Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton discussed the band’s impending induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a recent interview with the Paulieflix channel on YouTube, as per Blabbermouth. The band’s current lineup, which includes singer Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers, as well as former singers Paul Di’Anno and Blaze Bayley and drummers Nicko McBrain and Clive Burr, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Dennis, who played with the nascent NWOBHM act from December 1979 to October 1980 and appeared on Maiden’s No. 4-charting self-titled debut album. The band’s manager, Rod Smallwood, revealed that Iron Maiden will not be attending the induction ceremony this autumn due to concerts in Australia in November.
Dennis clarified after one of the Paulieflix interviewers pointed out that, even though Dickinson had referred to the institution as “an utter and complete load of bollocks,” Stratton was initially vocal in mobilising fans online to show their support for a potential Maiden induction when the band’s nomination was first announced.
Well, not really. Unfortunately, I was already told by the gods above that Maiden didn’t want it. So I understood that. A lot of people, a lot of magazines and a lot of people that quote you can actually twist things to their advantage, and it makes me look stupid. And you gotta remember, I talk to Steve all the time… And it was 2020. It was in lockdown. And I realized that Bruce had said these things, and the band were backing him. Fine. It’s nothing to do with me. All I would say on social media is I’m over the moon to be nominated. It’s something that I feel, after all the years that I’ve worked, I’ve done, not got very far, but I wouldn’t change anything, but it’s something that you should be proud of, and an achievement that most musicians would give their right arm for.
I’ve been nominated. Okay. Next quote, if the band are not interested, I have to go along with their decision. It’s nothing to do with me. The band decide with the management, and whatever they decide, I respect their decision. End of. Then it got a little bit silly, because every year — ’21, ’22, whatever it was — Iron Maiden have been nominated again. So I get thousands of messages on Messenger, on Facebook and Instagram, ‘Oh, well, congratulations.’ ‘Yes. Thank you very…’ So it’s like Groundhog Day. So you get to the point where, yes, ‘I appreciate all your concerns.’ People say, ‘It’s not worth voting for ’em because they don’t want it.’ And all I’ve said before is if they wanted it, if Maiden wanted to go into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the votes from South America alone would’ve took them into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It doesn’t matter about the rest of the world. The fans in South America, the fans over there — there’s millions of them — they would’ve voted Maiden in without anyone else in the world voting, but they didn’t want it. So the same rules apply. Whatever the band decides, I respect that decision. That’s done.
So then this year, this summer, somewhere along the line, I suppose, to call an end to the feud or all the bad chatter and whatever, and what Bruce has called them or whatever, it’s still nothing to do with me, but at the end of the day, I see on social media, and I’m getting texts from all over the world saying, ‘Congratulations. You have been accepted and inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.’ Great. Love it. It’s my dream come true. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go because I have to respect the band’s decision… And so I’ll wait… And so [there was a] nice little message from Rod on social media, ‘Thank you for inducting us into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Unfortunately, the band will be in [Australia].’ Fine. If that’s their decision, then I respect it and I have to go along with it. Nothing to say about how excited I am. I have my own feelings. So does probably Blaze. And so does Nicko. But at the end of the day, if no one’s gonna go and accept the award, then no one goes. I think that they should send someone. Other bands have done it. So send a representative. Send Nicko, or send me, Blaze and Nicko and let us enjoy the day. There’s a way around it to keep the peace.
I can’t help being excited and over the moon that I’ve been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It’s something to tell the grandchildren. But if the band don’t want it, and they don’t wanna accept it, or they don’t want to turn up, that’s their decision and I have to respect that. And so it goes round in circles like Groundhog Day. But yes, I’ve not hid the fact that I am excited, and I would love to go. Whether I can or can’t is not my decision. But I would like to go. I think so would Blaze in the end. And if we can’t go, then thank you anyway for being inducted, and I do hope somewhere along the line I get something to show the grandchildren, to put up on the wall.
Dennis responded as follows when one of the Paulieflix interviewers asked whether he could simply attend the Rock Hall as a spectator because he was being inducted.
Well, I imagine so, but you wouldn’t go behind the band’s back or behind the management’s back and create even more friction. What I’d like to think would happen is that we may get a call or an e-mail or something from the Maiden office to say, ‘Look, this is the situation.’ And same as when we did the [Maiden documentary] film premiere [earlier in the month]. Dave Shack from the Maiden office phones me, he said, ‘Look, they want you to go to the premiere. Are you free?’ I went, ‘Yeah. Lovely. Thank you. I’m proud to be there on the red carpet. Lovely.’ But ’cause this is so important and it’s near the end of your career and you’re not gonna be playing much past the end of 75, 76 up to the age of 80. Who knows? But to go there and feel the atmosphere and the glitter and the hype, yeah, who wouldn’t wanna go? But I can’t just go… But it would be nice … If they’re not interested and they’re gonna be in Australia anyway, and Rod doesn’t wanna go, I can’t see the problem of why we can’t go. But as I say, again, I’m fed up repeating these words every year. It is the band’s decision. And I respect that. If no one goes, I have to accept that.
