As Iron Maiden prepare to celebrate their 50th anniversary with the Run For Your Lives tour this summer, guitarist Dave Murray tells MusicRadar that the band will know when it’s time to end their long and illustrious career.
“It doesn't seem like fifty years since I first auditioned for the band,” Murray says. “And obviously so much has happened in all those years - certainly a lot of touring!
"But this tour is going to be very special. The production is going to be something we've never done before. And because we’ll be playing only old songs, it will be kind of like a band history lesson.”
As advertised, the setlist for the Run For Your Lives tour will feature material from Maiden’s 1980 debut through to 1992 album Fear Of The Dark.
“It's a wonderful opportunity to do this particular set,” Murray says. “We'll be picking out some of the tunes that we started out with when we were playing in the pubs.
“So there'll be a bunch of stuff that we haven't played for God knows how long, and it’ll be exciting to revisit that.
“It shows you how strong those early songs are that we’re to be able to play them fifty years later. They’ve stood the test of time. And obviously, a lot of the younger people in the audience would never have seen those songs being played live before.
“So it will be an amazing leap back to the future. Or forward to the past. One of those!”
This tour will also be the band’s first with new drummer Simon Dawson in place of the long-serving Nicko McBrain.
Murray suggests that Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson is the key to the band’s longevity.
“Right now, Bruce’s singing is incredible,” Murray says. “It's so powerful. On the last tour he was running around all over the stage and singing so well. He's got it all. He's got everything.”
Murray is also adamant that Iron Maiden will know when it’s time to quit.
“To me, there's nothing worse than seeing a band you like on stage and they look like they shouldn't really be there doing it,” he says. “We’re nearly hitting the seventies mark now, but I think we will all know when it would be time. It would be a mutual decision.
“I think there's a time and a place to bail out with dignity and grace - as opposed to dragging it out.
“If you can leave it at that high level, and then bow out gracefully, I think it would be satisfying for us. And not just flog a dead horse, when you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.
“We’re all set up for this tour, and after that we’ll see what the future holds. But at the moment the band sounds great, we still have that excitement and adrenaline when we go on stage. We’re still enjoying it, and that's what it's all about, really.”
