December 7th, 2024 will certainly go down in Iron Maiden . The date that marked the end of the highly anticipated The Future Past Tour took on an even more special meaning when, on the morning of that Saturday, the band announced that Nicko McBrain would be retiring from touring and that this would be his last show.
With that, one thing was certain: Brazil would once again be part of the band's history. 1985 was a turning point with Rock in Rio and the beginning of a beautiful story in the country.
In 2001, they played the biggest show of their career at the same festival, and it certainly ranks in the top 5 (including this writer's) of the British band's best performances, but their 14th visit will always be the most special of them all. Nothing happens by chance with the band, and it wouldn't make sense for this moment not to happen here.
Once again, the Danish band Volbeat was responsible for opening the show, and unlike the first night, their performance was shown on the big screens this time. The setlist was practically the same, with the exception of "Shotgun Blues" being replaced by "Dead But Rising," and throughout the set, the influence of Metallica on their compositions was very clear, but also a heaviness and versatility in the songs, showing the respect they have in Europe and that they should return soon for a solo tour here.
But the most anticipated moment of the night was yet to come, when “Doctor Doctor” played over the PA system, a packed Allianz Parque sang it at the top of their lungs; it was time for Iron Maiden to shine, especially Nicko. The sequence “Blade Runner/Caught Somewhere In Time” is cathartic and directly transports us back to 1986.
In “Stranger in a Strange Land” and “The Writing On The Wall”, Adrian Smith shines with two of his best solos ever recorded in Maiden's discography and shows his elegance on the 6-string instrument.
And so we arrive at the first exciting moment of the night. To shouts of “Nicko, Nicko, Nicko,” Bruce Dickinson makes his traditional speech and says: “This night is very special, as some of you, I think probably all of you already know, because this morning we announced, and Nicko announced, that he is stepping away from playing live drums with Iron Maiden.”
In the same speech, the vocalist emphasizes that McBrain "was the drummer before he was the singer and that he was a pilot before he was a pilot." Bruce also makes a point of saying that McBrain is not leaving the band, but will simply no longer perform live, and asks that the remainder of the show be a "celebration of Nick and the joy he brought to everyone."
Nicko's reaction was touching; he placed both hands on his chest in a gesture of gratitude and didn't say anything, but his eyes showed how emotional he was. It was difficult to hold back the tears at that moment.
One of the highlights of the night was "Days Of Future Past," performed with such precision, almost reaching the level of the studio recording. During "The Time Machine," the audience went wild during the most upbeat part of the song. "The Prisoner" is a blockbuster, a fast-paced song that had fans singing the chorus with all their might.
We arrived at the first epic of the night, "Death Of The Celts," at a point where the audience's interest waned, mainly because it was a song that was almost eleven minutes long and because of its similarities to "The Clansman."
In “Can I Play With Madness,” the audience gets excited again. “Heaven Can Wait” has one of the best moments of the tour, when Bruce duels with Cyborg Eddie and drives the fans wild. “Alexander The Great” is timeless, and the wait to hear it was well worth it.
“Fear of Dark” brought the stadium down and shows why it’s the band’s biggest hit. At the end of the classic “Iron Maiden,” Dickinson says that unlike James Bond , they “will be back, maybe in a few years, or even sooner.” As always, Nicko is the last to leave the stage, after throwing drumsticks, drumheads, and wristbands to the audience.
The band returns for the encore with another epic, "Hell On Earth," one of the band's best album closers, complete with pyrotechnics on stage to create an atmosphere that contrasts with the lyrics.
“The Trooper” drives the audience wild once again, and then we arrive at the show's final moment, “Wasted Years.” In the introduction, Bruce says that “every night we play this song, as if it were the best night of our lives.”
Like it or not, the moment had arrived; it would be the last time we would see that lineup together. To paraphrase Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame (2019) , "part of the journey is the end," and all 50,000 people present were privileged to be there for that moment, which unfortunately not all fans could attend.
At the end of the show, Bruce reiterates that they will return with the 50th anniversary tour , but that "that night belonged to one man," Nicko. Then, we see another emotional moment: he is embraced by each of the band members, and afterwards they all take a group photo.
Once again, the drummer hands out souvenirs to the fans and stays on stage longer than usual, receiving all the affection he deserves. Iron Maiden made history once more.
For two hours, the entire sextet was flawless, with Bruce's vocals impeccable and he didn't stop for a single second. The same goes for Steve Harris , who also demonstrated youthful energy and made a point of singing every single word of the set. Dave Murray, as always, was very friendly and showed his joy at being there, as did Janick Gers with his characteristic style. Smith completed the trio, and the connection between them was phenomenal.
But now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to speak specifically about Michael Henry McBrain , whom we all know by another name. Upon hearing "Where Eagles Dare" for the first time, the reaction of all the fans is the same: "Wow."
That's how Nicko showed his calling card on the album Piece Of Mind (1983) . It's been 42 years full of great moments, and I confess it will take some time for it to sink in, but I want to say a huge thank you for the chance to see you play three times, with all your charisma and love for the band and especially for the instrument. It won't be a final goodbye, but rather a see you later.
In 2025, Iron Maiden moves forward and celebrates its well-deserved golden jubilee with Simon Dawson ( British Lion , ex- The Outfield ) on drums.
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