Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain admits that the band's current live runs through some of the songs from their famous catalog can't be done at the same tempos anymore, simply because they've gotten older.

The skinbeater told AZ Central that upon deciding to focus on older material, including songs from 1988's 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' record, on their current tour, the band quickly realized that they might not be able to keep up with what they used to do.

He recalls, “I’d listen and go, ‘Gosh, I can’t believe we played that song that fast.’ We still have a lot of energy, but as a player I’ve realized we couldn’t play at that speed today and make it work. We were younger and it was a lot more crazy. We’re a bit more refined with where we go with tempos now. There are still nights when I go a bit quick and the rest of the band moan.”

McBrain says, "The primary reason [for revisiting the past] is there were these new generations of fans. We thought, 'These kids weren't even thought about when we went out with this tour and that tour.' It works out well for us. When you're doing a new record you've got to see how the sales go on that - you've got to go on tour and promote it, which we've always done a great job of in the past. But it's nice not to have to take that side of the industry with you every time you go on tour."

Iron Maiden's current tour leg runs through Aug. 18 in Houston.

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