Former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton recently addressed the band’s upcoming Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction and their new documentary, “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition“.
Speaking on the “Rock Talk” podcast with Serbian journalist Jadranka Janković Nešić, Stratton detailed his thoughts on the band’s official stance regarding the induction ceremony and his feelings on the documentary’s focus.
Stratton played with Iron Maiden from December 1979 to October 1980, performing on their No. 4-charting self-titled debut album, Iron Maiden. He is being inducted alongside current members Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers, as well as former members Paul Di’Anno, Blaze Bayley, Nicko McBrain, and Clive Burr.
Manager Rod Smallwood previously confirmed the band will not attend the induction ceremony this fall due to touring commitments in Australia. Additionally, Dickinson publicly criticized the Rock Hall in 2018, calling it “an utter and complete load of bollocks.”
When asked about his personal reaction to the induction, Stratton expressed his excitement while acknowledging the band’s position.
“Well, absolutely, absolutely over the moon, to be honest. I remember back many years ago — I think it was 2020 — that we were in lockdown and I spoke to Steve. Steve was stuck at home as usual, and we were stuck at home, and we were discussing it then,” he replied (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Referencing Dickinson‘s past comments, he stated:
“Yes, I have to respect what Bruce said, and Bruce‘s statement, the band are behind him, and I suppose the management are. So, still being part of that lineup for the induction, then I have to go along with it. I have to respect their decision [about whether or not to appear in person to accept the award]. And it got a little bit silly because every year we were nominated, there was this sort of silence and standoff between whatever politics are involved. And basically, I just give up, because, basically, it’s nothing to do with me. I’m not in the band, but I’m still involved with the lineup [that is being inducted], as you know. And this year, when we were nominated again, and I thought, ‘Oh, here we go again,’ and it’s great to be nominated again, but we’re not gonna have it. We’re not gonna accept it. And then when I saw Rod — I think it was Rod Smallwood‘s press release on social media saying that we were actually inducted by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, it looks like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame decided that, ‘Okay, we’re gonna induct them anyway. And if they don’t want it, there’s not a lot we can do.’ But for me, still being included in the induction was absolutely fantastic.”
Stratton also shared his hope that he might still receive a physical award for his time in the band:
“I’ve said it before, after all the 50 years, or how many years it’s been, of hard work of struggling playing and the hard work and the long miles and the no sleep and everything else, we’ve all been through it. And to get the icing on the cake at the end of your career, it’s got to be absolutely fantastic. And that’s how I feel. But, again, I have to say that the decision lies with the band and with the management, and whatever decision they make, I will respect that. It’d be absolutely fantastic for me, Nicko and Blaze to accept the award on their behalf, but I don’t know whether or not that will happen. I don’t know whether or not someone else will accept the award, like Rod. It’s out of our hands, really. It’s not our decision. But I’m so glad for the fans. I know the fans don’t really care — with the the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, a lot of them don’t — but I’m glad for the fans, the fact that we’re now inducted and the argument, hopefully, will now be put to bed and everyone can move on. I don’t know who’s gonna accept it, but I can’t help being excited, the fact that I’d like to accept the award and hopefully get something that I can put indoors in home and show the grandchildren. Let’s hope. I know Nicko likes a party, as [Def Leppard‘s] Joe Elliott said on Planet Rock. But I don’t know. Let’s wait and see. They may have a change of heart. They may say, ‘Send them over. We don’t care, but send them over and get it.’ But I will wait and see. If not, if Rod does go and get it, I hope he remembers me and I get something like a little trophy or a little plaque just to put on the wall at home. And for me, that’s the mark of probably the end of my career, that I’ve finally been inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.”
Stratton also discussed “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition“, a new documentary directed by Malcolm Venville and produced by Dominic Freeman, which debuted in theaters on May 7, 2026. Stratton attended the world premiere in London on May 5, followed by a second viewing in Belgrade.
He described his reaction to the London premiere:
“In Leicester Square, I felt a little bit let down. I imagine it mostly is because the main guys [from the band] were there, the guys I played with. Well, not Adrian and Blaze, but the guys were there. And so you do take a bit of a back step from everyone. I still met a lot of people, still went on the red carpet. But it was nice to see everyone in Leicester Square. We didn’t imagine that the band would be there. We were told that they’re probably busy getting ready for the tour and whatever.”
Regarding the film’s content, Stratton noted the lack of focus on the band’s early years:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the film for the fans. I personally thought, even watching it twice, it’s a pity that certain little things at the beginning were left out, they were cut out. But a two-hour film, I suppose you can’t have everything, and the attention has to be on the lineup now and how they progress now as they get older. It was nice to see some of the old clips from the old days. I just wish they’d included a little bit more from the older days. But, as I say, it’s about them. They didn’t make it. It’s a company that made the film.”
After Jadranka pointed out that many Maiden fans wanted the film to focus more on the band’s beginnings so younger audiences could better understand how Iron Maiden got started and what those early days were like, Dennis agreed.
“Yeah, absolutely. I have been told that many, many times on Internet, on social media and by the fans and friends. But I imagine what the company that were making the film thought was that maybe because there’s so many books around on Iron Maiden and the beginning of Iron Maiden and the start of the band, most of the fans had read how it all formed with me joining the band and me coming into the band and bringing Clive, and also bringing my harmony guitar technique that I used in previous bands. That’s all in the books. So I imagine that the film company might have thought, ‘Well, they already know about that sort of thing. We don’t need to explain all that again, and it’s not as important as this is now.’ I don’t really know. I would have liked them to have maybe just spent a little bit more time [on the beginning of Iron Maiden],” he concluded.
Iron Maiden‘s induction follows years of eligibility, having only been nominated twice before in 2021 and 2023, where they finished fourth in the fan vote. Even though artists become eligible 25 years after the release of their first album, the institution has historically been slow to recognize heavy metal.
