Jim Marshall on Nicko's Music Reading Abilities
The latest Classic Rock DVD add-on features some Jim Marshall interviews. Of interest for Maiden fans is this quote:Advice for beginners
Go to a working musician who can read and learn to read music first. Because then they will not have the problem that Nicko McBrain had when Iron Maiden was gonna pack up. He came to me and said "Jim, how quickly can you teach me to read", because he didn't read music, you see. And obviously chopping from something like Iron Maiden to another group, he would have -whether the group would stand it or not with him- having to learn all the numbers, by heart. But if you read music, you start playing straight away.
It is unknown to which period Jim refers. It should be either when Bruce left or where the future was uncertain circa 1998.