Watch: IRON MAIDEN's NICKO MCBRAIN Talks To DEEP PURPLE's IAN PAICE For Latest Episode Of 'Metal Sticks' Podcast

Ian Paice of DEEP PURPLE is the featured guest on the second episode of "Metal Sticks", the new podcast hosted by Nicko McBrain, the iconic drummer of IRON MAIDEN for 42 years, recently retired from touring, and Modern Drummer CEO David Frangioni. You can now watch the chat below.

Dedicated to interviewing iconic artists, educating drummers of all styles and genres, amplifying young talent, and showcasing Nicko's archive of iconic gear and memorabilia, "Metal Sticks" aims to inspire all generations of heavy metal fans.

While drummers will find invaluable tips and insight, all musicians and fans will be thrilled to watch the unpredictable and always entertaining antics of the legendary drummer. Built on the pillars of inspiration, access and heavy metal history, "Metal Sticks" fuels the passion of the genre while letting fans into the world of Nicko and Modern Drummer.

"Heavy metal, drumming and IRON MAIDEN have been my life, and have given me so much," said McBrain. "I am a huge fan of Modern Drummer, having been inducted into their Hall Of Fame in 2019. Now David Frangioni and I can host a show that brings the audience inside the process, celebrating heavy metal, IRON MAIDEN and the amazing community that it embodies. We created the show that we would love to watch as both fans and musicians alike."

"Metal Sticks" season one is now available on all streaming platforms with a deluxe version of the show available on YouTube.

Utilizing bespoke video production as you've come to expect from Modern Drummer, each of the eight episodes from Season One contain the following segments:

Face2Face: Nicko and David interview world-famous musicians such as Alex Van Halen, Steve Vai, Charlie Benante, Ian Paice and many more. These interviews are true peer-to-peer sit-downs exploring topics that Nicko and their guests can relate as internationally touring and recording musicians for decades.

Listen with Nicko: A nod to the infamous "Listen with Nicko" segments famously heard on IRON MAIDEN's "The First Ten Years" box set. Each new segment will feature a new, unique 2025 "Listen with Nicko" boys and girls!

Wear, Tear and Care: Nicko shares important maintenance and professional tips for keeping your drumming gear in tip-top shape!

Roll with Nicko: Nicko takes the viewer inside his personal archive of IRON MAIDEN snare drums, memorabilia and one-of-a-kind rock'n'roll mementos collected over the past 50 years.

Frangioni said: "Drumming, Modern Drummer and the entire world of heavy metal are such a passionate group of fans that it was a natural fit to collaborate with Nicko and IRON MAIDEN.

"We all share a love of heavy metal and conversations, community and the energy around it is truly infectious. My career working with iconic artists combined with Nicko's incredible journey brings each episode to life with both entertainment and infotainment that we can uniquely discuss with musicians, fans and metalheads of all ages."

To learn more about "Metal Sticks", visit www.moderndrummer.com/metalsticks.

Modern Drummer is the No. 1 drum community in the world since 1977, with over 550 monthly magazine issues, positioning it as a leading publication dedicated to drummers and percussionists, offering content on the lives of prominent players, technique, gear, reviews and education. The Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame and its yearly "Readers' Poll" are the most prestigious awards in drumming for over 44 years.

McBrain played the last of four 2025 shows in Florida with his TITANIUM TART project on July 26 at OCC Road House & Museum in Clearwater, Florida. Joining Nicko in TITANIUM TART are Rob Stokes on bass, Eldad Kira on keyboards, Mike Rivera and Mitch Tanne on guitar, and Paolo Velazquez on vocals.

The now-73-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on December 7, 2024 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. He also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the legendary rock band. He has since been replaced by Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

In January 2023, Nicko was at his home in Boca Raton when he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis.

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

Five years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps. The musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

McBrain was born in Hackney, East London, on June 5, 1952. His first experience of music came via his father's love of traditional jazz. Young Nicko's hero was Joe Morello, the late, great drummer with the legendary THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET. Nicko would often take to the kitchen, using forks and knives to beat on anything he could find at home. Fed up with him bashing up the kitchen utensils, his parents finally bought him his first drum kit when he was 12.

By the time he left school at 15, he was already a veteran of several part-time pub groups. Musically, however, his tastes had broadened to include more contemporary sixties sounds from THE SHADOWS, THE ANIMALS, THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES. On the recommendation of another drummer he knew, he began to take on session work, playing on countless different recordings.

In 1975, Nicko joined STREETWALKERS, the band formed by ex-FAMILY members, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist Charlie Whitney. From the late seventies until 1982 when he joined IRON MAIDEN, Nicko had spent his time in session work, most memorably with the PAT TRAVERS BAND on their 1976 "Makin' Magic" album, and also appeared in the band MCKITTY in the early 1980s. It was during a MCKITTY gig in Belgium that he first met Harris.

He officially joined IRON MAIDEN in December 1982 for the 1983 "Piece Of Mind" album and tour, replacing Clive Burr, after McBrain's previous band TRUST had supported IRON MAIDEN during the U.K. leg of the "Killers" tour in 1981. McBrain brought a degree of finesse and technicality that was largely missing from IRON MAIDEN's early output. Whereas Burr was often lauded for his heavy-handed, punk-oriented style, McBrain was largely the opposite, playing with a degree of dexterity and flair that helped primary songwriter Harris take MAIDEN down more adventurous paths. He eventually became the third longest-tenured member of MAIDEN, behind Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.