The SPIN Interview: Motörhead

Photographed for SPIN by Kenneth Cappello

Fuck Elvis and Keith Richards," Dave Grohl has said. "Lemmy's the king of rock'n'roll." And on this sunny L.A. February afternoon, the king is holding court. From his black cowboy hat and Civil War–reenactor duds to his sunken eyes, corpselike pallor, and questionable oral hygiene, Lemmy suggests the last of a dying breed. As the singer-bassist of Motörhead -- one of the few bands worshipped by both punks and metalheads -- he is a true legend, who, besides appearing in the new Guitar Hero Metallica, has recently seen four of his band's classic albums (Ace of Spades, Bomber, Iron Fist, and Overkill) get the deluxe reissue treatment.

A glass of Jack Daniel's fused to his fingers, in person the man born Ian Michael Kilmister in 1945 comes off as a consummately polite, older English gentleman. He generously answers nearly any question, no matter how outrageous, but when the conversation dives too far into an uncomfortable zone, he's quick to set one straight with a withering gaze. "Man, do you think can we stop talking about drugs?" he spits in his trademark guttural rasp. "I don't want to talk myself into being arrested. It's a very real risk, you know." Indeed, Lemmy hardly seems to be mellowing with age. "I'm only interested in my band -- never cared about anybody else," he growls. "Still don't. Everybody else can go fuck off!"

What drew you to rock'n'roll?
When I saw Buddy Holly play in 1958, I was there looking for girls. At that age, you want to get laid. I saw this English rock singer, Billy Fury, and he was surrounded by all these chicks rubbing his crotch. I thought, "That's the fucking job for me!" I took a guitar to school and was immediately surrounded by women. I couldn't play it, but with all due respect, you do have to learn a couple of chords eventually. Not too many, though -- that can ruin you.

What were your earliest music milestones?
I saw the Beatles play the Cavern in Liverpool when I was 16. They had attitude: Onstage, they were like a four-headed monster.

Who inspired you to actually join a band?
I remember playing Conway Twitty's record "It's Only Make Believe" over and over, wondering, "How do they get that sound?" Elvis inspired my sideburns, but Little Richard inspired me for vocals. He had the purest, most joyous rock'n'roll voice. And he liked a little booty, didn't he? He certainly wasn't into girls -- he was the king and queen of rock'n'roll. There was great music then, and it all seems to have gone to shit now. I know it sounds like I'm an old, miserable, crotchety bastard -- and believe me, I am -- but it's true. It's much more fun to be full of hope than pessimism, any day of the week.

You were present at so many key musical moments, you're like the Forrest Gump of rock. You were even Jimi Hendrix's roadie.
In 1967, I was 21, and the only guy I knew in London was Neville Chester, a roadie who worked with the Who. I rang him up and said, "Can I crash on your floor?" He was sharing a flat with [Hendrix bassist] Noel Redding. So when Hendrix needed an extra guy, I was right there. To see Hendrix play was magic -- the things he did with a guitar have not been equaled to this day: He played rhythm and lead at the same time, under his leg, behind his neck, behind his back, left and right, upside down -- fucking amazing. God bless Eddie Van Halen, he's nowhere near. Hendrix did it all, and when he died, it stopped.