BRUCE DICKINSON Rules Out Using Backing Tracks At IRON MAIDEN Concerts: 'If It's Not Real, It's Not MAIDEN'

In an interview for the latest issue of Classic Rock magazine, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson insisted that he and his bandmates would rather "bow out with dignity" than put on a show that's not up to par. "The idea that you can turn it into the Disneyland MAIDEN by using backing tracks, a few tricks… No!" Dickinson said, according to Guitar.com. "MAIDEN has to be one hundred per cent real — and fucking fierce!"

The now 66-year-old Dickinson added that MAIDEN will continue to play its live shows 100 percent live.

"Only recently this guy, a big fan, said to me: 'It's so great to see MAIDEN still doing it,'" he recalled. "I said: 'Yeah, and we're doing it for real. There's no detuning.' This guy said: 'Lots of bands use backing tracks now…' I said: 'No! No, no! [If we use backing tracks,] that's the day I quit. Or the day we stop. If it's not real, it's not MAIDEN."

Bruce recounted the same conversation with a fan last fall during an appearance on the "Rich Roll" podcast. He said at the time: "We still play all the songs in the original key. We don't detune. We don't do anything like that on any of the songs. And this guy was saying, he said, 'Oh yeah, but you've be going around for years. All these bands now, they all detune and they all use backing tracks and they all use…' I said, 'Okay, stop right there. No. We're not gonna do that because it's not authentic. It's not real.' You start to get into the world of Disney World now. So, no. If I can't do it the way I should be doing it, I shouldn't be doing it at all."

Bruce previously touched upon the prospect of using backing tracks in an October 2023 interview with Australia's Triple M radio station. He said at the time: "We still play all the songs in the original key; we don't drop, downtune and stuff like that. We still play everything too fast, because we're all excited. We've never played to click tracks or like time code and everything else now, 'cause I see a lot of bands now, and I'm going, 'Hang on a minute. Hey, you sang that without moving your lips.' So there's all this backing vocals being flown in left, right and center and everything. But we don't do any of that. Everything is analog and real. So we are kind of old school in that respect. But I think that pays dividends 'cause the audience understand that reality is increasingly kind of rare now."

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

In a 2019 interview with New York Post, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he didn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. Asked if he feels that a reliance on backing tracks is alarming, Smith said: "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all. I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain announced his retirement on December 7, 2024 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. The 72-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the iconic rock band.

Despite the fact that he is stepping away from touring, McBrain said that he will remain closely connected to IRON MAIDEN and continue to be involved in "a variety of projects" with the band, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses.

On December 8, 2024, IRON MAIDEN announced Simon Dawson as its new touring drummer. Dawson is a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

The São Paulo performance marked the the final show of IRON MAIDEN's "The Future Past" world tour, which began in May 2023.

MAIDEN will return to the road in 2025 for the "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which is scheduled to launch in May.