Ahead of their barn-storming headline slot at last weekend’s Download Festival, Steve Harris, bassist for legendary rock band Iron Maiden, spoke to Planet Rock about how he has survived their 29 years of touring, that famous Ed Force One jet and how singer Bruce Dickinson’s illness failed to de-rail the Maiden juggernaut!
On the re-forming of Maiden after Bruce’s 2015 cancer scare:
It’s a fantastic feeling just to be out there again, because last year we didn’t know whether we even had a band, let alone a tour, obviously he’s fine, he’s singing fantastic – in fact, I think he’s probably singing better than ever. He wanted to do more rehearsals, which is unheard of, he never likes doing loads of rehearsals! So the fact after a month’s rehearsals, he was in such good shape was absolutely fantastic and we’re just pleased to be out on the tour, well I am anyway, I’m sure I can vouch for the rest of them when I say that!
On surviving 29 years of touring with Maiden:
29 years, well that’s amazing! But yeah we’re still out there, still with the family and still touring and that’s probably why I’m still here because I gave up all the partying all them years ago! So I’ve lived so far to tell the tale! I think you just have to look after yourself, you know, when you’re doing long tours.
Swapping booze for exercise:
The first two tours that we toured around the world we were hitting every single bar there was, as you do when you’re young and you’ve got to find out all these things. But it got boring really quick. I used to tend to get pretty ill anyway drinking, didn’t seem to agree with me too well, so it was easier to give it up than some. I mean these days you have to do a lot more running in preparing for a tour but yeah, we’re still here, we’re still jumping about and yeah, long may it continue.
On Bruce piloting the Iron Maiden jet ‘Ed Force One’ on tour:
We designed the show to include inflatable stuff so we could pack it down and get more in. It allowed us to have a little bit more in the cargo bay. For Bruce to be able to go and fly that about, he’s so into his planes anyway that it’s an absolutely fantastic opportunity. It’s great to be out there but to step up a level to go on a massive plane like that, when I first saw it, I couldn’t believe the size of the bloody thing!
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