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(Credits: Dario De Marco)<\/p>\n
Fri 24 April 2026 12:16, UK <\/p>\n
Bruce Dickinson<\/a> is still flying high as the lead singer of Iron Maiden, but in 1993, the vocalist took a time out for six long years. <\/p>\n Over 30 years on from his decision to walk away, the rock singer has newly lifted the lid on his thought process at that time.<\/p>\n In a new interview with The Guardian<\/a>, Dickinson looked back at Iron Maiden\u2019s long, illustrious but treacherous road through the industry. Eventually, Dickinson landed on his decision to leave in 1993, after which the band replaced him with Blaze Bayley.<\/p>\n During the mid 1990s, Dickinson found himself enthralled by music outside of Iron Maiden, such as the \u201cedgy and musical and emotional\u201d Soundgarden.<\/p>\n Therefore, he explained, \u201cThere\u2019s this huge chunk of talent, and I was looking at it going: are we still on the zeitgeist, or is the Iron Maiden furniture looking a bit faded at this point? And nobody seemed bothered about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Creatively frustrated, he decided to leave the band to pursue a solo career. He left at the same time as guitarist Adam Smith. Dickinson mused, \u201cIt was a period of reflection and self-doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n The singer realised that he had \u201cbeen in an institution since my early 20s and that I didn\u2019t know how to do anything else outside that institution \u2013 I found that absolutely terrifying.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n However, this wasn\u2019t the first time that Dickinson had experienced these kinds of doubts. After the odiously named World Slavery Tour in support of 1984\u2019s Powerslave, Dickinson admitted to having \u201ca wobble\u201d.<\/p>\n He explained, \u201cI had no life. It started to feel like a golden cage. And that can\u2019t be right. I started to think: is it worth it? Because I\u2019m young enough to do something else.\u201d<\/p>\n While other musicians might\u2019ve dreamed of a solo career (which was, of course, later on the cards<\/a> for Dickinson), he had a different career in mind: \u201cI was thinking of packing it in to become a fencing teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n He added reflectively, \u201cI wanted to walk away, because that\u2019s preferable to losing your soul and everything else that goes with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Dickinson and Smith rejoined the band in 1999; this year, they will finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and will kick off their Run For Your Lives North American tour<\/a> this August.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> The Far Out Music Newsletter<\/p>\n