The announcement of Simon Dawson as Iron Maiden’s new touring drummer has ignited a surprising family dispute within Steve Harris’s inner circle. While Dawson’s appointment was met with excitement by many, it’s the public defense of another candidate—Harris’s nephew, Joe Lazarus—that has stirred the pot.
When Iron Maiden made the big reveal about Dawson stepping in for Nicko McBrain in 2025, Joe Lazarus’s father, Steve Lazarus, took to Maiden’s Facebook page to express his thoughts. “Fair play. Let’s see what happens then. IMO, Joe could fit in without even a rehearsal. He knows the stuff inside out and backwards,” he wrote, adding that his son had even played “The Trooper” with the band at just 17 years old. Steve Lazarus went on to point out that Harris had previously asked Joe to learn the band’s current setlist in case McBrain was ever unable to perform during the last three tours.
Despite his support for his son, Lazarus made it clear that he had nothing against Simon Dawson. “He’s a great drummer, but not sure he can play the songs the way Joe can,” he concluded. This public endorsement of Joe Lazarus, alongside a pointed comparison to Dawson, has clearly caused some ripples within the Maiden camp, creating tension around the choice of their new drummer.
The band had announced Dawson as the official replacement for McBrain after the conclusion of the Future Past Tour in 2024, which will have seen Maiden perform to over 1.4 million fans worldwide. According to the band, Dawson, a former session drummer, has been a key collaborator with Harris for over 12 years, playing with him in their side project, British Lion. Dawson’s long-standing partnership with Harris was a major factor in the decision, as he had played on albums like The Burning and toured extensively with the band across multiple continents.
“Iron Maiden are delighted to announce that stepping in behind the kit for 2025 is a name familiar to many of our fans – Simon Dawson,” said the band in a statement. The announcement came just after McBrain’s last show with Maiden in São Paulo on December 7, 2024, marking the end of an era for the band’s iconic drummer.
As Iron Maiden prepares to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2025, the drama surrounding the drummer replacement has only added to the anticipation for their upcoming Run For Your Lives Tour. Whether or not Dawson can live up to the legacy of McBrain, or if Joe Lazarus’s rumored potential will come to fruition, remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure—Iron Maiden’s next chapter is already shaping up to be just as dramatic as their legendary career.
