Posted on 10/16/2012 4:12:54 AM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Iron Maiden mainman Steve Harris thinks his band may have give more years left in them – but they’ll be gone within ten.
His comments come just days after Rush admitted they were aware they’re likely to retire in the foreseeable future.
And Harris reveals he has doubts about whether to take his solo album British Lion on the club tour he’d previously said he was thinking about.
Maiden released their fifteenth studio album, The Final Frontier, in 2010. That led to speculation the band was winding down, based on comments Harris had made years earlier saying they’d make fifteen records then split. He later admitted the album title was a play on those rumours, and said the band would continue as long as they felt able.
Asked by The Quietus if there’s any reason they can’t keep going for another decade, the bassist says: “I don’t know about ten years. I think we’ve certainly got another five years in us – but it’s hard to say.
“As you get older it gets doubly hard to keep yourself fit and in shape. We do work really hard on doing that. We’d be selling ourselves and everyone else short if we didn’t, so we do look after ourselves.
“It does get tougher – I don’t play football much any more, partly because I’ve had so many problems with my back that I can only play the odd match here or there. Unfortunately it’s five years since I’ve played a full season of football and that’s something that I miss a lot; but I had to make a decision. I play a lot of tennis.”
Harris reflects that while Maiden could once have been regarded as a band towards the heaviest end of metal, “the emergence of hardcore and extreme bands have made us sound more like the Moody Blues!”
British Lion has received both positive and negative reviews – and Harris wants to wait until a more settled response has been received before deciding whether to brave the stage fright of club shows.
“I’d love to play the album live,” he says. “We have to wait and see what the reaction is like first though. I never take anything for granted.
“I can imagine that once you step outside the Maiden comfort zone, you don’t know what to expect. I still do get a little bit nervous at the beginning of Maiden tours, mainly because of the new material. We’ll have rehearsed, but you can rehearse until the cows come home and the first few shows will always be a little bit rusty. Once you’re confident it doesn’t matter so much.
“I used to get more worried years ago with Maiden about whether people were going to turn up or not. It’s different now. I may not expect every single show to sell out and I never take everything for granted, but you still know you’re going to get a certain amount of people.”
The thought pushes his mind back to Maiden’s earliest days. “We did have gigs years ago where no one turned up – I’m thinking specifically of places like the Double Six in Basildon or Lafayette in Walthamstow.
“At that one there were women punching each other out at the bar and we could see them clearly because there was hardly anyone else there. Just two women having a fight!”
He adds: “I guess there’s an element of that fear with British Lion – but that’s also what’s exciting about it.”
"Iron Maiden mainman Steve Harris thinks his band may have give more years left in them"
I know me too...garbage editor I guess.
Keith Richards will still be going strong.
IRON WHO?
ROLLING STONES announce 50th Anniversary Show:
The Rolling Stones will rock the stage once again with four gigs in Britain and the United States to mark their 50th anniversary, the legendary British band confirmed Monday.
In a video released on the Stones’ website and their Facebook page, frontman Mick Jagger, 69, and his three bandmates announced four dates in London and New Jersey, confirming widespread rumours of fresh live concerts.
Jagger, who had dropped hints in recent months that the band would tour again, told BBC radio that the four dates would be followed by a longer string of concerts, yet to be announced.
“You must have guessed this was coming. Surely you didn’t think we weren’t going to do this,” the ageing rockers said in a two-minute video filled with clips from old shows, which received more than 10,000 “likes” on Facebook.
“Soon we’ll be back on stage playing for you in two cities that know how to rock and roll.”
The band play their hometown London at the 02 Arena on November 25 and 29, followed by two nights at the Newark Prudential Center in New Jersey, just outside New York, on December 13 and 15.
The shows will be the first live performances by Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood for five years.
“I’ve always said the best place for rock and roll is on the stage and the same is true for the Stones,” said Richards.
Tickets for the upcoming shows go on pre-sale for the London gigs on Monday and Saturday for the US shows.
But fans will have to dig deep for the coveted tickets, with standard seats for the London shows costing £375 ($603, 465 euros), although some will be priced at £90.
The four band members have a combined age of 273 years and many fans will see the tour as a possible last chance to see them play live.
The Stones are also set to release a repackaged greatest hits collection called “GRRR!” on November 12, featuring two new songs — “Doom And Gloom” and “One More Shot”.
“Crossfire Hurricane”, a documentary tracing the band’s half-century of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, premieres at the London Film Festival on Thursday.
I just read an article on another site that confirms the Stones are going to clear $14 million dollars for the 4 shows.
Age is the obvious issue here but overall the music industry is winding down. The rotten economy and the change from physical music (disks, etc) to virtual music is making permanent changes. These rockers made their fan base with physical music and all the buyers are getting too old to buy anymore.
“Iron Maiden gone in 10 years”
You mean they’re still around?
I think I still have a shirt from High school somewhere...
I saw Heart and Three Dog Night recently. They had a mush pit at the Heart show.
There is NOTHING as pathetic as a middle aged man wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt...
(Excuse me while I go remove mine ;)
I saw Maiden with Motorhead and Dio opening in the 3003 era. For any IM fans...if you have not yet seen them perform live, do so before they are gone. Believe me. It will be worth it.
What, no Iron Maiden tapestry to go with it?
Edit...2003ish era following the Dance of Death album.
Still have my posters! ;)
I still have my cassettes!
(Bought Powerslave back in in 1984.)
I think that and Live After Death pretty much changed the musical lives of a few million of us ;)
But they have put out so much good stuff. I cannot name another Rock/Metal band with such a history of quality music over so long a time. Post Sabbath Ozzy? After Randy died...er...quality fell considerably.
Yesterday’s sacred cow will be tomorrow’s forgotten cow.
Nikko has a nice little Rib joint here in S. FL!
He’s a fun person to know.
I saw Maiden @ Tinley park (Chicagoland) in July with my bro, and Rush in sept with my bro here in Mpls.
Awesomeness!
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