fans also need to keep in mind that when Nicko McBrain replaced Clive Burr, McBrain brought his own feel and a completely unique style to Iron Maiden. With Dawson now replacing McBrain, fans should expect the same to follow with Dawson’s drumming.

 

 NEAL KAY ABOUT PAUL DI'ANNO

It always comes as a severe shock when the sudden passing of someone who, for a passage of time was, in a work environment, very close to you, especially so very long ago.

It always seems to happen to others, but not to a person you have known so very well. In fact, when I first heard the sad news that Paul D'ianno was found dead in his home just a few days ago, I thought it must be fake news-you know, the sort of crap that is so common on mass media of today.

 

But it wasn't at all. it was real. Paul was the frontman singer of a future massive, outstanding, world beating heavy metal band that has helped influence so many future fans and musicians of rock alike.

 

Ultimately, they have to this very day, enjoyed over 40 years of unrelenting world domination in their chosen genre of hard hitting classic rock. With tunes like Phantom Of The Opera, Prowler, Charlotte The Harlot and, of course, Iron Maiden, Paul very quickly picked up an ever growing following and fan base.

 

Paul helped to open the doors, performing on the band's first two albums, Iron Maiden and Killers, which set the guys on the path to the eventual very top of the tree.

 

I had the fortune to complete 2 UK tours as well as playing many gigs both big and small with the band in the early days with Paul out front, and those times which for all of us, starting at the Soundhouse, became very exciting indeed. Maiden very quickly became the big success story of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal,and with Paul's outstanding frontmanship, cockney East London attitude and unique vocal output with his audience communication skills in abundance he really was the full package. 

 

In later times, Paul moved on in pursuit of his own successful band projects, picking up a world-wide fan base and following, which he richly deserved for all the hard work put in.

 

However, as the years rolled by, increasing medical problems finally had him incarcerated in a wheelchair, but even this could not dampen his spirit. With my biographer, Stjepan Juras in control, Paul managed to play over 120 shows on world-wide tour over a two year period, whilst undergoing heavy medical treatment, often on the road with a team of doctors or nurses by his side.

 

In the greatest of entertainment traditions, for Paul, the show had to go on-always. He never let anyone down really and the legions of his fans around the world are already making their presence felt on all the popular media outlets.

 

Paul is now a legend eternal and has his own place in rock history assured.

 

So, RIP Paul. I am proud to say that we shared a great friendship when it all really mattered..................so very very long ago, and now you are Running Free for all eternity.

Thanx mate-you done good!!

Neal Kay.

 

PAUL DI'ANNO Passed Away on 21st October 2024!

As Paul's music label Conquest Music said, they feel sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di'Anno. Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66. Born in Chingford, East London on 17th May 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English Heavy Metal band, Iron Maiden between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album Iron Maiden, and the influential follow up release, Killers. Since leaving Iron Maiden, Paul Di'Anno had a long and eventful recording career with Battlezone and Killers as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances.

Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023. His first career retrospective album, The Book of the Beast was released in September 2024 and featured highlights of his recordings since leaving Iron Maiden. Conquest Music are proud to have had Paul Di'Anno in our artist family and ask his legion of fans to raise a glass in his memory.

Filmmaker Wes Orshoski is looking to pay tribute to that legacy with a documentary on the recently deceased vocalist that Orshoski has been working on for a number of years. Orshoski is a filmmaker known primarily for his music documentaries, particularly his 2010 film Lemmy which, as you probably guessed, is about Lemmy Kilmister, as well as his 2015 documentary The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead about British punk pioneers The Damned. Shortly after the news broke yesterday about Di’Anno’s death, Orshoski took to Instagram to offer his tribute to the metal legend and offer an update about his upcoming Di’Anno documentary:

“R.I.P. Paul. Just learned that Paul Di’Anno has passed. Don’t have many details yet. Very sad day. As many know, I’ve been working on a documentary about Paul for the past several years, as he has been fighting to get back on his feet — literally, emotionally and professionally. It’s obviously quite sad that it has ended this way. I’m very thankful for the experiences and opportunities I had with Paul, and because of Paul. And I learned a lot from him. The film will be out next year, and details will be forthcoming — the hope is for it to debut at film festivals in early 2025. I’m very excited for the Maiden faithful to see it. Once it is released you will see just how tough his life has been over the past decade and how hard he fought to change it. Maybe he’s finally found some peace. Say hi to Clive for us, legend!!!”

The documentary sounds like it certainly has the potential to be very powerful if done well, so it will be interesting to see it when it’s released. Hopefully it serves as an appropriate tribute to a metal icon like Paul Di’Anno.