WORD AND IMAGES: DANIEL GRAY | Hall of Fames are an interesting proposition. Who deserves to be in? Who’s getting left out? Who’s making the decisions? It’s even trickier in music. There are so many genres and so many fan favorites. So, perhaps righting certain wrongs and bringing legends and players back into the spotlight is where the Metal Hall of Fame comes in.
The 2026 award show was fittingly on the Sunset Strip, where many of the evening’s performers and inductees left their mark. The celebrity-filled red carpet was at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, and the induction and performances were held at The Roxy Theatre. Overall, it was a fantastic spectacle highlighted by newly minted inductees Rikki Rocket, Tracii Guns, Chris Holmes, Warren DeMartini, and Gilby Clarke.
The evening got into full swing with two already inducted members of the Metal Hall of Fame, guitarist Chris Impellitteri and vocalist Graham Bonnett. They opened with the classic, “Since You’ve Been Gone,” and then did the title track from the Impellitteri album Stand In Line. The hosts, Eddie Trunk and Cathy Rankin, came out to salute metal, the inductees, and get the evening going. Guitarist Impellitteri returned, only this time with vocalist Dino Jelusick, bassist Jeff Pilson (who had to sit on a stool due to a torn meniscus, still very metal), keyboardist Ed Roth, and drummer Ken Mary for a “Crazy Train” tribute to Ozzy. The next performance was a Whitesnake tribute with superstar Doug Aldrich on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass, and Jelusick and Mary staying on.
The first induction of the night was Rikki Rocket. Rocket was actually listed as part of the 2025 ceremony, but couldn’t make it due to the fires in his area last year. His performance featured Britt Lightning on guitar for Poison’s “Look What the Cat Dragged In” and “Talk Dirty to Me.”
As a break from inductions and a salute to the first number one Metal album in history, guitarist Carlos Cavazo came out to perform “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” with Jelusick, Pilson, Jimmy D’Anda on drums, and his bassist brother Tony, who co-wrote “Metal Health.” More Quiet Riot music continued with “C’mon Feel the Noize” featuring Marq Torien on lead vocals.
The night’s third inductee was Tracii Guns, who gave a blistering performance of “Never Enough,” with Taime Downe on vocals and Johnny Martin on bass. A triple-shot of Gilby Clarke followed with “Kill Me or Cure Me,” “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” and “Tijuana Jail.” More than one person mentioned that “Gilby Clarke is rock and roll,” and his slide guitar work bore that out.
Up next: Warren DeMartini. Like all of the inductees, Warren looked genuinely touched by the tribute and honored to be entering the Hall. Steven Pearcy, Carlos Cavazo, Blais Elias, and Matt Thorne joined him as they tore through “Back for More,” “Lay It Down,” “You’re In Love,” and of course, “Round and Round.” DeMartini made sure to reach out to many in the audience as he was leaving the stage, once again indicating that the evening meant something special to him.
The final inductee was guitarist Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. fame. Holmes spoke about his influences, like Eddie Van Halen. Holmes was energy personified. He was everywhere on the stage with “Wild Child,” “Animal,” and a tribute to Ace Freely with “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Finally, the performances and inductions were over. Audience members and performers wandered the Sunset Strip for get-togethers and after parties. The Metal Hall of Fame did its job. A salute to the music. A salute to the people who made the music and brought joy and great memories to all who listened. And if the general music world doesn’t know just how good these people are, maybe, just maybe, now they will.
