Bad Brains

Ian MacKaye comments on Bad Brains’ Hall of Fame nomination (H.R. too)

This year’s round of Rock and Rock Hall of Fame nominations were announced this week, and, surprisingly enough, DC hardcore legends Bad Brains were nominated. Singer H.R. told Billboard that he was happy about it, “That was a surprise to me! I never thought people cared enough to make us a Hall of Fame nominee…So, thanks a lot! I’m very honored for this privilege to be on the nominee list.” Meanwhile fellow DC lifer and noted Bad Brains fan Ian MacKaye was quick to weigh in, in typically skeptical fashion, to WTOP. “I don’t know who the nominators are, and frankly don’t care, but the person who put Bad Brains name in the hat is either visionary, or they’re savvy and trying to bring some legitimacy to their brand.” “If the members of the Bad Brains, if this is something they want, I’m happy for them,” he adds. Ian also noted, “If they’re actually selected, it would be pretty startling.”

(UPDATE: See H.R from Bad Brains live in NYC at the end of the year)

Meanwhile, here are some other reactions by artists nominated this year:

The MC5‘s Wayne Kramer said, “The band never achieved great commercial success and wealth…. I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I guess I’ll have to leave it up to the people, all my musicians, all my brothers and sisters that work in the amusement industry to recognize the significance of the MC5.”

ELO‘s Jeff Lynne is “very proud to see my ELO music getting this great recognition.”

Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction said, “Of course it’s very much an honor and we’d love to be in the Hall, but we don’t want to jinx it. We’re a three-time Grammy-nominated band that has never won the Grammy, and here we are now with another nomination. It’s hard to pull the trigger of excitement just yet, but we’re secretly psyched to be nominated.”

Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese, who played on Vs. and Vitalogy, was not on the band’s Rock Hall ballot and he posted on Facebook, “The members of Pearl jam have got to know what’s the right thing to do. They can’t justify ignoring my contributions. Like me or not.”

Nile Rodgers, who has been nominated for Chic no more than 11 times, has a mutual appreciation society going on with fellow nominee Chaka Khan.