Formed in 1975 by Steve Harris, Iron Maiden took over the heavy metal genre and released 12 studio albums, selling over 130 million records. Holding a spot in the music industry for the last five decades, the band continues to perform. In May 2025, Iron Maiden will go international with the Run For Your Live world tour. Excited about hitting the road once again, the end of Iron Maiden might not be that far off according to musician Dave Murray, who doesn’t want to perform forever.
Having been part of Iron Maiden since the band’s first album, Murray sat down with Music Radar to discuss the band’s history and future. Not wanting to make the decision himself, the musician explained how Iron Maiden will know when it is time to walk off stage. “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. 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.”
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Dave Murray Refuses To “Flog A Dead Horse”
Wanting the legacy of Iron Maiden to end on a high note, Murray always knew there was a time and place to end it. “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.”
With Murray and the rest of Iron Maiden not ready to hang it up just yet, the band looked forward to the upcoming tour. But that didn’t mean they weren’t discussing the future. “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.”
Still pushing forward, Iron Maiden said goodbye to the band’s longtime drummer Nicko McBrain when he performed on stage one last time in Brazil. Remaining a part of the band’s legacy, the Run For Your Lives tour could be the perfect time for fans to see the band as the future remains uncertain.
(Photo by Francesco Castaldo\Archivio Francesco Castaldo\Mondadori via Getty Images)
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