This Saturday brings the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee concert to Los Angeles.
But the show has lost two of its main honorees. Both Oasis and Sade — who is a singer but calls itself a band — are not coming.
Add that to the induction of the late Luther Vandross, and the show is on its brand of GLP-1.
Still coming are Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Oasis, Joy Division/New Order, and Wu Tang Clan.
It’s an eclectic group, to be sure.
The Rock Hall made a lot of enemies in the bad old days under Jann Wenner. So much so that last year Chubby Checker also refused to be part of the festivities after years of being overlooked.
Sade has not given a reason for her/their/its absence. Oasis is just curmudgeonly and contentious, so they’re not a surprise.
What is happening is that actual “rock” acts are not in thrall of the Rock Hall like they used to be.
Meantime, many performers who have been passed over and are still not in — like Peter Wolf and J Geils Band, who date back to the early 70s — many not care anymore. Sting has been a solo performer for 40 years. New wave geniuses Squeeze and XTC have been ignored. How long should artists have to wait?
In many cases it’s not just acts or their members who’ve died off, but their fans who cared, as well. Pure snobbery has kept out the Monkees, for example, and The Guess Who, The Marvelettes, the late Mary Wells, and so on. The Hall is especially lacking in R&B pioneers like Stax’s Rufus (deceased) and Carla Thomas. I think if they called Tommy James and the Shondells at this point they’d laugh and hang up the phone.
