IRON MAIDEN's ADRIAN SMITH: 'You Have To Dedicate Yourself To One Thing If You Wanna Make An Impression'

During an appearance on "The Thinking Tackle Podcast", IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith spoke about how he copes with his band's heavy touring schedule and the pressure to perform day after day.

"It was more intense in the '80s, because I think when you're younger, you don't quite know how to handle things," he said (see video below). "I was only in my 20s when I joined; I was still a kid, really. I wasn't a very mature 24-year-old. And we were going out on the road, and we were doing all these shows. You've got a certain amount of responsibilities, especially when you start headlining. You can't be messing around, staying up all night and misbehaving.

"We played with some great bands," he continued. "For people who know, Michael Schenker and Yngwie Malmsteen opened up for MAIDEN. Now I grew up listening to those guys, and then they were opening up for us. That makes you think a little bit. You start examining yourself maybe a bit too much. And one thing leads to another… But when you're young, you go for it. And you have to dedicate yourself to one thing if you wanna make an impression."

Adrian is rumored to have collaborated with THE WINERY DOGS guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen on a new album, tentatively due in 2021.

Smith is currently promoting his memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", which was released on September 3 via Virgin Books.

Smith was born in Hackney, East London, on February 27, 1957. He joined IRON MAIDEN at the end of 1980. Adrian is the bandmember who has collaborated on the most side projects outside of IRON MAIDEN, as well as writing and recording a series of albums in the early '90s, before rejoining the band. IRON MAIDEN has sold 100 million albums, and tour the world playing to millions of fans. Onstage, Adrian uses Jackson and Gibson guitars. Offstage, he is an avid tennis player. However, his main hobby is fishing.