Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris recently revealed which song he was most excited to bring back for the band’s 50th anniversary tour. He shared his thoughts in an interview with Louder Sound.
The bassist and primary songwriter discussed the challenges of selecting songs for their Run For Your Lives tour setlist. He specifically mentioned one track that didn’t make the cut.
“I like them all! It’s hard to pick one,” Harris said. “There’s certain songs like The Evil That Men Do that aren’t already in the set and I’d like to play. But we’ve bandied the ideas around and not ended up playing them this time.”
Harris acknowledged the difficulty of curating a setlist that spans the band’s extensive catalog.
“But it’s difficult to do a set from any part of our career [and not miss things out],” he continued. “It’s a nice problem to have, I suppose.”
The comments highlight the ongoing challenge faced by veteran bands with deep catalogs when selecting material for anniversary tours.
Harris’s reflections come as Iron Maiden continues their ambitious 50th anniversary celebration. The celebration has already seen the band make significant changes to their touring approach and lineup.
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that the Run For Your Lives tour draws exclusively from the band’s first nine studio albums. The tour spans from 1980’s Iron Maiden to 1992’s Fear of the Dark. This focused approach allows the band to revisit their classic era while maintaining a cohesive setlist structure.
The tour has already brought back several deep cuts that fans haven’t heard live in years. Louder Sound noted that tracks like Killers and Murders in the Rue Morgue from the 1981 Killers album have returned to the setlist after being absent since 1999 and 2005 respectively.
The anniversary tour also marks a significant transition for the band. It represents the first major tour without longtime drummer Nicko McBrain. Wikipedia confirmed that McBrain retired in 2024 and has been replaced by Simon Dawson. This makes the tour a historic moment in Iron Maiden’s evolution.
The band has expanded the tour significantly since its initial announcement. antiMusic revealed that Iron Maiden will be performing at stadiums across multiple regions throughout 2026 as part of their 50th anniversary celebration.
