“But when you hit the stage it’s like a rush. Starring Adrian Smith and Spug Redfern - YouTube “There’s a lot of downtime in the band,” Smith considers over a coffee before our visit to a favoured fishing spot on the Thames, a metalhead barnet creeping from underneath his fisherman’s hood. BLABBERMOUTH.NET “Most of us did. “I couldn’t imagine [Purple guitarist] Ritchie Blackmore trying to catch a carp,” he says. It's got so many benefits — I can't think of any negative benefits, although sometimes it can get a little obsessive. Adrian is the bandmember who has collaborated on the most side projects outside of IRON MAIDEN, as well as writing and recording a series of albums in the early '90s, before rejoining the band. Not to mention an enviable list of specimen coarse fish from the U.K. Charming, funny, and moving in equal measure, "Monsters Of River & Rock" is the ultimate fishing-fantasy armchair read, and is also the story of a rock star in a fast-moving world who seeks peace and tranquillity at the water’s edge — wherever he is. The 63-year-old’s first book. Adrian Smith with a great carp Adrian got hooked on fishing as a child growing up in East London, plundering ponds and bomb craters on the Hackney Marshes for newts and sticklebacks, and catching perch from the Grand Union Canal while on outings with his father. But once a fisherman, always a fisherman. Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist, best known as a member of British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he writes songs and performs live backing vocals on some tracks.. Smith grew up in London and became interested in rock music at 15. But I suppose that's like anything that gives you a buzz — alcohol, or some guys go off the deep end with golf. I went to that from basically a pub band [Urchin]. Then the hired car wouldn’t start, and he only made it back to the gig in time because two guys passed and picked him up. The gear went with him, the fish got bigger, the adventures more extreme. Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith got hooked on fishing as a child growing up in East London, plundering ponds and bomb craters on the Hackney Marshes for newts and sticklebacks, and catching perch from the Grand Union Canal while on outings with his father. t is not hard to spot Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith making his way down Windsor’s Thames Street: he is head to toe in fishing clobber. In his first, very personal, riverside memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", Smith takes us with him on his incredible journey, through the highs and lows of life on tour, and on the river bank, as his fishing gear travels with him across the world. Adrian Smith might be better known as one of the guitarists in Iron Maiden, but away from the studio and stage, Smith is a keen angler. But then you’re touring seven, eight, 10 months at a time. IRON MAIDEN has sold 100 million albums, and tour the world playing to millions of fans. “Because it’s so crazy. That’s the great thing about it. Especially something like bone fishing, when you're closing in on a fish and you're trying to get in the right position to cast and the fish is moving. "Obviously, being in a band, especially in the '80s, was a quite high-pressure environment, so I really found increasingly that fishing was a great way to balance myself out," he explained. I can sit by a river or a lake,... "Monsters Of River & Rock" . does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. Here he offers his own personal account of his life as seen through his two greatest passions, music and fishing. Welcome to the world of Adrian Smith, playing his Jackson guitar onstage to millions - while behind the scenes he explores far-flung rivers, seas and lakes, waterways and weirs, in a fearless quest for fishing nirvana. This is his first book. BLABBERMOUTH.NET Now Smith will focus on his love of fishing in his first-ever book titled Monsters Of River & Rock: My Life As Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler, which will be published on September 3 through Virgin Books. Fishing lover Adrian Smith is the lead guitarist with the legendary heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. Smith grew up in east London and was taken fishing in childhood by his father, a painter and decorator. Adrian Smith, the legendary lead guitarist of 100-million- album-selling band Iron Maiden, is well known in the Maiden community as a celebrated angler whose fishing gear travels with him … Charming, funny, and moving in equal measure, "Monsters Of River & Rock" is the ultimate fishing-fantasy armchair read, and is also the story of a rock star in a fast-moving world who seeks peace and tranquillity at the water’s edge — wherever he is. BLABBERMOUTH.NET But you're really pumped up. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends). Let’s go fishing.’”. Angling is the same. Adrian Smith: When I go fishing, I don’t really think of anything other than fishing. It’s an escape from our increasingly regimented lives.”, We head for the river, where Smith meticulously sets up two rods as twilight dances across the water. Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith talks about his love for fishing: “There’s a lot of downtime in the band. And then things began to get more exotic. Since joining Iron Maiden in 1980, Adrian Smith has contributed more than a few chapters (and hits) to the band’s four-decade-plus career. Come to the riverbank with Adrian Smith and cast a line on the wild side. Adrian got hooked on fishing as a child growing up in East London, plundering ponds and bomb craters on the Hackney Marshes for newts and sticklebacks and … Sometimes you have to rein yourself in a bit. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. “It’s a long way from the canal with my dad but yeah, I suppose it is the same experience.”, He stays fishing in the darkness, long after midnight, landing another chub and two barbel. & Rock: My Life as Iron Maiden's Compulsive Angler’ on Thursday 3rd September 2020 via Virgin Books.. Alongside being a guitarist and songwriter for one of the biggest heavy metal bands on the planet, Adrian Smith is also a keen fishing aficionado and 'Monsters Of River . Smith was born in Hackney, East London, on February 27, 1957. “But I love it.”, Monsters of Rivers and Rock is out now, published by Virgin, Run to the gills: how Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith got hooked on fishing. TERMS OF SERVICE / Fishing gives you something to focus on, which helps you out of it. Smith’s mate Dave Murray got a guitar and joined Maiden first. By the time Smith followed in 1980, they were already playing “big gigs, even stadiums in Europe. Smith departed Maiden in 1989 but rejoined (along with returning singer Bruce Dickinson) in 1999. "Monsters Of River & Rock" was released on September 3 via Virgin Books. He joined IRON MAIDEN at the end of 1980. Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith will release his fishing themed memoir 'Monsters of River . Keeping it reel … Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith. “I’d never even seen countryside before. When you think Iron Maiden, fishing isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Adrian got hooked on fishing as a child growing up in East London, plundering ponds and bomb craters on the Hackney Marshes for newts and sticklebacks and catching perch from the Grand Union Canal whilst on outings with his father. However, his main hobby is fishing. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. But then maybe if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have done as well.”, Suddenly there is a beep on Smith’s rod: he has got a bite, and carefully reels in a 3lb chub, beaming with delight before letting it swim away. You’re sitting and waiting for those big old wily fish to come up on your bait, but when the action happens it’s incredibly exciting.”. “I sometimes think: ‘Am I mad?’ Creeping about the riverbank in wind and rain at two in the morning,” he chuckles. Success brings the freedom to fish for sturgeon in Canada or bonefish in the Caribbean. It can get a bit obsessive. I never had that interim.” In the book, he refers to “shyness numbed by alcohol”; he quickly succumbed to the rock’n’roll lifestyle. Onstage, Adrian uses Jackson and Gibson guitars. It's infinite variety, really.". If you’re even remotely a fan of Iron Maiden, you probably know that Adrian Smith is a huge fishing enthusiast. It's brought me a lot of pleasure and a lot of happiness and a lot of satisfaction. Photo credit (below): Nathalie Dufresne-Smith. The 63-year-old’s first book, Monsters of River and Rock, is a beautifully written account of his experiences in the 100m-selling hard rock band and a seemingly very different life as “Iron Maiden’s compulsive angler”. “Fishing just absorbs me.”, Smith grew up in east London and was taken fishing in childhood by his father, a painter and decorator. Adrian Smith, who is best known for being one half of arguably the greatest guitar duo in the history of the genre, manned the axes with Dave Murray from 1980-1988, and again from 1999 to the present day. Welcome to the world of Adrian Smith, playing his Jackson guitar onstage to millions while, behind the scenes, he explores far-flung rivers, seas, lakes, waterways, and weirs in a fearless quest for fishing nirvana. Tenchtastic! The lifestyle wears you down.”, Even in those crazy years, founding bassist Steve Harris – a West Ham fanatic who can still play a football match before a gig – led the rockers through fitness workouts: “Some of the guys hadn’t been to bed, I’m sure.” Gradually, in the mid-80s, Smith stopped smoking, started playing football and “got back into those things – like fishing – that I used to do before. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of With their 2020 tour plans scuppered, the guitarist has found time to publish his own book on fishing, Monsters of River & Rock: My Life as Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler, with a few Maiden stories thrown in for good measure, of course. Like I say in the book, fishing is like meditation but with a punchline. Offstage, he is an avid tennis player. And Adrian Smith’s new book, Monsters of River & Rock: My Life as Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler, out now, gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at … “They were drunk as lords,” he chuckles, “so it was a bit hair-raising, but even at my age I like the adventure of going off into the unknown. Guitarist Adrian Smith joined the band for their second album 'Killers' in 1980 and has contributed masterful guitar playing and songwriting to many of the band's most successful albums. Adrian Smith, the legendary lead guitarist of 100-million-album-selling band Iron Maiden, is well known in the Maiden community as a fisherman, and a former cover star of coarse-fishing bible the Angler’s Mail (biggest chub of the season, August 2009). This is his first book. The metal band’s resident angler sleeps on riverbanks and has nearly missed gigs thanks to his hobby – but it also saved him from depression and debauchery, Last modified on Mon 7 Sep 2020 05.20 EDT. A three-and-a-half-minute video in which Adrian Smith, the legendary lead guitarist of IRON MAIDEN, discusses his upcoming memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", can be seen below. "The more I wrote [the book], and the more I read it back, I realized how important fishing is to me, and it's important to have that balance [between my two passions]," Smith said (hear audio below). Onstage, Adrian uses Jackson and Gibson guitars. IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, who recently released a memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock: My Life As Iron Maiden's Compulsive Angler", spoke to the "Saltwater Experience" podcast about his love of fishing, something that began as a youth growing up in East London and continues to this day. Smith . Recently, Smith released a book documenting his touring with the band as well his as other passion — multispecies fishing. In my youth, I put everything into establishing myself [as a musician and songwriter] rather than go fishing. Big fish … Smith onstage with Iron Maiden in Sweden in 2018. Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith shares tales from the riverbank ahead of his new fishing and music memoir 'Beautifully written account' Dave Simpson, The Guardian 'Writes beautifully' The Sun Welcome to the world of Adrian Smith, playing his Jackson guitar onstage to millions - while behind the scenes he explores far-flung rivers, seas and lakes, waterways and weirs, in a fearless quest for fishing nirvana. "And like I say, the more I wrote of the book, the more that became obvious. Angling is the same. Smith is well known in the community as a fisherman, and a former cover star of coarse-fishing bible the Angler's Mail (biggest chub of the season, August 2009). ", Asked if he thinks that he would have had the same kind of longevity in the rock and roll world if it wasn't for fishing, Smith responded: "I don't know. It’s like meditation, and it clears your mind. He has carried worms on the tour bus (“When you open it up to get the luggage out after a couple of days it is not a nice aroma”) and often fishes at night. I’d wake him up, going: ‘Come on Dad! Things began to get more exotic when the young angling enthusiast grew up to become lead guitarist in one of the most successful rock bands in history, and started travelling the world playing to many millions of fans. After hearing Deep Purple’s Highway Star in his mid teens, hard rock took precedence and angling did not seem appropriate for a would-be rock god. But when you hit the stage it’s like a rush. At first I just threw myself into it, running on adrenaline. Legendary Iron Maiden guitarist takes you to the final frontier of fishing. His adventures range from his first sturgeon, a whopping 100-pounder from Canada's swirling Fraser River that nearly wiped him out mid-MAIDEN tour, to a close shave with a large shark off the Virgin Islands whilst wading waist-deep for bonefish. There's so many different ways to fish and so many places and so many different environments. It's a good question. Once, on tour in the US, he drove out to “some reservoir in the middle of nowhere, and didn’t catch a bean”. I’m no Keith Richards, but for a couple of years I did go a bit mad,” he says. 'Fishing's like meditation': Adrian Smith on the River Coine When Iron Maiden load up their trucks for their mammoth concert tours, it’s not just drums, guitars and amps they pack. He has spent two years writing it on planes or in hotels. I can sit by a river or a lake, and I only think about fishing; you don't think about anything else. Welcome to the world of Adrian Smith, as he clocks in to his day job furthering the geographical boundaries of hard rock, and clocks off to explore far-flung rivers, seas, waterways, lakes and pools on his fearless quest for fishing nirvana. ADVERTISE / You are concentrating on the line, you’re concentrating on the water, and everything else goes out of your mind. In the book, Smith explains that as soon as he gets Maiden’s tour schedules, he looks for nearby rivers. "Especially when you go through rough times mentally, I think fishing is so good for your head. Offstage, he is an avid tennis player, however his main hobby is fishing. He soon formed a friendship with future Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray, who inspired him to take up the guitar. reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. BLABBERMOUTH.NET A couple of the guys were straight arrows, which is probably why we’re still around. He has even slept on the riverbank, much to the bemusement of early-morning walkers. © 2021 Blabbermouth.net He takes his rod and gear out on tour with him wherever he goes. and The bonus section on the DVD is full of a lot of great … He takes his rod and gear out on tour with him wherever he goes. Like I say in the book, fishing is like meditation but with a punchline. People think you just sit there dangling a worm, which you can, if you want — that's fine too. Commenting has been disabled at this time but you can still. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Hooked on the angling adrenaline rush since first catching perch from East London canals on outings with his father, Adrian grew up to be in one of Rock's most iconic bands. It is not hard to spot Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith making his way down Windsor’s Thames Street: he is head to toe in fishing clobber. Until you talk to Adrian Smith. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. CONTACT, STEVE VAI And JASON BONHAM Added To 'Little Kids Rock' Virtual Benefit Event, CRO-MAGS' HARLEY FLANAGAN Blasts 'Record Store Day' Reissue Of 'The Age Of Quarrel', DAVID LEE ROTH Recounts 'True Story' About Recent Bike Ride In Pasadena, UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER Is 'Still Angry' Over WOLF HOFFMANN 'Stealing' ACCEPT Name, SALIVA Releases 2021 Version Of Classic Single 'Click Click Boom'. This first came to my attention when the band released their album and DVD called Rock In Rio. IRON MAIDEN's ADRIAN SMITH: Fishing Is 'A Great Way To Balance Myself Out' IRON MAIDEN . And it's such an adrenaline rush as well. PRIVACY POLICY / “I sometimes bring a book and don’t even look at it,” he says. The sight of a “beautiful silver roach” in the polluted gasworks stretch of the Grand Union canal got him hooked before fishing trips to Hertfordshire broadened his horizons. Smith was born in Hackney, East London, on February 27, 1957. That balanced me out.”, Fishing also helped him with depression, which affected him in his teens and 20s owing to “social anxiety. People don't realize how much it is. Not all the band, I must say. To comment on a It really washes your mind and gets you ready to face the real world and your work and stuff. Once you 're logged in, you ’ re still around a huge fishing.... First came to my attention when the band sold 100 million albums, and tour world... Wake him up, going: ‘ come on Dad I ’ m no Keith Richards, but for couple! `` Especially when you hit the stage it ’ s tour schedules, looks... 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