We are one of the last heavy metal bands. Iron Maiden has always been unique.

A band is sort of like a star. It reaches a peak and burns out. To have five guys working in perfect harmony longer than a couple years is difficult.

I get to fish a lot of wild and wonderful places on tour.

I've never been much for theory and scales.

The room is the most important thing about recording.

To me, anyone with an Australian accent wielding a tennis racket is cool.

When you're used to seeing someone being coldly efficient on court and suddenly they go on stage and into your world - it's fascinating.

The band has always stayed close to its fans and not sold out. That's a very rare thing. I can see how rare that is having been outside of the band for eight years. Maiden has integrity. I think people appreciate that.

We try and stay out of the corporate side of it. The band has never compromised. At some point in our career we could have made a certain type of record and sold millions of units, as they are called.