One of the world's leading heavy metal bands, Iron Maiden has a career spanning over four decades and no plans to retire. With a recently released, acclaimed album and loyal fans, the band members continue a robust schedule of world tours despite their age – and Steve Harris thinks Bruce Dickinson has never sounded better.
The musician spoke about how much he enjoys performing in an interview given backstage at the Sweden Rock Festival (via Blabbermouth ). “I still enjoy playing, so yes, I play as much as I can. I’d be happy to play four or five nights a week, but you can’t do that—for singers, [that pace] isn’t feasible,” he said.
The bassist recalled when Bruce Dickinson faced some challenges with his vocal health in the early years with the band, which is why greater care for the frontman's instrument is so important. "It was difficult for Bruce back then, let alone now. I think he's singing better than ever, but now it's more about quality than quantity [on tours] with Maiden," Harris concluded.
At 67 years old, Harris has two bands constantly on the road. Besides Maiden, the bassist has also been dedicated to British Lion for over a decade, filling his Maiden tour breaks with performances of this side project. “Well, I mean, what else would I do on a day off, you know? I love playing football and things like that [on my days off], and playing with British Lion is just an hour. Actually, it’s much less stressful than playing with Maiden because it’s different material and it’s a challenge,” he explained.
According to the bassist and founder of the band, new Iron Maiden tours always carry a lot of stress, especially at the beginning. "It's a lot of pressure, with a new tour like the one we're doing," he said about the Future Past Tour , which features material from the albums Somewhere In Time (1986) and Senjutsu (2021).
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