Nicko McBrain explained that he did not consult his Iron Maiden bandmates while writing his autobiography, and he resisted pressure from the band’s longtime manager to remove certain material. The drummer discussed his approach to the book in an interview on Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern.
McBrain was asked whether he had spoken to any of his bandmates as he worked on the book, which was recently published.
Question: “Did you approach any of the other guys or talk to any of them about the book?”
“No. I haven’t, as yet, even read Bruce’s [Dickinson, Maiden singer] book, for the sole reason I didn’t wanna get influenced by any of his stories or how he’s written it,” McBrain said. “And I do have a copy — he signed a copy for me — and I will grab that and probably read that in the next couple of weeks.”
He explained his thinking behind keeping the book separate from other band members’ accounts. “Now I’ve finished my book, I can delve into his. And I didn’t want any influences from any of the other guys in that respect. I did start to read Adrian’s [Smith, Maiden guitarist] book, but it’s more about fishing than anything else. [Laughs]”
McBrain then addressed his decision not to seek input from his bandmates. “But, no, I didn’t approach any of the guys. I wanted it to be my memories carte blanche and without any influences from anybody else. [Longtime Maiden manager] Rod [Smallwood] mentioned a couple of things, and he got them wrong, actually. There was a couple of instances where he didn’t want me to write a particular chapter because it would upset the band.”
The drummer stood firm on his creative independence despite the manager’s concerns. “And I said to him, ‘Rod, this is my story. It’s not yours. I appreciate what you’re saying. ‘Oh, you’re still part of the family.’ I said, ‘And I still will be, even though I’ve written this book. And you may not like it, but it’s going in. And if it upsets someone, they will tell me. They will tell me, and then I’ll deal with it. But it’s going in. It’s going in.'”
McBrain made these comments as he promoted his recently published autobiography, ‘Hello Boys And Girls!’.
McBrain’s book came out on October 22, 2026, published by Harper Nonfiction. The drummer announced his retirement from Iron Maiden on December 7, 2024. Bruce Dickinson’s autobiography, “What Does This Button Do?”, was published on October 18, 2016, and Adrian Smith’s first book, “Monsters Of River & Rock: My Life As Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler”, focuses on his passion for fishing alongside his music career.
Rod Smallwood has managed Iron Maiden for 47 years through almost the entirety of the band’s career. Smallwood was recognized for his work with the band when he received an OBE in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours.
McBrain faced significant health challenges in recent years before stepping away from the band. He suffered a stroke in January 2023, which left him paralyzed down one side of his body and worried that his career with Iron Maiden was over. Six years before the stroke, McBrain had been diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer, which he discussed publicly in 2021.
