Iron Maiden delivered on their promise not to turn up to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, with a supergroup featuring members of Metallica, Rage Against The Machine and Mötley Crüe, Tenacious D and St Vincent paid tribute to them instead.
With the band having previously announced that they wouldn’t be turning up to the ceremony due to touring commitments, it was left to Tenacious D’s Jack Black to induct the band in their absence.
“Has there ever been a band that has rocked this hard for this long?” said Black during his speech at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday November 14. “The answer is ‘no.’ In fact, they’re not even here tonight because they’re rocking half way around the world.”
Black also joined an unlikely supergroup feature Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Rob Trujillo, Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5, Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk and singer-guitarist St Vincent to perform Maiden’s 1983 classic The Trooper, with Black and St Vincent sharing vocals. Black dubbed the band “St. RageTallica 5””
Maiden, who first became eligible to enter the Hall Of Fame in 2004 and have been nominated twice before, made it clear several months ago that they wouldn’t be attending the ceremony, with Bruce Dickinson in particular have been critical of it, calling it a “load of bollocks”.
Alongside Iron Maiden in this year’s Hall Of Fame inductees were Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Oasis, New Order/Joy Division, We Tang Clan, Queen Latifah, Luther Vandross and Rick Rubin.
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony wasn’t broadcast live this year. An edited version goes out on December 8 on ABC in the US, with the ceremony then streaming on Disney+ on December 9.
