Phil Gallo of Billboard reports:
The first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles in more than two decades may as well have been subtitled “A Night to Celebrate Rush” as the Canadian trio’s fans packed the Nokia Theater to the rafters and made their presence known.
They booed Hall chairman Jann Wenner, undoubtedly for keeping Rush out of the hall for years on end, heckled Quincy Jones and Flavor Flav during their lengthy speeches and filled any second of dead air with shouts of “Rush” and “Geddy.”
In introducing Rush, Grohl praised Rush’s Neil Peart as “the most ripping drummer in the world,” but also wondered aloud about “the most infamous band photo” ever — the trio in kimonos and skintight pants.
“We’ve been saying for a long time this isn’t a big deal,” said Peart, who usually avoids any media attention. “Turns out it is.”
Over the applause and cheers, Grohl noted they have a “fan based rivaled only by the Grateful Dead” and Lee thanked the fans before Lifeson launched into his “blah blah blah” speech that will surely become a YouTube favorite down the road.
HBO will air the ceremony on May 18th.
Rush songs played at the ceremony:
2112-with Foo Fighters
Tom Sawyer
Permanent Wave
Read more at Billboard.
source: billboard.com
22 Responses
The crowd spoke VOLUMES for all of the ‘true’ rock fans of the world…..THAT is what a hall of fame induction should sound like….I pity the pop, boy band, and disco acts that get inducted the night(s) that PRIEST, PURPLE, KISS, and many others, get inducted…..full body armor for everyone!!!
I am so proud of Rush finally being inducted! This is truly one of the most special and deserved induction! My hats off to Geddy and Alex and Neil! Thank you for the voice in my youth!
ABOUT TIME. Grandmaster Flash in 1st time eligible, Rush waited 14 years. SICKENING! Thanks
My God, as Eddie has pointed out and no disrespect meant, but does Dave Grohl have to be involved in every single event that has to do with anything rock? Sweet Jesus…..there has to be somebody else out there to talk about Rush.
LOL, outstanding Ryan. Its like he’s the only celebrity who remembers classic rock. Apparently if Grohl isn’t involved, it never happened.
Watch “Beyond the Lighted Stage.” There are tons of people talking about Rush. However Dave is respected, current, and has clout with this particular crowd. Plus he’s a BIG fan. He bashed Rolling Stone and the Hall and gave credit where credit is due. Don’t see a problem with it.
what’s next Michael Bolton getting in before deep purple. the rock (pop) hall of fame has lost any credibility. how many records has public enemy sold? most likely in the less than 1,000. how many has purple sold? hell tony iomi has out sold them/
Thanks for the tip on the ‘Eternal Seas And Gestures’ album. I’m all for the bands above getting in, but Cheap Trick deserves to be in as well. They’ve been on a roll since their 2nd self-titled album in ’97, and every album since then has been a bit different than the previous one, but all are stellar. In addition, they’re still a great live band. Vai and Satriani deserve induction as well.