Nicko McBrain

Michael Henry McBrain (born June 5, 1952 in England) is the current drummer in the heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The nickname "Nicko" is from Michael?s childhood, where his favourite book was entitled ?Nicholas the bear? ? Which he apparently carried everywhere. Due to this, his parents called him ?Nick?.

Related Topics:
June 5 - 1952 - England - Drummer - Heavy metal - Iron Maiden

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?Nicko? was spawned when Michael was meeting a manager from CBS records, with the keyboard player Billy Day. Billy introduced him as ?My Italian drummer ? His name?s ?Neeko??. Michael liked the moniker, so he decided to use it as a stage name, having first adapted the spelling slightly.

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He joined the band in 1983 for the Piece of Mind album, replacing Clive Burr, after his previous band Trust had supported Iron Maiden on the road during 1982. In the 1970s, he appeared on some Pat Travers albums, and also appeared in the band McKitty in the early 1980s. It was during a McKitty gig in Belgium that he first met Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris.

Related Topics:
1983 - Piece of Mind - Clive Burr - Trust - 1982 - 1970s - Pat Travers - McKitty - 1980s - Steve Harris

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He has been cited as a major influence of many modern drummers over a wide range of styles, and often holds drum clinics for fans and would-be drummers alike.

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Strangely, unlike most heavy metal drummers, McBrain has refused to use a double bass drum, since he considers it to be "too complicated", and "un-drummerish". Instead, he has developed an incredibly fast technique on the single bass drum, following Steve Harris' gallops with no problem whatsoever. The first (and last) song Nicko McBrain recorded using a double bass drum was Face in the Sand, on the Dance of Death album, 2004. He subsequently announced publicly that it had been one of the hardest things he had ever had to play and that, for that reason, the number would not be included in the track list of the Dance of Death World Tour. On this album Nicko McBrain also contributed, for the first time in 20 years, to the songwriting, writing the bass line on a New Frontier.

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He has filmed several short videos for Iron Maiden fans on the band's official website and keeps a diary of the band's latest tours.

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Some might consider it ironic that, considering accusations of Satanism in the band's early career, Nicko is actually a practicing Christian and regular church-goer.

Related Topics:
Satanism - Christian

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