Cleveland Calling: Hall Inducts Clash

Just call it the third British invasion.

A bunch of Englishmen were in New York on Monday night as the Clash, the Police and Elvis Costello and the Attractions--three acts that helped usher in the late '70s punk/new wave movement otherwise known as the second British invasion--led the latest batch of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"It's a very good night to be British," Elton John, a 1994 inductee, quipped upon introducing Elvis Costello and the Attractions. "Three of the greatest bands in the last 30 years to come out of Britain are being honored tonight."

Joining the troika of Brit rockers in the Cleveland-based shrine were Australian headbangers AC/DC and blue-eyed soulsters the Righteous Brothers.

Surviving members of the Clash showed up to be feted, but did not perform in honor of the group's frontman, Joe Strummer, who died in December at the age of 50 after suffering a heart attack.

Strummer, along with songwriting partner Mick Jones, penned some of the seminal punk outfit's most rebellious anthems, including "London Calling" and "White Riot," infusing them with a sense of lefty politics and social consciousness that brought passion and protest back to rock 'n' roll and inspired generations of musicians.

"They were the most influential band in our lives," said former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, now with Audioslave. "They really changed me personally and politically.

"At the center of the Clash hurricane stood Joe Strummer. When he played, he played like the world could be changed by a 3-minute song. He always stood up for the underdog. He played with such conviction that he gave us courage."

While thumbing their noses at the establishment, Strummer and mates also fought among themselves, resulting in some short-lived of personnel changes before the group eventually disbanded in 1986. (The inducted lineup included Strummer, Jones, bassist Paul Simonon and drummers Tory Crimes and Nicky "Topper" Headon.)

"If they had been around 10 years earlier, they would have given the Beatles, the Kinks and the Stones a run for their money," said U2 guitarist the Edge. "If they had arrived 10 years later, they might have resolved their internal conflicts and stayed the course."

In typical style, Jones poked fun at the Clash being honored by the music establishment, saying the band had been "abducted" into the Hall of Fame.

While the Clash remained sidelined during the ceremony, one notable reunion did occur at this year's gala. The original Police lineup of frontman-bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland (the token American in the group) took the stage for the first time since 1986 and performed a trio of their greatest hits: "Roxanne," "Every Breath You Take" and "Message in a Bottle."

"I'd like to make it very clear that there is absolutely no ego in our band whatsoever," Summers joked to the audience, a reference to the well known squabbling that fueled the band's break up in the mid-'80s.

But here's what you really get when you put two bandmates together who really don't care to see each other. Elvis Costello showed a bit of his angry youth when he fired off a lewd gesture to ex-Attractions bass player Bruce Thomas after Thomas accepted his trophy, said, "Thanks for the memories, that's it," walked off the stage and left the room.

Elvis stayed in the building however and performed his pop anthem "Pump it Up" with the other two Attractions, followed by a medley that included "Deep, Dark Truthful Mirror," a cover of Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding."

That last song also set the tone for the night's antiwar sentiment, expressed by several musicians who, unlike last month's Grammy winners, had no bones about speaking out against the impending U.S. invasion of Iraq.

"When people take to the streets to stop the war, the spirit of the Clash is there," said Morello.

Per tradition, the 18th annual dinner party, held at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, featured the usual gushing tributes from other musicians, like Billy Joel, who offered up oh so lovin' feelings for Righteous Brothers duo Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley.

"Sometimes people with blue eyes transcended the limitations of what their color and culture can actually be," said Joel. "Sometimes white people can actually be soulful. This was a life-changing idea. It changed my life."

Aging rebel Neil Young (on hand to present Warner Bros. record executive Mo Ostin a lifetime award), meanwhile, flashed his usual sardonic wit.

"We're having a good time tonight, but we're going to kill a lot of people next week. Let's not forget about that," said the Canadian rocker. "We're making a huge mistake."

Late Show sidekick Paul Schaffer inducted three late session musicians into the class of 2003 as sidemen: drummer Benny Benjamin, who played with Motown's Funk Brothers, Nashville piano whiz Floyd Cramer and rock saxophonist Steve Douglas.

Of course, what would an evening with Rock Hall inductees be without some rousing performances to get bring those filet mignon-eating attendees to their feet.

To that end, AC/DC performed roof-rousing versions of "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long," the latter featuring the vocal stylings (shriekings?) of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. However, the traditional all-star jam session never materialized.

An edited version of the ceremony will air Saturday on VH1.