Steve Harris of Iron Maiden expressed his hope that being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will lead American fans to “stop banging on about it.”
Since the British band was announced as part of the class of 2026, they have indicated that this honor holds less significance for them compared to other inductees.
The decision to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles on November 14 was made for them, as they will be on tour in Australia at that time.
However, in a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Harris stated he would not attend even if it were possible.
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When asked if Maiden had contemplated rejecting the honor, he responded: “No, there have only been comments from a couple of [us] here and there. Bruce has his own strong feelings about it, which is his opinion.
“It’s never really bothered me one way or the other, because awards aren’t what we do this for. 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.”
Regarding attendance at the event if it were possible, Harris said: “I don’t do those sort of things. I didn’t even go to the recent red carpet event for the documentary. It’s not me.”
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Dickinson confirmed that he also has no intention of attending under any circumstances. He has previously voiced strong negative opinions about the Rock Hall, notably in 2018 when he referred to the organization as “sanctimonious.”
He added: “Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible; it’s vulgar.”
In the recent interview, he stated: “I can’t even summon the energy to be vitriolic about it. I appreciate that a significant number of people are happy for us. That’s nice. It’s not something we’re bothered about.”
Iron Maiden’s two-day Eddfest event begins at Knebworth House in England on Friday, July 10.
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When ranking Iron Maiden albums, perhaps the most striking thing is that they succeeded despite changing lead singers on three separate occasions.
Gallery Credit: Eduardo Rivadavia
