(c) Iron Maiden
The irrepressible Nicko McBrain has let slip that Iron Maiden are set for a smattering of shows this year.
However, while speaking to 96.7 KCAL Rocks radio station Nicko played down talks of a full-scale world tour.
He said: "Well, we're taking some time off. And we're gonna go back out on tour sometime this year. We're not sure yet when. It's in the words of a very famous British singer from the Second World War called Vera Lynn. And she had a song and it went something like, 'We'll meet again. Don't know where. Don't know when.'
"So that's in the line of Vera Lynn. We're doing a Vera Lynn. We don't know where, we don't know when. . . [But] Iron Maiden is touring sometime this year, yeah. I don't think [it will be a world tour this time]. Next year, maybe. But this year, it's just gonna be a little tour — short run."
For more from Nicko take a look at the December 2011 issue of Rhythm, which features a huge cover feature with the Iron Maiden man.