Nicko McBrain retirement (Photo: IronMaiden on Instagram)
This past Saturday, Dec. 7, at Allianz Parque, São Paulo, Brazil, marked the final show for Nicko McBrain, Iron Maiden‘s longtime drummer.
Prior to the concert, the final date of Maiden’s Future Past world tour, a message was shared on the band’s social media pages, complete with a full statement from McBrain — who’d been Iron Maiden’s drummer for more than 40 years:
McBrain’s statement, in full:
“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. Today, Saturday, December 7th, Sao Paulo will be my final gig with IRON MAIDEN. I wish the band much success moving forward.
“I will, however, remain firmly part of the IRON MAIDEN family working on a variety of projects, my long time managers, Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor, have in mind for me. I’ll also be …