Nicko McBrain is long time drummer in heavy metal legends Iron Maiden. He also formed a side project band called 7x70 with Dan Spitz of Anthrax and Vanilla Ice. More recently he founded another side project called McBrain Damage.
In the 1970s, Nicko McBrain appeared on some Pat Travers albums, and also played for Streetwalkers from 1975 to 1976; he also appeared in the band McKitty in the early 1980s. It was during a McKitty gig in Belgium that he first met Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris. Nicko joined Iron Maiden in 1983 for the Piece of Mind album, replacing Clive Burr, after his previous band Trust had supported Iron Maiden on the road during 1982. He has been with Iron Maiden ever since.
Nicko was born as Michael Henry McBrain in Hackney East London on the 5th of June 1952. The nickname "Nicko" is from Michael's childhood, where his favourite stuffed animal was named 'Nicholas the bear' - which he apparently carried everywhere. Due to this, his parents called him 'Nicky'. "Nicko" was spawned when Michael was meeting a manager from CBS Records, with the keyboard player Billy Day. Billy introduced him as 'My Italian drummer - His name's "Neeko"'. Michael liked the moniker, so he decided to use it as a stage name, having first adapted the spelling slightly.
As far as inspiration goes, Nicko insists "It was all Joe Morello's fault" he started drumming in the first place: "I first saw Joe playing in 1961, when Dave Brubeck's '.....
