Thom Yorke, correctly, does not give a shit about Radiohead's Rock Hall induction
Aux Features Music
Is there any awards-granting institution in the American pop culture landscape whose honorees are more likely to offer up a shrugging “Eh, whatever,” than the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? Although it’s played host to the occasional fun or incendiary moment over the years, the Hall’s annual induction ceremony is just as likely to earn a hearty (and, frankly, earned) “Who gives a fuck?” from the people it’s meant to honor, leaving behind folks like Gene Simmons to start the same old arguments about whether, say, rap music should be allowed inside its fuzzily conceived, largely self-promoting walls, a blathering litany that will presumably echo from now into forever.
We can now add Thom Yorke to the list of artists largely unmoved by their induction into the organization; per a recent Variety interview, the Radiohead frontman has noted that he won’t be attending the band’s big entrance ceremony this year, because a) he’s already booked, and b) honestly, what would be the point? Yorke went so far as to suggest that he and his bandmates were just too British to get what all the hype here is actually about:
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame… we’ve always been very blasé about that stuff. So we don’t want to offend anyone. We just think that we just don’t quite understand it. We’ve had it explained to us, so it’s cool. But we don’t really understand it as English people. I think our problem is essentially that every awards ceremony in the UK stinks. We grew up with the Brits, which is like this sort of drunken car crash that you don’t want to get involved with. [Chuckles.] So, yeah, we don’t really know what to make of it.
Not that Yorke is entirely awards-agnostic; he’s actually quite pleased to be on the “Best Song” shortlist for this year’s Oscars, where his soundtrack for Suspiria will get some welcome attention before being almost inevitably destroyed by “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. “I hope it gets nominated,” Yorke noted cheerfully, as part of a larger discussion about his first scoring gig, attached to Luca Guadagnino’s divisive horror remake. “That would be great, because it was a year and a half in my life, and I worked bloody hard on it. So, you know, sometimes it’s nice to be recognized. Sometimes, if you understand what it means.” Hint, hint, Cleveland.
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the Hall’s annual induction ceremony is just as likely to earn a hearty (and, frankly, earned) “Who gives a fuck?”Says the guy who keeps writing about it…
I want Thom Yorke to win an Oscar before Johnny Greenwood so he can rub it in his face lol
I’ll be inducted into the Rock and/or Roll Hall of Fame. I’m a Keith Moon-type drummer, only without any of the ability. Or a band. Thank you. It’s been an honor.[FARTS]
With that kind of finish, you’re a shoe-in.Madonna got in same way…
If your influences include Animal then I’m pretty sure they have to let you in. It’s an Ohio law or something.
I’m a real Richard Benson-style guitarist. Where’s my trophy.
Yes, but do you have the same hairdo?
Sure do $19.99 at Party City.
That poor Ibanez
Went to the museum part of it in Cleveland once. It was pretty fun, if very Blues/Boomer oriented. But it seems like the primary purpose of it at this point is to remind me that the bands of my youth are now in their Voodoo Lounge phase.
to be fair, it’s the R&R Hall of Fame, all of which is founded on blues and the boomers, so it kind of has to be.
I’m sure Cleveland is as good as any of the other 10,000 mid-size American cities that vaguely resemble it but locating it there is tip-off number one that your Rock and Rock Hall of Fame is supremely uncool.
Yeah, the Rock and Roll hall of fame is not great. I grudgingly admired the original “Wall” from Pink Floyd’s Wall tour that was up when I went there, but otherwise it was kind of a snoozer.Don’t blame Cleveland, though. Cleveland kicks ass.
Isn’t that wall just some painted cardboard boxes?
Well, yeah, but it’s humongous! And, like, historical and whatnot. They also had the giant inflatables of the cartoon characters from that tour.Hey, I’m trying to say something nice about that boring-ass museum!
Maybe if it’s a veiled Spinal Tap reference?
“Supremely uncool”…what a snob! What would be a “supremely cool” location for you? Would it be Memphis? Where rock n’ roll was actually born? (which would make sense) Or a big market metropolis that has little rock n’ roll history relevance, (insert city name)? At least Cleveland played a role in the history of rock (ie. first radio broadcasts, black artists being featured to wider audiences, etc). Try to appreciate it as an American artform, which has it’s own unique path through time and impact on culture. Based on what you’re saying, centers of cultural appreciation should only be taken seriously if they’re in well-traveled areas like NYC, LA, etc. etc. That sounds provincial and under-informed. Kinda “uncool”, actually. This is why AVClub is lame…too many slick comments and not enough thought.
And soon enough, a group of bands will be in their By The Way phase. Actually, do any rock bands have long careers now? Is Jay-Z releasing his Voodoo Lounge soon?
Jay-Z is in the Dirty Work/Steel Wheels portion of his career.
I’m releasing something right now:[FARTS]
Thom: What’s this Rock Roll Hall thing, eh?Thom’s manager maybe: People in America really like Radiohead and want to give you guys a special award.Thom: Why?Thom’s manager: I don’t know. American’s are into all sorts of awful things. Just try not to offend them, k?
It would be a lot cooler if Yorke not only agreed to attend, but participated in all publicity events sporting trimmed hair, a soul patch, porkpie and dark glasses. He could also jam with all the inductees and coerce Jann into adding him to the nominating board where he could make sure Bush is on next year’s shot list. Grumpy artistic integrity is so passe.
The R&RHoF is bullshit.
There is nearly nothing else that Radiohead and Steve Miller Band have in common.
Incorrect. People often call Jonny Greenwood Maurice. It’s an English thing. You wouldn’t get it.
Glad to hear that. I’m always confused to hear about iconic musicians giving their respect and time to the R&R Hall of Fame. It’s a joke. Greenday’s an automatic inductee, while bands like The Cure struggled to get in and Depeche Mode isn’t even in it. Hell, Blink 182 might get in before DM ever does.
Counterpoint: It’s fun watching the concert. You don’t have to act like it’s the biggest honor of your life, but why not show up and jam with some other inductees to entertain your fans?
Hey, man, I’m not some circus monkey that acts on command. I’m one of those face-eating monkeys that people insist on keeping as pets. But I do dress as an old-fashion bellhop.
It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if Thom Yorke’s next solo album was made exclusively with a barrel organ.
I’d be into that.
Your fans aren’t invited to the ceremony. It’s for the rich and famous and for industry bigwigs.
I want a band that’s getting inducted to skip the whole thing and play a show at a bar down the street for free.
I’m sure there are plenty of industry bigwigs in the crowd at the induction, but there are seats sold to the public as well. And I was mostly referring to the video broadcast of the ceremony/show. Radiohead could, in fact, play a show at a bar down the street and potentially bring up some other Rock stars to jam with them, but only those who were lucky enough to be there in person would likely ever get to see it.
See, that would the definition of rock n’ roll. I wish someone would do that. It makes me wonder what Kurt Cobain would’ve done if he were still around. I feel like he’d pull some kind of FU stunt about this self-congratulating gala.
I’m fine with that. I do enjoy the HOF jams a lot. Just the label “Hall of Fame” and how it’s treated as a career defining honor — by everyone — in the scale of, well, a hall of fame bugs me.
The Sex Pistols told the RRHoF to go fuck themselves, so should everybody.
the most interesting thing to come out of the R&R Hall of Fame was that awkward as hell Talking Heads reunion performance where nobody seemed to be having a good time