In a recent interview with The Quietus, Bruce Dickinson revealed that Steve Harris once intended to fire him from Iron Maiden.
Dickinson recounted a major disagreement with Harris during the filming of the ‘Number of the Beast’ video:
“I remember Steve and I had a huge argument after shooting the ‘Number of the Beast’ video. We were ready to fight it out. I told him, ‘Roll up your sleeves, come on then, punch me.’ Steve turned to our manager Rod and said, ‘He goes! He’s got to go!’ But Rod replied, ‘He’s not bloody going anywhere!’ Eventually, we settled into a truce.”
Harris and Dickinson often clashed due to their different visions for the band. After their sixth album, Harris criticized Dickinson’s contributions, claiming they weren’t up to standard and that he was burned out. Following the ‘Fear of the Dark Tour,’ Dickinson planned to leave Iron Maiden but had to stay for a scheduled tour in 1993.
Bruce’s Perspective on Harris’ Character
Tensions escalated, with Harris accusing Dickinson of deliberately underperforming. Dickinson denied this, blaming the tense atmosphere for affecting his performance. This conflict led to Dickinson’s departure from Iron Maiden after his last show in 1993. Despite Harris initially opposing it, Dickinson returned to the band in 1999. In an earlier conversation with Louder Sound, Dickinson discussed his relationship with Harris:
“Steve is incredibly determined. Offstage, he’s a mild-mannered, shy guy, but he has a ruthless streak. Not in a bad or exploitative way, but he’ll say, ‘This isn’t working and there’s no way around it.’ He can be very stubborn, and so can I! Hahaha!”
Dickinson also recalled nearly coming to blows with Harris in his early days over issues like monitor placement and microphone setup. They eventually resolved these conflicts by using a larger stage.
