Nicko McBrain

Nicko McBrain

Nicko McBrain in Costa Rica during the Somewhere Back in Time World Tour
Background information
Birth name Michael Henry McBrain
Born (1952-06-05) 5 June 1952
Hackney, London, England
Genres Heavy metal, blues rock, hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter
Instruments Drums, percussion
Years active 1966–present
Associated acts Iron Maiden, Pat Travers, Streetwalkers, Trust, The Entire Population of Hackney

Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952 in Hackney, London) is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982.

Having played in small pub bands from the age of 14, upon leaving school McBrain paid his bills with session work before he joined a variety of artists, such as Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust. He joined Iron Maiden in time to debut on their fourth album, Piece of Mind (1983), and has remained with them since, contributing to a total of thirteen studio releases.

Biography

McBrain first wanted to learn the drums at a young age after watching Joe Morello performing with The Dave Brubeck Quartet on television.[1] At the age of ten, he started to play drums with pots, pans and other kitchen utensils, before, to his parents' dismay, he began drumming on the gas cooker with a pair of knives and chipped off the paintwork.[1] McBrain recalls that he was eleven or twelve before his father bought him his first drum kit, "which was basically one snare, one tom-tom, one cymbal, two drumsticks and a pair of brushes."[2] He soon started playing Rolling Stones and Beatles covers with school bands, before he began regularly playing "pubs and weddings" by the age of 14.[2]

Although he obtained a degree in engineering at his parent's request,[3] upon finishing his education, McBrain paid his rent by undertaking session work, before deciding to join his first "proper" band, "The 18th Fairfield Walk", later known as "Peyton Bond".[4] A small pub band, which he decided was "never gonna go anywhere" as they only performed Otis Redding, The Beatles and The Who covers, McBrain soon left to join "The Wells Street Blues Band", which renamed themselves "The Axe" in 1969.[4] Although this group would play their own material, the band split up after an argument between the singer and the guitarist, and McBrain began playing with Billy Day, a singer and keyboardist, and Michael "Mickey" Lesley, a guitarist, in 1971.[5] At that point, he was known as "Nicky", a nickname given to him by his parents after his teddy bear, Nicholas,[1] until an intoxicated Billy Day introduced him to Dick Asher, head of CBS Records, as "Neeko", while they were recording at CBS Studios, Whitfield Street.[5] McBrain liked the name, changing it to Nicko "so that it sounded more English," and decided to keep it even after leaving the group.[6]

In 1975, he began playing with Streetwalkers,[6] before joining Pat Travers and then the French band, Trust,[7] with whom he met Iron Maiden for the first time, while touring together in 1981.[8] In 1982, the band asked McBrain to replace their previous drummer, Clive Burr,[7] and, as news of Burr's departure had not yet been announced, made his first appearance with Iron Maiden on German TV disguised as Eddie.[9] He formed a close partnership with bassist, Steve Harris,[9] and completed what many critics consider the band's "definitive" lineup,[10] releasing a series of gold and platinum selling albums throughout the 1980s.[11]

Although the band's lineup changed frequently in the 1990s, McBrain remained in Iron Maiden and, since the return of Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson in 1999, the group has undergone a resurgence in popularity,[12] and are now considered by some as "bigger than ever".[13]

Although he writes the drum parts for all the band's songs, McBrain registered his first and only album songwriting credit for "New Frontier," from 2003's Dance of Death,[14] which expresses his opposition to human cloning, arising from his religious beliefs.[15] However, McBrain had received two previous songwriting credits for non-album tracks: 1984's "Mission From 'Arry", which was actually a recording of a backstage argument with Steve Harris, and 1992's "Nodding Donkey Blues", which were B-sides of the singles "2 Minutes to Midnight" and "Be Quick or Be Dead" respectively.

Drumming style

McBrain's drumming has been an important element of Iron Maiden's sound from 1983's Piece of Mind onwards, with guitarist Adrian Smith remarking that, "he always had the chops and the technique, but in Maiden he really exploded, to the point where a lot of stuff we did after he joined was then founded on his playing, all those busy patterns he does, displaying tremendous technique."[9] As described in detail on the band's 2004 documentary, Piece of Mind's opening track, "Where Eagles Dare", famously displays McBrain's ability to use the single drum pedal very quickly, plus his rapid tom fills.[16]

He is often considered among the best and most influential heavy metal/hard rock drummers of all time.[17][18] In the 2008 Live After Death DVD, Steve Gadd, McBrain's then drum technician, comments that, on the World Slavery Tour, drummers such as Tommy Lee would refer to McBrain as an 'octopus' after witnessing the way in which his stamina gives him the ability to use all of his large signature drum kit in concert.[19]

McBrain often employs the back end of his left hand drum stick to allow for more powerful "snare hits".[20] He is known for not using a double bass pedal, with Bruce Dickinson commenting that he refused to use one on "Where Eagles Dare", considering them 'undrummerish'.[16] He claims to have only ever used a double pedal once on "Face in the Sand", from Dance of Death, preferring to use a DW 5000 Accelerator single pedal.[21] Since switching to the DW pedal in 2000, McBrain plays barefoot, stating that it gives him "more freedom."[22]

Steve Harris remarks that "...he can play all kinds of music. Drummers from other bands sit round the back of him to see what he's doing, but he's got his kit set so he doesn't even look at what he's hitting half the time".[23] After McBrain joined the band in 1982, Harris also noted how much easier playing with McBrain was for a songwriter,[24] with Adrian Smith claiming that, "Steve loves playing with him. [They] used to work for hours going over these bass and drum patterns."[9]

In 1991, McBrain released an instructional drum video, entitled Rhythms of the Beast, which was re-released on DVD in 2010.[25] The video features McBrain demonstrating his technique, and covers tuning, soloing and parts of the drum kit.[26]

Equipment

McBrain is a long-time user of Paiste cymbals[27] and currently plays Sonor drums,[28] having previously endorsed Premier.[29] For A Matter of Life and Death he used his Ludwig metal shell LM 402 snare drum which was purchased in 1975, making it the oldest drum in his kit.[30] He endorses Vic Firth signature drum sticks, also using them for his own drumming.[31] McBrain also uses a DW 5000 pedal, LP percussion and Remo drumheads.[32]

Tour Kit

Sonor SQ² Custom Drum Kit[33]

  • 6" x 8" Beech Tom
  • 8" x 8" Beech Tom
  • 10" x 10" Beech Tom
  • 12" x 12" Beech Tom
  • 13" x 13" Beech Tom
  • 14" x 14" Beech Tom
  • 15" x 15" Beech Tom
  • 16" x 16" Beech Tom
  • 18" x 18" Beech Floor Tom
  • 24" x 18" Beech Bass Drum
  • 14" x 5" Birch Snare Drum

Sticks

Cymbals by Paiste:[27]

  • 15" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash (custom)
  • 19" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
  • 16" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
  • 20" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
  • 18" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
  • 14" Signature Heavy Hi-Hat (Reflector Finish) (custom)
  • 13" Formula 602 Heavy Bell (discontinued)
  • 22" Signature Reflector Bell Ride "Powerslave"
  • 17" RUDE Crash/Ride
  • 20" Signature Crash (prototype)
  • 22" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
  • 20" Signature Reflector Heavy China (custom)
  • 40" Symphonic Gong (Custom Reflector Finish)

McBrain's drum kit and cymbals do not bear the standard Paiste logos. They are labelled with the brand name using the Iron Maiden logo font.

Previous kits

Premier Elite Drums with custom finish (2010):[29]

Sonor Phonic Plus High Tech Drums (1986—87):[34]

Personal life

McBrain converted to Christianity in 1999 after an experience in the Spanish River Church, near his Boca Raton, Florida home.[35] His wife, Rebecca (from Whitman, West Virginia), had been asking him to attend with her, and upon entering the church, McBrain soon found himself crying as he experienced a "calling". Recounting the tale, he said "I just sat there thinking, 'I didn't drink last night...why can't I stand?' I had this love affair with Jesus going on in my heart."[36][37]

In an interview, McBrain was asked if he felt it was appropriate to be a member of Iron Maiden in light of his Christian views. He responded by saying, "When you become a Christian, you don't become sinless. The idea is to sin less. We're all sinners. We're never going to be clean till the day the good Lord is standing in front and judgement comes. But to me, I try to live my life. I do fall off, and occasionally I fall off hard and I have to get down on my knees and beg forgiveness. So it's not an easy ride, and it's not professed to be either." He was also asked if he shared his religious views with his band mates, and if so, how they felt about it. McBrain responded, "We've had some incredibly deep conversations amongst each of us. I can't say to you that I'm trying to convert all these guys in my band to be Christians. I'm leading them on my route, and if they choose to follow what God's plan is in the Bible, that's up to them. I say to them all, you know, look, in my belief, at the moment, if you turn to your saviour Jesus Christ, I'll have eternal life in Heaven with you! ... We don't talk about it every time we get together, but we've had some interesting conversations over the years."[38]

In 1988, McBrain appeared as a guest on the The Sooty Show, in which he played drums with Sooty and Sweep.[39] In reference to his appearance on the show, McBrain's drum kit has since been decorated with a Sooty puppet, which is often dressed accordingly with the band's corresponding tours.[40] He also has a pilot's licence, for which he has a twin engine rating,[41] and in 2009 opened a restaurant called Rock 'N' Roll Ribs in Coral Springs, Florida.[42] The restaurant received positive reviews on an episode of Check, Please! South Florida[43] and was awarded "Best Ribs of 2012" by New Times Broward-Palm Beach.[44][45] In 2003, McBrain was arrested for allegedly striking a parking attendant with his car after he refused to let McBrain into the Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, New York, where Iron Maiden were due to play a concert.[46][47] In 2007, he received a six-month driving ban and a fine of £500 after he was caught speeding at 116 mph on the M74 motorway near Lockerbie.[48] McBrain has two sons: Nicholas (born 1983) and Justin (born 1992).[35][49]

McBrain also enjoys playing golf in his spare time, along with band mate Dave Murray,[50] and is a friend of Swedish golfer and Florida resident Jesper Parnevik, whom he met at Ullna Golf Club in Sweden.[51] In addition, he is a fan of snooker and has attended the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.[52] A lifelong enthusiast of Jaguar Cars, the manufacturer built a custom XKR-S model to his specifications in 2012.[53]

Discography

Streetwalkers
Pat Travers
Stretch
  • Forget The Past (1978)
Trust
  • Marche ou Crève (Original French Release)/Savage (English Language Version) (1981)
WhoCares
Solo
  • Rhythms of the Beast (instructional drum video) (1991)
Iron Maiden
Main article: Iron Maiden discography

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Wall 2004, p. 235.
  2. 1 2 Wall 2004, p. 236.
  3. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Nicko McBrain biography". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  4. 1 2 Wall 2004, p. 237.
  5. 1 2 Wall 2004, p. 238.
  6. 1 2 Wall 2004, p. 239.
  7. 1 2 Wall 2004, p. 240.
  8. ↑ Wall 2004, p. 234.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Wall 2004, p. 241.
  10. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Piece of Mind > Review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  11. ↑ Wall 2004, p. 242.
  12. ↑ Moffitt, Greg (23 May 2011). "Iron Maiden: From Fear to Eternity – The Best of 1990–2010 Review". BBC Online. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  13. ↑ Green, Thomas H (28 July 2010). "Iron Maiden: doing it their own way". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  14. ↑ Ling, Dave (2005). "Nicko McBrain". Metal Hammer presents: Iron Maiden 30 Years of Metal Mayhem: 103.
  15. ↑ Wall 2004, p. 374.
  16. 1 2 The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days (DVD). EMI. 23 November 2004.
  17. ↑ "50 greatest drummers of all time: part 2". MusicRadar. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  18. ↑ "The 100 Best Drummers Ever". Totaldrumsets.com. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  19. ↑ "The History of Iron Maiden – Part 2". Live After Death (DVD). EMI. 4 February 2008.
  20. ↑ "Nicko McBrain fan club interview". ironmaiden.com. maidenfans.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  21. ↑ "Nicko answers your 20 questions". ironmaiden.com. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  22. ↑ Grow, Kory (4 June 2009). "Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain on the Flight 666 DVD". Revolver. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  23. ↑ Harris, Steve. "Nicko McBrain as known by Steve Harris". ironmaiden.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  24. ↑ 'Band' interactive sub section of the Enhanced CD-ROM Piece of Mind (1998 re-master edition)
  25. ↑ "Iron Maiden Drummer Nicko McBrain's Rhythms of the Beast Remastered on DVD". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  26. ↑ "Iron Maiden Drummer's 'Rhythms of the Beast' Available on Limited-Edition DVD". Blabbermouth.net. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  27. 1 2 "Nicko McBrain's cymbals". Paiste. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  28. ↑ "Sonor- Nicko McBrain". Sonor. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  29. 1 2 "Premier Artists- Nicko McBrain". Premier Percussion. Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  30. ↑ "Documentary". A Matter of Life and Death (DVD). EMI. 28 August 2006.
  31. 1 2 "Vic Firth Signature Artist: Nicko McBrain". Vic Firth. Archived from the original on 31 March 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
  32. ↑ Jarnstrom, David (August 2012). "Nicko McBrain: Unleashing The Beast". Drum!. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  33. ↑ "Iron Maiden kick off tour, unleash Nicko McBrain's SQ² kit". Sonor.com. Sonor. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  34. ↑ "SONOR displays Iron Maiden Tourkit @NAMM". Sonor.com. Sonor. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  35. 1 2 Brannigan, Paul (2002). "Nicko McBrain". Kerrang! Legends (2): 38.
  36. ↑ "Nicko McBrain". Godscare.net. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  37. ↑ WCA News (April 2001). "Cracking Through a Heart of Iron". rockgod.co.nz. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  38. ↑ Martin, Geoff (18 April 2009). "Iron Maiden undergoes a renaissance". Canada.com. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  39. ↑ "The Sooty Show- Hidden Talent". TheSootyShow.org. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  40. ↑ Simpson, Dave (26 July 2011). "Iron Maiden Guardian review". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 30 August 2011. "On drums ... Sooty," yells Dickinson. And sure enough, perched on Nicko McBrain's drum kit, there's a tiny bear.
  41. ↑ Wall 2004, p. 267.
  42. ↑ Linn, John (30 October 2009). "Rock 'N' Roll Ribs Pairs Metal with Barbecue in Coral Springs". New Times Broward-Palm Beach (Fort Lauderdale, Florida). Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  43. ↑ "Nicko McBrain's 'Rock N Roll Ribs' Featured On 'Check, Please! South Florida'". Blabbermouth.net. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  44. ↑ "Iron Maiden Drummer's Restaurant Honoured For 'Best Ribs'". Blabbermouth.net. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  45. ↑ "Best Ribs – 2012, Baby Back Ribs from Rock 'N' Roll Ribs". New Times Broward-Palm Beach (Fort Lauderdale, Florida). 18 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  46. ↑ "Iron Maiden Drummer Arrested After Hitting Man With Car". Blabbermouth.net. 27 July 2003. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  47. ↑ "Iron Maiden Singer Comments on Nicko McBrain's Arrest". Blabbermouth.net. 3 August 2003. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  48. ↑ "Maiden drummer snared by police". BBC News (London). 22 March 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  49. ↑ Iron Maiden (6 June 2011). "Iron Maiden Thank- Nicko McBrain:". From Fear to Eternity Booklet. EMI.
  50. ↑ LeClerc, Yves (11 July 2012). "Maiden à La Tempête". Le Journal de Québec (in French) (Quebec). Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  51. ↑ Liljedahl, Ola (July 2010). "Party hos Parnevik". Café Magazine (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  52. ↑ Emons, Michael. "World Championship final, Live Reporting". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  53. ↑ Davey G. Johnson, Johnson (16 November 2012). "Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden's customized Jaguar XKR-S". Autoweek. Retrieved 2 January 2013.

Literature

  • Budofsky, Adam; Heusel, Michele; Dawson, Michael Ray; Parillo, Michael (2006). The Drummer. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-1-4234-0567-2. 
  • Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (third ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. ISBN 1-86074-542-3 

External links

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