Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The View From the Press Room
3/13/07 at 11:04 AM
R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe and Mike Mills do their turn in the press room.Photo: Getty Images
Flash, the Hall's first hip-hop inductee, snapped the monotony in person, too, when he used his moment in the press room to gleefully remind a room full of critics — the same brotherhood that he said had dismissed his beloved culture as "a passing ship in the night, a fad, a flash of brilliance" — how wrong they were. A clearly elated Patti Smith, on her visit, did a delightful job of putting overaggressive photogs in their place — "Cut the shit," she said, "I'm not a fucking movie star!" — while Keith Richards wondered aloud about the "marvels of science" that have extended his life, while his notorious swag-hound kids, Theodora and Alexandra, pillaged through the nearby Gift Lounge. Otherwise, the press room carried all the excitement of a restless fifth-period study hall; Kurt Loder looked even more bored than usual.
Of course, the induction ceremony is never particularly riveting for anyone. There's no suspense; no rock fan needs the 600 Hall of Fame voters to point out which acts are legendary. It's a self-congratulatory career postscript. "We were absolutely certain that this would happen," R.E.M.'s Mike Mills said last night. "That's why we started the band 25 years ago." —Amos Barshad
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