Rush's RRHOF Acceptance Speech

[Ironbar]

OK, sorry for being a little slow on the uptake, but I finally got around to watching the show. Everything was great until Alex Lifeson's bit.

I absolutely love Rush. They're the band that got me interested in rock music. But am I the only one who thinks that Alex's five minutes of "blah, blah, blah" was an enormous middle finger to their fan base? I mean seriously? Maybe I'm in the minority, but I thought that was just incredibly low-class.

 

[QweziRider]

I perceived it as a middle finger to the RRHOF and not us fans. Thought it was friggin' hilarious.

 

[Lee Moses]

Would you mind giving a brief synopsis of what he said?

 

[SteveC]

I thought it maybe went a little long, but I felt it was a middle finger to the whole RRHOF and all it (mis)represents.

 

[Freez]

I perceived it as a middle finger to the RRHOF and not us fans. Thought it was friggin' hilarious.

+1...if you thought that was a middle finger to the fans, you really don't understand the whole behind the scenes story and monumental undertaking that was Rush's journey to the hall. Alex relates the story perfectly, and does it in a way that surely must have annoyed the powers that be over there. If anything it was FOR their fans benefit.

 

[monkeybass68]

Personally, I thought it was HYSTERICAL!!! IMO, he was really poking fun at the absurdity of the whole thing. For how long it took for them to be inducted & probably about how ridiculous a thing it is to have a Rock n Roll HOF to begin with.

 

[electracoyote]

Though I agree Rush's ride to eventual acceptance with critics and an ever-growing, multi-generational fanbase is just as unusual and unique as their music, and I understand the sentiment behind Lifeson's rhetorical device, in the final analysis, it was over the top, way too long, unappreciative, and plain old rude. Having been a fan since the first self-titled release, I like to think the guy is smart enough to deliver something more substantive and meaningful when he has the podium and such a large audience. Their music was never that shallow, strange that he would behave in such a shallow manner. It was so cliché rock and roll, which, unfortunately, isn't a good descriptor for Rush.

Or, if you're of the irreverent sort, it was hilarious and perfect.

Take your pick.

 

[maxiegrant]

The middle finger in this instance was the HOF, who have treated their little club as an enforcement of what I feel were a certain group's tastes, namely those of professional critics, rather than highlighting the actual contributions to the state of the art. A large crowd of today's musicians have been inspired by the guys in Rush.

I always said I felt like the HOF was Jann Wenner's personal mix list, and nothing more. I don't much care about it and will never visit the museum or whatever it is. There's more to music than the superficial cream off the top of popular culture.

 

[sotua]

I thought it maybe went a little long, but I felt it was a middle finger to the whole RRHOF and all it (mis)represents.

Yep, this. It should have been shorter, but Jann Wenner's head must have asploded when he saw it.

 

[Bassbubble11]

I perceived it as a middle finger to the RRHOF and not us fans. Thought it was friggin' hilarious.

Yup. That's how I see it too.

 

[electracoyote]

I mean seriously? Maybe I'm in the minority, but I thought that was just incredibly low-class.

+1

It's tantamount to lowering himself to the poor standards set by the RRHOF, when I was hoping one of my guitar heroes could take the high road and rise above it.

 

[tbz]

OK, sorry for being a little slow on the uptake, but I finally got around to watching the show. Everything was great until Alex Lifeson's bit.

I absolutely love Rush. They're the band that got me interested in rock music. But am I the only one who thinks that Alex's five minutes of "blah, blah, blah" was an enormous middle finger to their fan base? I mean seriously? Maybe I'm in the minority, but I thought that was just incredibly low-class.

That was a joke on the RRHOF; have you watched the Rush documentary, Beyond the Lighted Stage, from a few years ago?

Alex recreates, almost line for line, in his blah blah speech, an argument he at 17 had with his parents, which is on the Rush documentary. I caught the reference, and a few friends that had seen the documentary caught it as well. That's the sort of thing you add as a nod to fans, not a "f-you" to fans.

What about that would have lead you to believe it was intended to mess with the fans? It was just a tongue in cheek joke at the RRHOF expense.

 

[bassie12]

It was brilliant, can be understood no matter what language the listener understands, and reminds us not to take rock-n-roll or ourselves too seriously.

 

[David Jayne]

Yeah I have to say it was a bit much. It was funny for about 20 seconds. Geddy and Neil are visibly disturbed and embarrassed and toward the end are trying to leave the stage, hoisting their awards in a 'thanks, goodnight' gesture. Not very cool.

 

[jaxom]

I saw it and my take was that the other two looked to be getting annoyed about half way through it.

 

[David Jayne]

Also, what the **** is up with Neil's nose?

 

[tbz]

Also, what the **** is up with Neil's nose?

Frostbite, there were a bunch of forum posts that day about it. Folks were worried he had a drinking problem or something, but apparently he did bunch of skiing right before that show.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

Neil did the nice high brow speech, and Alex did the funny part.
Did you expect something else?
Like a serious speech from Alex? I think every Rush fan loved what he did. We all know Alex is the jokester and he hit it on the head.

 

[ddhm]

Personally, I applauded his part of the speech.

 

[OmNomNom]

In my opinion, if you think something like the RRHOF is ridiculous or their standards are absurd, by going and making a speech that is giving them the "middle finger".. you are still validating them, and it would be classier to avoid it entirely. That is, if that is the intention. If it was just supposed to be humorous, I am surprised that is the best he came up with. Just my opinion, of course.