Rock
Retired Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain announces Titanium Tart shows
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has announced new Titanium Tart dates.
Nicko McBrain has announced a run of shows in Florida and Georgia with his Titanium Tart project.
The band will play The Barn in Sanford on August 29, followed by dates at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on September 5, The Albatross in Jacksonville on September 11, Center Stage Loft in Atlanta on September 13, and OCC Roadhouse in Clearwater on September 19.
Titanium Tart said: “We're looking forward to seeing you soon! We're venturing out to a few new places we haven't played yet; Culture Room, The Albatross, and The Loft and revisiting our devoted venues, The OCC and The Barn. Going up to Jacksonville and Altanta is taking us out of our 'comfort zone' but you know we will still scorch the earth! Looking forward to seeing you out there!”
The lineup features Rob Stokes on bass, Eldad Kira on keyboards, Mike Rivera and Mitch Tanne on guitar, and Paolo Velazquez on vocals.
Nicko recently spoke to Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen and Shane McEachern about his decision to retire from touring with Iron Maiden after 42 years, admitting he thought he would have to jack it in a lot sooner.
He said: “To be very, very honest with you, when we made the Senjutsu record back in 2018, 2019, I thought then I would do the tour of that album and then I'd probably hang it up. And then knowing that the ‘Run For Your [Lives’ tour was coming up] — at the time we didn't know that that was the name of the tour, but I knew that in 2025 it would be the 50th anniversary [of the band]. And I thought, 'Well, I'll come out of retirement for that, if they want me.' Because we hadn't planned on [the] Legacy Of The Beast or The Future Past [tours at that point]. It was all Senjutsu, and that was gonna be over a two-year world tour, and I thought that that would do for me. So I had it in my mind that I would probably retire after that tour.
Credit: Avalon
“But then, of course, we know what happened — the wonderful, great pandemic hit and ruined all the best-laid plans of a lot of businesses and people, personally as well as bands going out on tour. So that kind of put the spanner in that works. And it was decided that we would do the ‘Legacy’ tour and not a Senjutsu album tour. It was gonna be like a mix of all kinds of stuff. Anyway, we did that, and then I had my stroke in '23. But there was the end of the Legacy [tour] and then The Future Past tour came along. So, the guys let me go with it and they carried me on their shoulders, which is phenomenal. I'm so eternally grateful to each and every one of 'em for that, and our management team.”
Nicko continued: “It wasn't one of those decisions where I was, like, 'Ah, did I make the right decision?' I knew back in 2019 that I was planning on hanging it up. And I'd made rumours to the guys — I'd spoken to Davy [Maiden guitarist Dave Murray] about it back then, and I hadn't really mentioned it to Steve [Harris, Iron Maiden bassist]. I kind of brushed upon it, but it wasn't talked about in depth.
“So, yeah, it was hard. Any time you've been in a band or working for someone for 42 years, it's a difficult decision. But it was made easier for me because I had it in my mind earlier on anyway, and having the stroke kind of put the cherry on it and I thought, 'This isn't fair for the rest of the guys.' And so that, that helped it out immensely.”
Nicko retired from touring with the Run to the Hills band in 2024 after more than four decades on the road.
He was hospitalised in 2023 after suffering a stroke and feared he might never drum again.
He told Metal Hammer: “It was 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. I did a lot of strength exercises, a lot of stretches with weird weights that they have and I got my stamina back.”
