Maiden haven’t heard Harris album

Iron Maiden mainman Steve Harris believes his bandmates haven’t heard his solo album British Lion.

He didn’t want to force them into sitting through the recent release, and only played it to drummer Nicko McBrain when he asked to listen.

Harris tells Decibel: “When someone else in Maiden is working on another project, no one really talks about it. Bruce and Adrian don’t go around broadcasting to the others and I didn’t either.

“Nicko asked to hear it so I played it for him. But the other guys haven’t asked to hear it, so I haven’t played it for them. Simple as that, really.”

The bassist flatly denies the suggestion that his material is made up of Maiden cast-offs.

“This is not throwaway Maiden stuff,” he insists. “These aren’t riffs I could have used in Maiden. It was done with other people, and as soon as that happens it’s not going to be Maiden.”

He accepts three tracks, Us Against the World, The Chosen Ones and A World Without Heaven could sound a little like material from his main band, but only “because they’ve got those harmony guitars.

“In general it’s more riffy,” he continues. “Obviously there’s lots of melody. There’s lots of melody in Maiden as well. Sometimes I think Maiden doesn’t get enough credit for the melody we do have.”

Harris, who’d been working on the solo project on and off since at least 1993, says it’s a relief to have it released at last.

He explains: “I think everyone knows I’m the one that’s busiest in Maiden. When we’re not touring or recording I’m still doing loads of Maiden stuff, video editing and God knows what else, so I get less downtime than the others.

“That’s why it’s taken so long. I was trying to find bits in here and there when the other people were available to work while I was in the UK, which over the last few years has not been very often.”

source: classicrockmagazine.com

Maiden’s Clive Aid continues quietly

Iron Maiden will continue to actively support former drummer Clive Burr in his fight against multiple sclerosis – even though they want to keep quiet about it.

They’ve made a string of Clive Aid appearances in the past and helped found the Clive Burr Trust after MS began affecting his life and livelihood a decade ago, and put him in a wheelchair.

And mainman Steve Harris says they’ll be there whenever they’re needed by the man who played on the band’s first three albums.

Harris tells SamaritanMag.com: “We’ve been involved with stuff over the years. A lot of people make a big publicity thing out of it, but we don’t, so I’d rather not say.

“Our old drummer Clive has MS so we started the Clive Burr Trust. Another friend of mine, Ralph, has got it too – he’s in a wheelchair. I went to school with him. He’s my oldest friend since I was five years old, so we helped him too.”

The band don’t share details of the charity, although it’s known one early Clive Aid show raised £235,000 and the trust has provided Burr with specialist treatment in Belgium and a customised bed and computer. Others have received cash for modified vehicles and to adapt their homes.

The website CliveAid.com is no longer running. But Harris says: “The fans know about it and they contribute to it. Every now and again we’ll do a show and just donate all the money.

“When we need to top it up, we do something.”

MS reduces the ability of the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other, resulting in a wide range of potentially severe symptoms. The cause is unknown and there is no cure.

Former Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno recently urged Burr to undergo risky stem cell treatment, saying: “He sounds drunk all the time. He sounds terrible. He can’t walk. He can’t use his hands now. It’s a bloody evil disease.”

Classic Rock presents an exclusive interview with Harris, available on this website on Monday, in which the bassist talks about touring his solo album, saying: “I know we’ll be playing clubs, which is great because I’ve not played clubs for years. But do we play in front of 200 people, 400 people, 600? I’d be totally happy with 200 people a night – that’d be brilliant.”

source: classicrockmagazine.com