STEVE HARRIS's BRITISH LION Pulls Out Of THE DARKNESS U.K. Tour, Cites 'Completely Unacceptable' Protocols

BRITISH LION, the side project of IRON MAIDEN bassist and founder Steve Harris, has withdrawn from the previously announced U.K. tour with THE DARKNESS, citing "completely unacceptable" tour "protocols."

THE DARKNESS's U.K. tour is scheduled to kick off on November 17 in Brighton and conclude on December 17 in London.

Earlier today, BRITISH LION released the following statement via social media: "Due to circumstances beyond our control BRITISH LION are really sad and disappointed to announce that we will not be able to participate in the tour with THE DARKNESS. Very recently we received their own protocols that are not Government protocols which are completely unacceptable to us. Therefore, we have no alternative but to withdraw from the tour."

BRITISH LION's second album, "The Burning", came out last year. Although a summer European tour in support of the LP couldn't go ahead last year as planned, BRITISH LION has now confirmed nine new European shows next summer. The band will appear at Finland's Rockfest, U.K.'s Download and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festivals, and will make additional stops in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland and Portugal.

BRITISH LION completed its first U.S. tour in January and February 2020.

"The Burning" was released on January 17, 2020 in digipack CD, double gatefold vinyl and digital download formats via Explorer1 Music (E1). The LP was recorded, engineered and mixed at Barnyard Studios by Tony Newton and produced by Steve Harris.

BRITISH LION comprises singer Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie, Harris on bass and keyboards, and drummer Simon Dawson.

Asked by the Tampa Bay Times what the itch is that BRITISH LION scratches that he doesn't get in his job with MAIDEN, Harris said: "I suppose playing small clubs and being close and personal with the audience. I love playing big places as well. I enjoy them all, and I'm very lucky that I can do them all. But also, it's clubs that I never played with MAIDEN, even in Europe. There's a famous club called the Milky Way in Amsterdam, which I managed to play with BRITISH LION, but I never did that with MAIDEN. There's places now that I'm going to be playing on this [U.S.] tour that I've never played before. So it's all new ground. It's a challenge. It's nice. I like a challenge."