“We’d gone backwards. We still enjoyed playing, but I did wonder how much longer the band would last”: Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray on the highs and lows of the band’s 50-year odyssey

Dave Murray of Iron Maiden in 1984.

Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray says that he feared the band might have split up in the late ’90s — before the return of singer Bruce Dickinson and fellow guitarist Adrian Smith restored their popularity.

Maiden are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2025 with the Run For Your Lives tour, which kicked off in Budapest on 27 May.