Adrian Smith‘s 1990 departure from IRON MAIDEN surprised fans, who knew him as a relaxed figure. Speculation about internal conflict arose, but Smith‘s 1999 return put those rumors to rest.
In a recent interview with Classic Rock, he disclosed that the immense fame and success IRON MAIDEN achieved in the late 80s led to his decision to leave, as he struggled with the pressure.
“The eighties were very intense,” Smith said. “For everybody. You’ve got to be mentally strong to get out there and perform every night. And I definitely had some issues. A lot of times I would retreat into myself. But sometimes I just completely freaked out.”
Isolated and unable to express himself, Smith coped with alcohol and c*caine. “We just kept hammering away,” he reflected. “It’s what you’ve got to do. And everyone’s got their own problems. They’re trying to keep themselves together.”
By 1990, he couldn’t take it any longer: “I’d started to feel like I was stifled in the band. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. They sat me down and said: ‘Are you into it? You’ve got to be a hundred percent into it. We’re going on tour for another nine months.’”
“So… that was it. It wasn’t like I said: ‘Right, I’m leaving the band.’ There was a lot of agonising. And like I said before, things are not always black and white.”
He was initially satisfied with his choice to leave.
“I was kind of relieved, because I wasn’t happy. Everybody knew that. So I bought a house, got married, had kids,” he said.
Near the end of 1991, Following Steve Clark‘s death, DEF LEPPARD sought a new guitarist, and Smith was recommended by photographer Ross Halfin and Steve Harris. However, they chose former DIO and WHITESNAKE guitarist Vivian Campbell.
“He’s more of a virtuoso guitarist than I am,” Smith said. “And I guess that personality-wise he fit in.”
During their headline performance at the 1992 Donington Monsters Of Rock festival, on August 22nd, Steve Harris invited Smith to join IRON MAIDEN onstage for the encore.
“It was my missus who said I should do it,” he said. “Just to show there’s no hard feelings. But when I got there I was nervous, and I started drinking whisky. So I was pretty lit up when they went on. I was at the side of the stage, watching them play all the songs I used to play, and I just burst out crying. I was overwhelmed. Up until that point I hadn’t experienced much regret. But it really hit me then. There was a lot of my life in that band, and I was so close to where I used to be.
“Luckily I had enough time to pull myself together,” he continued. “I hadn’t brought a guitar. I just grabbed one of Dave [Murray]’s. Janick [Gers] grabbed me in a headlock and pulled me all the way out onto the catwalk before I’d played a f**king note! And when ‘Running Free’ started up, I thought: ‘F**king hell, this is a bit fast!’ But I got through it – just about. And in the end it was a nice thing to do.”
Following that performance, Smith remained in close contact with the band. In 1998, he and Bruce Dickinson were invited to rejoin MAIDEN, an offer they both enthusiastically accepted.
An official IRON MAIDEN documentary is in production for a 2025 global cinema release, coinciding with their 50th anniversary. It includes interviews with the band, fans, and notable figures, plus Paul Di’Anno’s final interview.
Source: metaladdicts.com
