Trent Reznor Inducts The Cure | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2019 (Full Speech)

ladies and gentlemen from Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor [Applause] you know and turn rez here tonight we're here to give praise and respect to one of the most instantaneously recognizable and sonically unique rock bands of the 20th and 21st centuries they've changed the face of popular music indelibly during their 40-year history without ever having to compromise their sound or aesthetic tonight the Cure enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I grew up in a small town small town USA Mercer Pennsylvania to be precise where there was nothing to look at but cornfields it was a primitive time long before the miracle of the internet arrived to devalue our wonderful art form and even pre MTV with nothing to listen to on the radio nothing to do but dream of escape when I left home it was time for the big city in my case the big city of Cleveland and everything changed it was in mid-80s and just being able to tune into college radio made my head explode with limitless possibilities this was my baptism into the world of alternative and underground music the sounds had informed what managed males would eventually become and one of the most important aspects of being swept away by this tidal wave of new music was getting to hear the cure for the first time immediately this band struck a deep chord with me the first time I heard was a head on the door and I hadn't heard anything like it before you know a lot of darkness I felt in my head was coming back at me through the speakers and blew my mind it was like this music was written just for me you know I've struggled my whole life feeling like I don't fit in or belong anywhere kind of like right now and hearing this suddenly I felt connected and no longer quite so alone in the world that's one of the things I find so unique and special about the power the music but it wasn't just the sound the words of the presentation all of it was anchored by the most exquisite of instruments Robert Smith's voice that voice capable of such a range of emotion from an expression from rage sorrow and despair to beauty frailty and joy it might sound naive but until I heard the head on the door I just didn't realize it was possible to write about such difficult and profound ideas but do it in the context of accessible songs that might even get played on the radio challenging norms from the inside another huge inspiration for me anyway I understand to that record non-stop until I wore the grooves clean off the vinyl and then I worked my way backwards there was a rich and important back catalogue waiting for me the group that would be going to become the Cure formed in 1976 and the suburban English backwater of Crawley a small town that all the members also dreamt of escaping from they were for imaginary boys Robert Smith moto Hirst Michael Dempsey and pearl Thompson who were energized both by the explosion of punk that was happening miles up the road in London and by the heavy psychedelic rock from America which they'd grown up loving after a few lineup changes in the creation of some timeless post punk and new wave the band entered 1980 is one of the groups who had come to define the music the attitude the look of the decade to come singer guitarist and songwriter Robert Smith bassist simon gallup drummer kamal tourers presided over a trio of classic albums 17 seconds faith and pornography but had helped to become one as gothic or alternative rock just as everyone else is getting to ready to jump on the new sound in which the cure helped usher into the world they were already ready moving to pastures new Robert Smith was keen to show the world he could do so much more than monochromatic doom and went on to write and record a series of songs that became huge hits right across the globe and are rightly still seen as classics today the love cats in between days just like heaven lullaby love song close to me Friday I'm in love 13 albums they've recorded over their 40-year career stand as a testament to their undiminished power and an artistic imagination too despite making challenging music that deals with the biggest themes their impact has been gigantic they've sold the best part of who gives a how many million records and have been an essential touchstone and the genres of post-punk New Wave goth alternative shoegaze and post rock you can hear their clear influence on countless bands today including my own The Cure have been in and out of fashion so many times in the last four decades that they have ended up transcending fashion itself well they might be equated hip name to drop in 2019 this wasn't always the case their dedication to pushing sonic and artistic boundaries while making music for the ages wasn't always rewarded with glowing reviews in the press but they never failed to attract a passionate intelligent and loyal fanbase who've always known the truth the cure are one of the most unique most brilliant most heartbreakingly excellent rock bands the world has ever been lucky enough to enjoy and no one needs question oil did cure fans before you even hear them speak as soon as you see the hair and makeup you know how they feel about their idols and I feel the same way too quite understandably most musicians can tend to differ from their carefully cultivated personas to one degree or another but as far as I can tell Robert Smith is that rarest of things a 100% authentically Robert Smith kind of person who lives a 100% authentically Robert Smith kind of life and he's used this singular vision to create that rarest of things a completely self-contained world with its own sound its own look its own vibe its own aesthetic its own rules which us the fans get to a visit and immerse ourselves in whenever we like the custom world made for anyone who's ever dreamed of escape if that isn't the life's work of a true artist I'm not sure what is I should make a full disclosure at this point I think it's only right for me to admit that in the past I've been let's say ambivalent about the existence of certain award ceremonies and I've perhaps been in the habit of questioning their motivation with a certain degree of cynicism in fact I remember distinctly saying to myself amongst other things how can I even take this award ceremony seriously if they'll open their doors to X Y & Z but they won't even acknowledge the cure and then not so long ago I got a phone call I wasn't expecting and well here we are but let's just say I've never been as happy to eat my words as I was on that day tonight it is my absolute pleasure to invite to the stage robert smith and his band of merry man Micah Dempsey Royal tourist pearl Thompson simon gallup Boris Williams Roger O'Donnell Perryville Montaigne Jason Cooper who reads the bill please welcome to cure to the rock and roll horrified

Channel: Nine Inch Nails

Views: 1,387,103

Keywords: trent reznor, trent reznor the cure, trent reznor rock and roll hall of fame, trent reznor speech, rock and roll hall of fame, trent reznor unedited speech, trent reznor the cure rock and roll hall of fame, nine inch nails

Id: ptZhqvlbdp8

Length: 9min 49sec (589 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 28 2019