Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris Says the Band Tours So Much Because “We’re Coming Towards The End”
There will come a time in the pretty near future where metal’s biggest and longest running bands are going to have to hang it up. Aging can be a bastard and no one’s found the Fountain of Youth, so bands like Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and even Metallica will eventually hang things up and ride off into the sunset.
One band that seems almost inconceivable that they’d ever come to an end is Iron Maiden, but a recent Steve Harris interview with Classic Rock revealed that the band’s time could be coming up sooner rather than later and that’s why they tour so much these days.
“Who knows for sure? At the moment we want to tour as much as we can. But even if we did semi-retire [from playing live], we could still make albums. I don’t know. We’ll see.
“I always thought that it would be nice to make fifteen albums, which we’ve surpassed. It’s all downhill from here, isn’t it? [Laughs.] But each of us is still enjoying it – possibly more than ever – maybe because we know that we’re coming towards the end. We try not to think too much about that, but so long as everyone still enjoys what we do we’ll keep on going as long as we can.”
Turning 67 years this month, Harris isn’t the young man he used to be. Still, it’s amazing Iron Maiden have not only enjoyed the sort of longevity most artists can only dream about, but they’ve done it in such a way that’s uncompromising to their core values and beliefs. I mean for fuck’s sake, Bruce Dickinson is 64 years old and still runs around on stage like a mad man, waving a massive Union Jack while belting out damn near operatic vocals.
Looking back at the band’s extensive touring schedule and what they’ve got planned for the future, Harris said the idea of continuing for as long as they can is important, since they know they won’t be able to keep going forever.
“It makes me think: ‘Let’s get out there and do stuff while I still can.” People ask me how I still do what I do. The truth is that I don’t even think about that. The time will come when I will no longer be able to. I don’t even want to consider that.”
Here’s to another
