And then, all of a sudden, like a truck bomb in a brickyard, AC/DC happened. There they were, with guitarist Angus Young duck-walking across the stage, ripping out the chords to "Highway to Hell," while singer Brian Johnson launched his power-drill shriek up toward the (relatively) cheap seats. Having formed in 1973, AC/DC aren't technically punks, I guess. But any band that still features a guitar player in a short-pants schoolboy suit qualifies in my book.

There's a tiresome sense of decorum that's built into most award shows, and it tends to mute all things rude and unruly. AC/DC are apparently unaware of this. They may be unaware of anything apart from what Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, who inducted them, called "the majesty of the power chord." Tyler ran out to join the unstoppable Aussies for a wall-shuddering run-through of "You Shook Me All Night Long," and you could almost hear brains hemorrhaging around the room. We need to hear this sound more often.

In contrast to the recent Grammy Awards, artists were not discouraged from making political statements during the ceremonies, and worries over an impending U.S.-led military action against Iraq (news - web sites) moved many musicians to speak.

"They were the most influential band in our lives," said Tom Morello, guitarist for Audioslave and previously for Rage Against the Machine (news - web sites), in introducing a video montage of the Clash. "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."

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

Clash member Jones singled out a boyhood friend when giving his list of thank-you's and said he had joined a convoy to act as a human shield in Baghdad.