BRUCE DICKINSON Pays Emotional Tribute To NICKO MCBRAIN At Drummer’s Final Concert With IRON MAIDEN

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson paid emotional tribute to Nicko McBrain after the drummer announced he was quitting touring with the group after 42 years.

The 72-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement earlier today (Saturday, December 7) in a statement on MAIDEN‘s web site and social media. He also said tonight’s concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the legendary rock band.

Dickinson addressed McBrain‘s retirement before launching into the third song, “The Writing On The Wall”, of MAIDEN‘s set at Allianz Parque earlier tonight. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Tonight is a very special night, as some of you, I think probably all of you, will know, because this morning we announced, Nicko announced that he was stepping back for playing live drums with IRON MAIDEN.

“For 42 years Nicko‘s been in this band,” Bruce continued. “He was a drummer before I was a singer, he was a pilot before I was a pilot, and now he’s not leaving the band, but he’s just not playing live with us anymore.

“So, we have a lot more music to get to tonight, and I want the rest of the night to be a celebration of Nick, a celebration of the joy that he’s brought to everybody around the world, not just here in Brazil,” Dickinson added. “All right? And with that, on we go!”

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