British Lion, Steve Harris’s side project, will return to the Cart & Horses in Stratford, east London, for six consecutive nights in December — at the pub where Iron Maiden played regularly in their early years.
“`The shows run from December 13 to 18, with folk rockers Albion as special guests every night. The run follows the five nights the group played at the same venue last December, closing their 2025 UK headline tour.
«We’re very happy to be returning to the Cart & Horses for six nights in December», Harris said. «We’ve had some fantastic shows there over the years and it’s always great to come back to a place so important to Iron Maiden’s history. We can’t wait to see you all there».
Iron Maiden played their first show at St. Nicholas Hall in Poplar on May 1, 1976 and built their following through a semi-permanent presence at the Cart & Horses, near Maryland station. Guitarist Dave Murray played his first gig with the band there, on December 21, 1976.
Albion bring together two eras of Jethro Tull, a band Harris has often named as a favourite. Their line-up includes Jack Clark, Jethro Tull’s current guitarist, and Joe Parrish-James, who left Ian Anderson’s band in early 2024 to focus on Albion and his own productions.
British Lion are Harris on bass, singer Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie and drummer Simon Dawson — who is also Iron Maiden’s touring drummer after Nicko McBrain stepped back from touring in December 2024. They have released two studio albums, «British Lion» in 2012 and «The Burning» in 2020.
See also: Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind and Bruce Dickinson joins Graham Bonnet Band on a new single.
