Bruce Dickinson says Steve Harris tried to fire him from Iron Maiden during 1982 bust-up
His Maiden career almost ended quickly
Last updated 14th May 2024
Bruce Dickinson has revealed that his first tenure with Iron Maiden almost came to a very abrupt end.
In a wide-ranging new interview with The Quietus, Bruce Dickinson spoke about his relationship with Iron Maiden bassist and sole constant member Steve Harris.
Reflecting on how their two personalities clashed in the early days, Bruce revealed that Steve tried to oust him after they filmed ‘The Number of the Beast’ music video in early 1982.
Bruce had only joined Iron Maiden in September 1981 after being asked to audition by manager Rod Smallwood following Samson’s performance at Reading Festival.
“I remember me and Steve had the most terrific argument when we finished shooting the ‘Number of the Beast’ video,” Bruce told The Quietus.
“We were going to go outside and sort each other out. I was like, ‘Roll up your sleeves, come on then, punch me.’ I remember Steve saying to our manager Rod, ‘He goes! He’s got to go!’ Rod just said, ‘He’s not bloody going!’ After that, we gradually settled into a bit of a truce.”
Elsewhere during the chat, Bruce spoke about how he was regularly beaten while at Oundle School in Northamptonshire during his teenage years.
“I was on my own in boarding school and I got the s--- kicked out of me on a regular basis. Like, every night. The lights would go out in the dormitory and 15 kids would beat the crap out of me," Bruce said.
“It was pretty horrible, but it builds up a degree of magical toughness which stood me in good stead. Not that I’d recommend it. There are other ways of doing that which are less unpleasant.”
Commenting on how the experience affected him, Bruce said: “I built up an overinflated sense of self-esteem in response to having the s--- kicked out of me every day. You can either go, ‘Oh, I must deserve it.’ Or you go, ‘You’re a bunch of idiots. You won’t hit me again. It won’t hurt.’”
Yesterday (13th May), it was announced that Bruce Dickinson has become the patron of a charity called The Blake Cottage Trust.
Bruce Dickinson is a keen fan of William Blake, and he’s made numerous references to the English poet and artist in his music over the years, most notably on 1998's 'Chemical Wedding' and the recent 'Rain on the Graves' music video.
The Blake Cottage Trust owns William Blake’s only surviving house, in Felpham on the Sussex Coast, which is urgent need of repair.
Bruce is helping to raise funds to restore the cottage for £1.5 million and open it to the public.
“William Blake has given me so much over the years and I want to repay the debt by helping to restore the Cottage," Bruce said.
“Despite his impact on the world, there is no centre for Blake, nowhere people can visit to see the place where he actually lived and worked during a key part of his life. I want to change this.”
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