IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain — who lives in South Florida — has partnered up with close friend, guitarist, and restaurateur Rick "Moby" Baum to open Rock 'N' Roll Ribs. A barbecue joint with a musical bent, RnR Ribs will showcase the pair's love for smokey Southern cooking with food like barbecued pork and chicken and clever takes on MAIDEN songs like "Run to the Hills" wings. New Times spoke with McBrain and Baum about their plans for the rib shack, their BBQ background, and how it all came together in the first place.

New Times: So Nicko, sounds like you're something of a foodie.

Nicko: Oh, without a doubt. I'm a right snob when it comes to food. I know what I like and what I don't like.

New Times: So when did you first get into barbecue?

Nicko: I don't know when I became a fan exactly, but touring America [with MAIDEN] we came to a lot of barbecue joints, probably because most of them had a nice bar. And then I fell into back garden parties and barbecuing in general.

New Times: How did you two meet?

Nicko: We actually met through Rick's friend Nathan who is a friend of my son Justin. After we met we got to know one another a bit and beat each other up a couple of times. Then we started playing music together and we've had a great friendship ever since. Later on, I found out Rick was a chef extraordinaire.

New Times: When did you guys start barbecuing together?

Nick: In a nutshell, Rick came 'round my house one day and said, "Nicko, I have these amazing ribs I want you to try." And he cooked them up for me and I thought, "Well, I've always loved spare ribs but these are to die for." So I finally squeezed his bullocks a bit to get his recipe.

Rick: He actually did. [Laughs]

Nicko: Yes, I squeezed it right out. [Laughs] So we started concocting these ribs together. I'd do some ribs, he'd do some, and we'd go back and forth. One day I put a sauce together; I basically added some things to what he already had and he actually complimented me and said, like, [in a thick British accent] "Blimey, this sauce is lovely!"

New Times: So when did the idea for a restaurant come about?

Nicko: We were down at the pub one night and down a few beers and I said, "This is a fucking great idea, let's open a rock 'n' roll rib joint together." That was about five or six years ago. We had a couple of false starts looking for the right location and all, but Rick has some experience in setting up restaurants over the last 20 years or so, so he knows what to do. And a friend of ours works for Cheney Brothers, so we had access to the right ingredients. We just had to find the right location and funding. Another friend of ours, Mitch Tanne, and I brought the financing, and Rick brings his expertise and knowledge of cooking and running a small kitchen. Our kitchen is small, and the place seats about 70 people. The cooking will be mayhem I think, but it's going to be quite rock and roll.

Read the entire interview from New Times.

Rock 'N' Roll Ribs
4651 State Rd. 7, Suite 1
Coral Springs, FL 33076
561-909-8334
www.rocknrollribs.com