IRON MAIDEN Bassist Isn't Losing Sleep Over ROCK HALL Induction; Thinks Band 'Could Carry On For A While Yet'

Steve Harris says that he isn't concerned about whether IRON MAIDEN will eventually be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal groups like MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that band's first year of eligibility.

Asked in a brand new interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" whether it irritates him or makes him laugh that MAIDEN has yet to be inducted into the Rock Hall, the bassist responded (hear audio below): "No, it doesn't irritate me or make me laugh. I don't really think about it, to be honest. It's not something I really — and I don't wanna sound blasé about it — it's just I don't really think about it.

"I think awards are things that are nice to have when you get them, but it's not something you're really striving for — it's not what it's about it," he continued. "It's never been about that. It's aways been about just trying to make good music and go out and play good live shows, and that's it, really. Hopefully people will appreciate it. It's probably nice when people give you awards — don't get me wrong; I think it's great — but it's not something that you would lose sleep over if you didn't get any.

"It's the way that I am," Harris added. "I don't know. Maybe the rest of the guys [in the band] might think differently to me, but that's the way I think. It's not that I don't care about [awards]. It's just… And it's not that they're not meaningful when you do get 'em — it's nice. But I certainly don't worry about it or anything like that. I think other people are the ones that make a bigger deal out of it than us, about whether we got one or not."

Harris, who turned 62 in March, also talked about the prospect of MAIDEN one day retiring, putting an end to a career that began when he formed the band in 1975. "I try not to think too much about it, because it's not really [chuckles] a nice thing to be thinking about the end of the career," he said. "I mean, obviously, we're at the ass end of the career rather than the beginning of it, so it is what it is. But we certainly think we could carry on for a while yet, but you just never know. I think you've just gotta take it as it comes, especially when you get to our age, I suppose. You never know what's around the corner, especially after what happened with Bruce and everything," referring to singer Bruce Dickinson's 2014 cancer diagnosis. "So you've just gotta enjoy the gigs and enjoy life and be out there and just have fun, which is exactly what we're doing — we're enjoying it, probably more than ever, I think. But how long we're gonna go on for, I don't know. People have been asking us that from 20 years or more ago. We're still doing it, and we'll still do it while we can still do it. And we're still enjoying it, and we'll carry on as long as we can. But who knows how long that's gonna be? Something else might decide something for us; you just don't know. But, again, I don't like to think about things too much, because we're enjoying ourselves at the moment, and you don't really sort of wanna be thinking like that, really."

Earlier this month, Dickinson said that MAIDEN "absolutely" should be inducted into the Rock Hall, but went on to slam the institution, calling it "an utter and complete load of bollocks." He added: "It's run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock and roll if it hit them in the face. They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking fucking beer."

Having been eligible for induction since 2005, IRON MAIDEN is one of the biggest bands on the planet. Since the release of their self-titled debut album, the British heavy metal legends have released a further 15 full-length studio records, and sold over 100 million copies.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.