Steve Harris formed the band to play in small venues, as opposed to the large arenas typically played by Iron Maiden,[1][2] and as an outlet for shorter hard rock-oriented songs[3] in which he can experiment with different bass guitar styles.[4] The band also includes singer Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie, and drummer Simon Dawson.[5]
Harris had first met Leslie in the early 1990s after Leslie sent him a demo tape, and Harris mentored the careers of Leslie and Taylor for several years until deciding to include them in the British Lion project.[6] The band's tours are typically scheduled after the conclusion of Iron Maiden tours, when Harris becomes interested in playing in clubs and theaters as he did in Iron Maiden's early years.[7][8]
The album British Lion, released in 2012, was marketed as a solo album by Harris with the other musicians described as his backing band. The project was then re-positioned as a self-contained band with most songs written by Harris, Taylor, and Hawkins.[9] Their second album The Burning was released in January 2020.[10]
The album was voted Album of the Year by Paul Stenning for BraveWords.[11]
In 2024, Dawson became the touring drummer for Iron Maiden, following the touring retirement of Nicko McBrain.[12]
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