The date: November 11, 2015. The place: The Roundhouse, London. The event: The 11th Classic Rock Roll Of Honour, starring Queen, Jimmy Page, Bruce Dickinson, Lemmy, Noddy Holder, a poet, several drunken revellers and a Canadian wrestler. Step this way for the Greatest Show On Earth…
It all happens in something of a blur. A deep breath. A few steps up on to a stage that will shortly be graced by true rock’n’roll royalty, I say a few words of welcome and the 11th annual Classic Rock Roll Of Honour is officially underway – MC-ed by Fozzy frontman/WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.
There’s a grand piano front and centre, and it’s currently unoccupied. TeamRock Executive Director Alexander Milas heads to the stage. No, he’s not going to play, rather he says this: “In 2016 the Classic Rock Awards will be Live From Tokyo.”
Yep, last year Hollywood, this year London, next year Tokyo… Classic Rock truly is a global concern. And, fittingly, there’s a bona fide global superstar in the room to launch it: Yoshiki Hayashi, frontman with multimillion-selling Japanese band X-Japan. With a string quartet in support, Yoshiki plays an intimate piano performance of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and his own band’s Without You. Dom arigato, Yoshiki, we’ll see you next year!
