It was a sharp contrast from their low-key acceptance speech, in which Rush's three members seemed a little awed by the spectacle of the star-studded evening. Added Lee, moments later: "I have to say this is a little overwhelming for a nice Jewish boy from Toronto. The fans waited and waited for this honour, pushing and petitioning for the perennially disrespected band to finally take its place among rock royalty, and they had to wait some more on this night: Rush's induction was the climax to a marathon show that ran more than four and a half hours.
And it was certainly clear who the evening's headliners were. Rush had long been considered the Cleveland-based rock shrine's most egregious snub, having been eligible for induction since but passed over year after year in favour of acts including Madonna, Donovan, the Hollies, Blondie and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
So they were both a sentimental pick and the overwhelming audience favourite. All the gala's honourees were introduced to an enthusiastic reception, but the audience reached a bona fide tizzy with only three simple words spoken off the top by the show's host: "And from Toronto Indeed, Rush fans were everywhere around the Nokia Theatre prior to the ceremony — fans in Rush-branded baseball jerseys, bandannas, leather jackets and tour T-shirts as tattered as a pair of Peart's drumsticks after a marathon gig.
The crowd was so heavily tilted in Rush's favour, Public Enemy's Chuck D said backstage that he and director Spike Lee joked that it felt like the hip-hop outfit was playing a road game. And in a light-hearted but reverential speech, Grohl reminisced upon first receiving his vinyl copy of "" and marvelling at the "infamous" photo in the liner notes: "three grown men, arms crossed, standing proudly in white satin kimonos and skin-tight pants.
No hype, no BS , they did it from the ground up without any help from the mainstream press," he added, before coughing the words "Rolling Stone" into his sleeve.
Look at you people, all of you people, right here! And their legacy is that of a band that stayed true to themselves no matter how uncool they may have seemed to anyone. Despite all the hoopla, Rush actually gave the most concise speech of any of the evening's honourees.
In fact, guitarist Alex Lifeson didn't see fit to say any actual words at all — instead, he just trilled the word "blah" over and over again in different tones and inflections while his bandmates chortled. Ultimately, though, Lee did pay his respects right back to those relentless fans, while that same worshipful lot whooped in the aisles. For not only supporting and encouraging our musical progress over the years, but for the insistence of their voices, which has most certainly led us to this evening.
The evening's other high point came with the induction of aforementioned rap trailblazers Public Enemy, the politically provocative New York outfit whose incendiary tunes changed rap music forever. Lee inducted them wearing the uniform of his pizza deliveryman character Mookie from his classic film "Do the Right Thing," which prominently featured Public Enemy's classic "Fight the Power," while Calypso legend Harry Belafonte called the group "one of the most influential artists in the world.
Chuck D — who gave bandmate Flavor Flav the "wrap it up" sign several times during a rambling if occasionally hilarious acceptance rant that included an off-colour remark about producer Hank Shocklee's mother — provided a thoughtful speech, one which included an unlikely shout-out to Rush whose "Tom Sawyer" the group sampled in an ensuing performance and also anticipated arguments against the inclusion of hip-hop acts in a Hall of Fame nominally devoted to rock.
Let's not get it twisted. Droll year-old troubadour Randy Newman kicked off the ceremony with a rollicking performance of his locally flavoured hit "I Love L. Eagles vet Don Henley handled the induction and praised Newman's "extraordinary body of work. Also unanticipated? Hey, relax. The guitarist immediately interjected with an impish "blah, blah, blah" — a reference to his Rock Hall acceptance speech, which was nothing but him saying the word "blah" in a spirited fashion for several minutes.
As Lifeson laughed and the crowd cheered, Lee deadpanned, with an amused look on his face, "Did everyone see that coming? Then his response turned serious — and spoke directly to Rush's loyal fans. How do you feel about not being in the Hall? We didn't know what to expect. And we thought, 'Okay, we'll see what happens. Lifeson agreed, as Lee continued. It suddenly said to me in that moment that why I'm there and what I have to pay heed to and who I have to appreciate for that honor.
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