Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith has responded to concerns about the band’s age and stamina, saying the group is enjoying live performances as much as ever during a conversation with Radio Oxigeno. Smith also discussed the setlist for Iron Maiden’s ongoing ‘Run For Your Lives’ world tour.
Smith was asked how the band members are doing more than 50 years after the group’s founding and addressed whether the group’s age affects their ability to perform.
“How’s anyone doing after 50 years?” Smith said. “It’s a long time. But we’re still together, we’re still friends, and we’ve had our ups and downs. But I have to say, I think we’re enjoying playing live as much, if not more than ever.”
Smith pointed out that the band’s audience is also changing. “And the audiences are just getting better. We’re getting more younger fans, new blood into the audience. It’s fantastic. Fantastic.”
The guitarist explained how the band selects songs for their current tour. “The first song we do is ‘Murders In The Rue Morgue’. I think that’s from the ‘Killers’ album, which is way, way back. And we’re doing some stuff off the first album, which I didn’t play on. The music hasn’t changed, so, yeah, we can take songs from any era and make them work in a modern setting. And together with the show we have, it just takes you through that period of the band to bring it all to life.”
Smith added that performing older songs brings back memories and comes naturally to the band. “And it’s great fun playing the old stuff. It just brings back some great memories. And when we started rehearsing, it’s like riding a bike. You pretty much… It’s in the brain, in the muscle memory, so you remember the songs easily.”
These remarks came as Iron Maiden continues the ‘Run For Your Lives’ world tour with a setlist that spans multiple decades of the band’s history.
The ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour began on 27 May 2025 and will run until 16 May 2027, with final North American dates celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary. The band was formed on Christmas Day 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, and Smith joined in November 1980. The Killers album, which Smith mentions as material from early in the band’s history, was released on 2 February 1981 and marked Smith’s first album with the band.
Iron Maiden has faced challenges with personnel during the tour. Drummer Nicko McBrain suffered a stroke in January 2023, and drummer Simon Dawson has been filling in for him. Despite these obstacles, the band has maintained a strong touring schedule, with revenue of $128 million and net ticket sales of 1.32 million for 41 concerts during the period from November 2024 to the end of October 2025, according to Pollstar.
The band’s longevity in live performance reflects the dedication of its core members. Singer Bruce Dickinson continues to perform at 68 years old, having recovered from throat cancer a decade earlier. Smith’s comments suggest that the band views its continued touring not as a burden but as an opportunity to connect with both longtime fans and younger audiences discovering their music for the first time.
