Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris is glad of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction “so the Americans will stop banging on about it”
Steve Harris from Iron Maiden has said he is glad that the band are being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not for the reason that many would think.
The London rockers are set to receive the honour at the ceremony in Los Angeles this November, alongside the likes of Oasis, Joy Division/New Order, and Phil Collins.
Despite the star-studded affair, though, the bassist and band founder seemed less than bowled over at the thought of being celebrated in the Rock Hall.
Speaking in a new interview with Metal Hammer (via Guitar.com), Harris admitted that the induction has not taken up much of the band’s conversation, as he said: “No, there have only been comments from a couple of members of the band here and there.”
Although he noted that “Bruce [Dickinson] has his own strong feelings about it, which is his opinion,” referencing the fact that the singer has variously called the institution “a load of bollocks”, Harris insisted that the band had not been overly moved by the call up.
“It’s never really bothered me one way or the other, because awards aren’t what we do this for,” the bassist said earnestly.
However, he added, “But in a weird way I’m glad it’s happened so the Americans will stop banging on about it. To me, if you get offered something, you say, ‘Thank you very much.’ But did I lose sleep over getting it or not getting it? No.”
It seems like this is gearing up to be one of the most unenthusiastic classes of inductees that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has ever seen, with Liam Gallagher having consistently campaigned against Oasis’ inclusion over the years.
When the announcement came in April that the band were finally begrudgingly being inducted, he sarcastically wrote on X: “I wanna thank all the people who voted for us it’s a real honour ever since I was a little kid and singing in the shower I’d dream about 1 day being in the RnR hall of fame it’s true what they say anything is possible if you have a dream LG x.”
While Iron Maiden and Oasis may not be swayed by the honour, it remains to be seen whether Joy Division/New Order will appear at all, as the band announced yesterday that Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert are stepping back from a show at Primavera Sound in Chile this November, the same month the ceremony is set to take place.
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