Dennis Stratton was only in Iron Maiden for a short time, but the guitarist's dismissal from the band's debut album had a major impact on the crew, as Steve "Loopy" Newhouse , the band's roadie between 1974 and 1984, recounts.
“The decision to get rid of Dennis devastated everyone. In fact, I believe that was one of the reasons Peter Bryant [roadie] left,” he said in an interview with The Metal Voice (via Ultimate Guitar ). “So yes, Dan’s departure was a massive blow. But everyone knew Adrian, so his entry into the band was very natural. And, without a doubt, he was Dave Murray ’s dream partner .”
Despite this, the arrival of Adrian Smith was a long-standing wish of the band. The musician had been invited several times, but had not accepted until then because he was working with the band Urchin . "When Adrian arrived, he was given a completely different roadie than Tony Wiggins [tour manager] had found," Loopy explained.
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