The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is gearing up for its annual induction ceremony on April 8. It just announced that Lars Ulrich of Metallica and the Black Keys will be among this year's "special guests." Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas is also scheduled to appear.

Tickets for the event, which will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., will go on sale to the general public on Feb. 5 at 9AM ET. Pre-sales for Hall of Fame members and Citibank card holders will start tomorrow and on Feb. 1, respectively. VIP packages will also be sold beginning tomorrow. Visit Ticketmaster's website for complete information.

Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, the Steve Miller Band and N.W.A will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Bert Berns -- who wrote, co-wrote or produced such '60s classics as "Twist and Shout," "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Piece of My Heart" -- will join them as this year's recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Even though it hasn't been announced what roles these newly announced guests will serve at the ceremony, it's likely that Ulrich will induct Deep Purple. Back in 2014, he was lobbying for the group to be recognized. "I'm not gonna get into the politics or all that stuff, but I got two words to say: Deep Purple," he told Rolling Stone. "That's all I have to say: Deep Purple. Seriously, people, Deep Purple. Two simple words in the English language."

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