OMG! 😱😱😱 Is this real life? Is this just fantasy? No, wait, it’s just IRON MAIDEN’s geriatric 👴🏻 drummer, Nicko McBrain, teaming up with the band’s screamy frontman, Bruce Dickinson, at some horror film convention called Son Of Monsterpalooza at the Marriott Burbank Convention Center in, where else, but sunny (or smoggy) Burbank, California. 🌴 Because, you know, that’s where rock gods go to mingle with the monsters. 🧟
So, get this, McBrain will grace the event on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12. Two whole days! 🗓️ While Dickinson, probably because he’s got better things to do (like piloting planes ✈️ or fencing 🤺), will only show up on Saturday, October 11. One day only, folks! Make it count! 👍
Prepare to empty your wallets, people! 💸💸💸 Photos with Nicko at Son Of Monsterpalooza will cost you a measly $80.00 (plus a $3.50 service fee, because, you know, pushing a button on a camera requires *immense* skill). 📸 But wait, there’s more! A photo with both Bruce and Nicko will set you back a cool $185.00 (plus that ever-important $3.50 service fee) for October 11 only. All thanks to the lovely folks at Celeb Photo Ops. Oh, and no table selfies allowed. 🙅♀️ Because, you know, gotta maintain that air of exclusivity. 👑 And when you’re at Nicko‘s autograph table, prepare to sell your kidney, because autographs will be sold. ✍️
But hold on! You can’t just waltz in and demand a photo! Tickets to Son Of Monsterpalooza are REQUIRED to participate. 🎟️ So, buy those tickets first, then shell out more cash for the photo package from Celeb Photo Ops. It’s a multi-layered money grab! 💰💰💰
For more details and convention tickets, because you’re obviously *dying* to go, visit www.monsterpalooza.com. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. ⚠️
Apparently, Monsterpalooza was “founded” in 2008. 🙄 I guess someone thought the world needed *another* horror and special FX makeup convention. And because one wasn’t enough, they launched a fall off-shoot called Son Of Monsterpalooza in 2012. Because, why not? More monsters, more money! 😈
Son Of Monsterpalooza boasts over 150 exhibitors! 🎉🎉🎉 From makeup and special effects products (because everyone needs to look like a zombie 🧟), to collectible statues (dust collectors!), vinyl toys (for overgrown children), paintings (of monsters, duh!) and much more! 🎨 It’s a consumerist’s nightmare and a hoarder’s paradise! 🧳
And because drumming for IRON MAIDEN just isn’t enough, McBrain also plays with his project called TITANIUM TART. 🤣 I bet they play all the bangers…🙄 He played the last of four 2025 shows in Florida with his TITANIUM TART project on July 26 at OCC Road House & Museum in Clearwater, Florida. Joining Nicko in TITANIUM TART are Rob Stokes on bass, Eldad Kira on keyboards, Mike Rivera and Mitch Tanne on guitar, and Paolo Velazquez on vocals.
Oh, and in case you missed it, the now-73-year-old British musician (yes, he’s that old! 👴🏻), whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain (bet you didn’t know that!), announced his “retirement” on December 7, 2024. 🗓️ He said that night’s concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would be his final show with IRON MAIDEN. But don’t worry, they replaced him with Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris‘s longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION. Because, you know, gotta keep the money train rolling! 🚂💰
In January 2023, Nicko had a stroke! 😥 But don’t worry, he’s still alive and kicking…sort of. He has partial paralysis, but hey, that doesn’t stop him from charging you $80 for a photo! 📸
When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, he said it left him “paralyzed” and “worried” his career was over. 😱 But clearly, he’s bounced back…enough to stand behind a table and sign autographs for exorbitant prices. 🤑