Steve Miller Tears Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame After Induction

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Though gracious in accepting his 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Steve Miller wasn’t so kind backstage afterward. He offered withering criticism of the entire exercise, zeroing in on the way organizers dealt with honorees.

“The whole process needs to be changed from the top to the bottom,” Miller told reporters in the press room of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. “They need to get their legal work straight. They need to respect the artists they say they’re honoring, but they don’t.”

Specifically, Miller said he didn’t prearrange for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to use his music or footage for the ceremony – and, in fact, still didn’t have a signed agreement. He also said organizers provided tickets for only him and his wife. They informed Miller that his fellow band members would have to pay their own way, with passes running as much as $10,000 a piece, he said.

At that point, a publicist for the induction ceremony attempted to cut Miller off – but he pressed on. “We’re not gonna wrap this one up,” Miller said, insisting the publicist sit down so that he could continue. “This is how close this show came to not happening, because of the way the artists are being treated right now.”

Miller’s stern commentary followed a hits-packed Hall of Fame set that began with “Fly Like An Eagle,” then continued through “Jet Airliner” before concluding with “The Joker.” He was inducted by the Black Keys.


Read More: Steve Miller Tears Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame After Induction | Steve Miller Tears Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame After Induction
 

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Steve Miller Stretches Out During Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Performance

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Right after an acceptance speech during which he traced the nooks and crannies of his musical history, Steve Miller jumped on stage with his band to perform some of his best-known hits.

Appropriately, the set began with “Fly Like An Eagle,” with Miller square in the stage spotlight effortlessly coaxing out fluid bluesy riffs from his guitar, as understated as ever.

After a faithful run-through of the song’s early part, Miller and his band stretched out and started to improvise. This detour showed off the chemistry and musicianship of each band member. Keyboardist Joseph Wooten was as much a star as Miller, as he enhanced the song with space-age trills, as well as soulful keyboards and backing vocals. At stage right, bassist Kenny Lee Lewis as well was enveloped into the song’s groove, steered by Miller’s long-time drummer, Gordy Knudtson.

As the song progressed, Miller put his vocal stamp on the sprawling tune, whispering, “tick-tock-tick,” and then slipping some lyrics from Steve Miller Band’s “I Want To Make The World Turn Around” for good measure.

The set picked up in tempo and energy with the next song, “Jet Airliner,” which found Miller and the band working through the song like the seasoned pros they are. This song also showed off the group’s chemistry: Miller and band sang the “Keep on rocking me, baby!” line a cappella with precision, which let the crowd sing and clap along.

Miller strapped on a bedazzled blue guitar before the set-ending “The Joker,” the perfect platform as he played some slide-guitar effects during the inimitable “some people call me Maurice” line.

Tonight, he and the band played up the breezy, stoner-blues vibe of the tune, slowing down the tempo and underscoring the influence Miller’s had on decades of rock bands.


Read More: Steve Miller Stretches Out During Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Performance | Steve Miller Stretches Out During Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Performance
 

recgord27

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Good on you Steve. Rock 'n roll is about sticking it to the Man. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has become the Man, a bunch of fat-cat, self-important a-holes. It's all so pointless. I f'ing hate what they have become
 

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and he's still going....

Steve Miller isn’t through discussing his issues with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the period following his post-induction comments targeting the invite and licensing processes, he’s continued to expand upon his thoughts.

“The whole experience should be completely redesigned and become much more artist-friendly,” he tells Rolling Stone in a new interview. “Starting from who you can invite, what you can do, how long you can play, what you can say. The whole thing is sort of an amateur production and doing this is harder than doing a 20-city tour.”

Miller would also like to see the Hall of Fame become far more inclusive, saying “they got elitist with it,” in an interview with Cleveland.com. “I don’t think they were very smart in the way they … narrowed the gene pool,” he pointed out. “Should the Moody Blues be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? That’s absurd. Of course they should be. Should [former bandmate] Boz [Scaggs]? Of course he should. Look at the depth and broadness of it all, and this is what I mean about elitism. If there were 3,000 people in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the musical education would be so much better than this little elite thing.”

The inclusiveness he’s arguing for includes rap artists like N.W.A, who faced criticism from Gene Simmons when they were inducted this year along with Miller. “Hip-hop belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” Miller told Cleveland.com. “It’s one of the most radical, revolutionary and reactionary music there is. What do you think the ’60s were?”

When it’s all said and done, Miller came away with a decidedly bad taste in his mouth. “This whole industry f—ing sucks, and this little get-together you guys have here is like a private boys’ club,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s a bunch of jackasses and jerks and f–ing gangsters and crooks who’ve f–ing stolen everything from a f–ing artist. Telling the artist to come out here and tap dance.”

So what drove him to attend the ceremony anyway? “I came out here for my fans,” Miller said. “I came out for the people who take it seriously.”


Read More: Steve Miller Calls Rock Hall a Bunch of 'F---ing Gangsters and Crooks' | Steve Miller Calls Rock Hall a Bunch of 'F---ing Gangsters and Crooks'
 

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Songwriter Steve Miller says he'd rather have been inducted by Elton John than The Black Keys


Steve Miller says he has not yet signed the release contract granting the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame rights for HBO to broadcast his portion of the 2016 induction ceremony.


Miller says he and his lawyer are still discussing whether to grant permission to Rock Hall organisers due to the "murky" and "ridiculous" paperwork.

He tells the San Diego Tribune: "I spent part of today talking to my lawyer, and we’re still negotiating. We’re demanding they clean up their paperwork – their paperwork is just ridiculous.

"When they tell you that you’ve been nominated, they don’t give you any information. It’s: ‘We’ll let you know how you do.’ They are a day late and a dollar short.

"They’re talking about having you sign releases and them controlling other people’s art; it’s as bad as any contract I’ve seen in 50 years. I’ve spent 3 months with them negotiating to clean it up and share it with everybody else inducted this year.

"They pitted everybody against everybody else, and it’s all unnecessary. God, I could straighten it all out in a day.

"Everything in the contract is hard to understand and murky, and the Rock Hall have all theses rights and the artists don’t have any, and you have to indemnify them. I don’t do contracts like that, whether it’s with the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the Kennedy Center, or anyone else."

The Black Keys made headlines last week after saying they "regret" inducting Miller after his Rock Hall rant and his behaviour towards them at the event. Miller says they were "nice guys", but that artists should have input into who would introduce them onstage.

He says: "I was going to ask Elton John. He knows me and has probably knows my music better than most people. But they said: 'We’ll pick who inducts you, and it will be a surprise. Oh, and here are all these things you have to sign off on for licensing.' I was like, ‘What are you talking about? You guys need to calm down.'

"I think you should have a say in who’s going to induct you. The guys who inducted me are nice guys, but they didn’t know a thing about me."

Miller will kick off his 37-date US tour next month.
 

Johnny-Too-Good

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2016 inductee had suggested he wouldn't grant permission for footage to be used on April 30 broadcast

Steve Miller's performance at this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony will be aired on TV despite his earlier comments that he may withhold permission.

Miller was was inducted into the Rock Hall alongside Deep Purple, N.W.A, Chicago and Cheap Trick earlier this month. And he used his acceptance speech to launch a tirade against the Rock Hall and the music industry in general.

He was inducted by The Black Keys, who later said they regretted being involved in the "uncomfortable" spectacle and that Miller had made no effort to figure out who they were.

Miller then said he'd rather have been inducted by Elton John and slammed the "ridiculous paperwork" he would have to fill out to grant permission for his performance to be broadcast on HBO.

But HBO have since released their schedule for the April 30 broadcast, with Miller said to be performing Rock’n Me and The Joker.
 

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