Formed: 1975
From:
London,
United Kingdom
Last Known Status: Active
Background
Lemmy spent the sixties in a number of small-time bands including Opal Butterfly, Sam Gopal, and The Rockin' Vickers as well as working as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix in 1967 for about six months, and as a roadie for The Nice. In 1971 he joined archetypal space rock UK Underground outfit Hawkwind who were centred around the very in Ladbroke Grove. His distinctive style of bass playing, involving the use of chords rather than the single notes preferred by most players, was a fundamental part of the Hawkwind sound during his tenure. He also provided lead vocals on a number of songs including the band's biggest UK chart single, Silver Machine, which reached No.3 in 1972.
By 1975 Lemmy's forceful personality and propensity for ingesting copious quantities of amphetamines were leading to conflict with other members, and this culminated with his sacking after being arrested for drug possession while on tour with the band in Canada. Lemmy went on to form a new band with guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Wallis's former bands included the Pink Fairies, Steve Took's Shagrat and UFO. Lemmy's connection with Took (formerly of T Rex) was not limited to Wallis, as they were personal friends and Took was the step-father to Lemmy's son Paul. This new band was originally called Bastard. However, after the band's manager pointed out this name would lose them TV and radio exposure, it was changed to Motörhead - the last song Lemmy wrote for Hawkwind.
After a short period both Wallis and Fox were replaced with guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, and with this line-up the band began to achieve success. The uncompromisingly intense nature of their sound appealed to both Lemmy's original metal/rock constituency as well as the new punk fans — intrigued, perhaps, by Lemmy's brief stint in The Damned — and Lemmy's guttural vocals were unique in the world of rock at that time. The band's success peaked between 1980 and 1981 with a number of UK chart hits, including the classic single Ace of Spades (still a crowd favourite today) and the No. 1 Live Album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith . Motörhead have since gone on to become one of the most influential bands on the heavy metal scene and, although Lemmy is the only constant in a changing line-up, are still performing and releasing records to this day. Despite Motorhead's many member changes over their 30 year history the current lineup of Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee has remained constant since 1995.
Lemmy has also worked with a number of other musicians over his career, and occasionally guests with Hawkwind. He was brought in as a songwriter for Ozzy Osbourne's 1991 No More Tears album, providing lyrics for the tracks "Hellraiser," (which Motorhead later released) "Desire," "I Don't Want To Change The World," and the massive hit "Mama I'm Coming Home." Lemmy has noted in several magazine and television interviews that he made more money from the royalties of that one song than he had in his entire time with Motorhead.
He has made a number of appearances in film and television, including the 1990 science fiction film Hardware and the 1987 comedy Eat the Rich, for which Motörhead also recorded the soundtracks. In the 1994 comedy Airheads (in which he is credited as "Lemmy von Motorhead"), he shouts (truthfully) about being the editor of his high school newspaper. He has also appeared in several movies from the Troma studio. Having a predilection for self-deprecating parody, he once appeared in an advertisement for Kit Kat chocolate bars, miming a piece of chamber music on the violin, in an upper-class tea-room. Motörhead performed the entrance theme song "The Game" for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s Triple H, as well as "Line in the Sand" for his now defunct wrestling stable, Evolution. In 2006, they once again provided theme music for the WWE as they recorded the song King of Kings for Triple H on the Wreckless Intent CD.
Lemmy collects Nazi memorabilia, and has an Iron Cross encrusted on his bass, which has led to accusations of right-wing extremist tendencies; however, Lemmy considers himself to be an anarchist. According to Keith Emerson as written in his autobiography, two of Lemmy's Hitlerjugend knives were gifted to Keith Emerson himself during Lemmy's time spent as a roadie for The Nice. Emerson used these knives many times as "keyholders" during his famous wrestling sessions with the Hammond Organ during the shows with The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
He published his autobiography, White Line Fever in November 2002.
Latest Motorhead News
Below is our complete Motorhead news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
Displaying records 41 - 60 of 298 1 2 3 4 5 ... 14 15 Last
Eight More Bands Confirmed For Sonisphere UK
The organisers of the British leg of the Sonisphere festival has announced eight more bands for this year's event. Amongst the new confirmations are rap legends House Of Pain, Swedish metal outfit Arch Enemy and Fozzy, the band fronted by wrestling superstar Chris Jericho and featuring members of Stuck Mojo. Also newly confirmed for the bill are Youmeatsix, Sum 41, All Time Low, Periphery and Grinspoon. The festival will be held at Knebworth from July 8th-10th and features the following lineup:
Metallica
Slipknot
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax
Diamond Head
Biffy Clyro
Airbourne
All Time Low
Arch Enemy
Architects
Fozzy
Gallows
Gojira
Grinspoon
House Of Pain
In Flames
Inme
Kids In Glass Houses
Limp Bizkit
Mastodon
Motorhead
One Minute Silence
Parkway Drive
Periphery
Protest The Hero
Sum 41
Sisters Of Mercy
Volbeat
Weezer
Youmeatsix
Heavy Metal Stars On Board For Dio Tribute Album
According to Wendy Dio, the wife and manager of heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio, who sadly passed away last year, some of the biggest names in heavy metal and hard rock will be taking part in a forthcoming Dio tribute album.
"It probably won't come out this year, but everybody signed up," Dio told Noisecreep.
So, who's signed on thus far? "Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Glenn Hughes, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Lemmy (Motorhead)," she said, adding Grohl will do the Black Sabbath hit 'Mob Rules,' and Halford will be taking on 'Long Live Rock 'N' Roll.' And artists keep coming on. "I just talked to Alice (Cooper), roped Alice in and Sebastian (Bach) and Chris (Jericho)," she said, referring to fellow attendees at the Golden Gods press conference. And Cooper already has a song in mind, going back to the Elf days, according to Wendy.
Read the full article at Noisecreep.
Saxon Announces Spanish Shows With Judas Priest
Saxon has issued the following announcement about performing several Spanish shows alongside Judas Priest and Motorhead:
"Hi fans, Saxon is pleased to announce that they will be appearing alongside the legendary Judas Priest and Motorhead for 4 shows in Spain – the dates are:
29.07.2011 ES A CORUNA - Coliseum
30.07.2011 ES MADRID - La Cubierta
31.07.2011 ES BILBAO - Bizkaia Arena
01.08.2011 ES BARCELONA - Olimpic Badalona
"Please see this location for more details. Unfortunately that means that Saxon will be forced to postpone the three shows planned for May (07.05. Bilbao, 08.05. Barcelona & 10.05. Madrid) until November of this year and that we move the gig in Uden (Netherlands) to the beginning of May. Tour section will be updated soon. The band apologizes for any inconveniences and is looking forward to meeting up with everyone on the road."
Motorhead Enters Billboard Album Charts
British heavy metal legends Motorhead have entered the Billboard 200 Chart at number 94 after selling over 7,000 copies of their new studio album, "The World Is Yours." The record has also done well in Canada, securing the number 24 spot on the Canadian album charts.
Motorhead also recently appeared on the Conan O'Brien late night talk show. You can check out footage from the band's performance at this location.
Nine More Bands Confirmed For Sonisphere U.K.
The organizers of the British leg of the Sonisphere Festival have confirmed a further nine bands for the event, which include Limp Bizkit, Gojira, Volbeat, Protest The Hero, Kids In Glass Houses, Gallows, One Minute Silence, Inme, and The Sisters Of Mercy. The event will be held at Knebworth from July 8th - 10th and will feature the following lineup:
Metallica
Megadeth
Anthrax
Slayer
Slipknot
Diamond Head
Biffy Clyro
Weezer
Airbourne
Limp Bizkit
Motorhead
Mastodon
Inme
The Sisters Of Mercy
Gallows
In Flames
Gojira
Volbeat
Architects
Kids In Glass Houses
Protest The Hero
One Minute Silence
Parkway Drive
More Bands Confirmed For Sonisphere U.K.
The organizers of the British leg of the Sonisphere festival have confirmed a number of new additions to the event. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal legends Diamond Head have been confirmed for the Friday date, which will also feature the "Big Four" of thrash metal. In addition to this, Weezer, Architects and Aussie rockers, Airbourne have also been confirmed. Speaking on the confirmation, Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tatler stated:
"Diamond Head have been given the fantastic opportunity of opening for the BIG 4 at this years Sonisphere festival, Knebworth Friday 8th July. This will be Diamond Head’s biggest ever show and myself and the other band members are very excited and looking forward to what will be an historic event. Knebworth is one of those venues you only dream of playing. I saw Led Zeppelin there in 1979 and never imagined that one day I would be on that stage, it proves the saying ‘anything is possible’! It also means I get to see my friends in Metallica and Megadeth once again which is always fun; I owe both Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine a beer."
The event will take place from July 8th - 10th at Knebworth and features the following confirmed bands:
Metallica
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax
Diamond Head
Motorhead
Slipknot
Weezer
Biffy Clyro
Mastodon
In Flames
Airbourne
Parkway Drive
Architects
Motorhead Talk Show Appearance Available
Motorhead performed on the Conan O'Brien late night talk show on January 26th, 2011. Footage from the band's performance is now available online and can be viewed below.
Onslaught Confirmed For Wacken Open Air
British thrash metal veterans Onslaught have been added to the bill for this year's edition of Germany's famous Wacken Open Air festival. Also newly confirmed is Venomin James. The event will take place in the town of Wacken, Germany from August 4th-6th 2011.
The lineup is now as follows:
Accuser
Alberlour's
Apocalyptica
As I Lay Dying
Avantasia
Battle Beast
Blaas Of Glory
Blind Guardian
Blowsight
Bulent Ceylan
Children Of Bodom
Cradle Of Filth
Devildriver
Excrementory Grindfuckers
Exodus
Hail Of Bullets
The Haunted
Hayseed Dixie
Heaven Shall Burn
Hellsaw
Horch
Iced Earth
In Solitude
Judas Priest
Khold
Knorkator
Kreator More...
Column
The Rockstar Ramblings: American Idol and Glee
While out promoting for Amercian Idol, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) was quoted saying “American Idol is not rock n’ roll”, “American Idol will take Aerosmith up a few notches”, and that “Joe Perry is a loose cannon”. This was all in one interview! In related news, Tyler mentions he can’t find Joe Perry. He’s hiding Steven, waiting for all of this to go away. You can remove your head from Ryan Seacrest’s ass. He’s not in there… More...
More Bands Confirmed For Knebworth Sonisphere
The organisers of the British leg of the Sonisphere Festival has confirmed that four more bands have been added to this year's edition of the event. Heavy rock icons Motorhead will be performing at the festival, as will the other new confirmations Mastodon, In Flames and Parkway Drive. The event takes place from July 8th -10th at Knebworth.
In Flames stated: "We have been in the studio since October recording our new album and we can't wait to come out and play the new song live. The UK has always been very good to us and we love coming back so this is something we really look forward to."
"Holy crap they're actually letting us play this thing!!!" commented Parkway Drive vocalist Winston McCall. "Sonisphere 2011!!! I don't think we can really describe how excited we are to play, and I think Jeff will probably die when Metallica play!"
The lineup is now as follows:
Metallica
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax
Slipknot
Motorhead
Biffy Clyro
In Flames
Mastodon
Parkway Drive
Column
The Rockstar Ramblings: Reunion Tours and Hookers
It is being reported that Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue, Sixx A.M.) and Denise Richards are no longer dating and have split. The uncomfortable part of this breakup is that they are neighbors. There can’t be a worse feeling than stepping out to grab the morning newspaper, and looking over to see a Porsche in Richard’s driveway with a license plate that reads SHEEN… More...
The Sarcophagus Seeking Fan Photos
Turkish black metal act The Sarcophagus has issued the following brief announcement about seeking photograph submissions from fans: "All supporters of The Sarcophagus, send your The Sarcophagus pictures and we'll release them in our page..."
You can check out sample The Sarcophagus tracks available for streaming or contact the band through the group's official MySpace profile. The Sarcophagus also announced last year that a new album is in the works which will also feature a Motorhead cover track.
Cook Lemmy's “Krakatoa Surprise” To Win Big Prizes
Motorhead and Loudtrax.com are giving away over $750 in prizes for their latest contest featuring you cooking Lemmy's “Krakatoa Surprise” recipe out of Steve Seabury's heavy metal cook book "Mosh Potatoes."
The idea for the contest came about when author Steve Seabury and LoudTrax.com founder Antonio Marsillo were hanging out in Times Square, smoking a couple of Cuban cigars. Steve handed Antonio a copy of the book and they were making jokes about the many recipes. Many beers later, the idea to dare metal heads around the world to cook up Lemmy's recipe was born.
Lemmy himself liked the idea so much, he offered up an autographed, framed photograph and as well as a signed CD. In addition to Lemmy’s prizes, the winner of this contest receives a boat load of prizes including Lemmy shirts, Harley-Davidson (R) boots, and more. Participants must send a video of them cooking up this monster, upload it to YouTube and then submit it on the Lemmy Contest section of LoudTrax.com.
Check out the video below and get the full details here.
Clutch Added To Motorhead Tour
American hard rock act Clutch has been added as a direct support act to the forthcoming Motorhead North American headline tour. You can view the full list of dates, cities and venues below:
Jan. 25 - Anaheim CA - House of Blues
Jan. 28 - Reno NV - Knitting Factory
Jan. 29 - Las Vegas NV - HOB
Jan. 31 - San Diego CA - HOB
Feb. 02 - San Francisco CA - Warfield
Feb. 04 - Seattle WA - Sodo
Feb. 05 - Portland OR - Roseland
Feb. 07 - Vancouver BC - Vogue
Feb. 09 - Edmonton AL - EEC
Feb. 10 - Calgary AL - Flames Central
Feb. 12 - Winnipeg MT - Burton
Feb. 15 - Minneapolis MN - 1st Ave
Feb. 16 - Milwaukee WI - Rave Ballroom
Feb. 17 - Kansas City MO - Midland Theatre
Feb. 19 - Chicago IL - Congress
Feb. 20 - St. Louis MO - Pops
Feb. 22 - Grand Rapids MI - Orbit
Feb. 23 - Detroit MI - Royal Oak
Feb. 25 - Kitchener ONT - Elements
Feb. 26 - Toronto ONT - Koolhouse
Feb. 28 - New York NY - Best Buy
Mar. 01 - Boston MA - House of Blues (Avalon)
Mar. 03 - Sayerville NJ - Starland Ballroom
Mar. 04 - Atlantic City NJ - House of Blues
Mar. 08 - Austin TX - Stubb's
Mar. 10 - Tempe AZ - Marquee Theatre
Mar. 11 - Los Angeles CA - Nokia Live
Motorhead Announces North American Headline Tour
European heavy metal legends Motorhead have revealed the dates for its forthcoming headline tour of North America. You can view the full list of dates, cities and venues below:
Jan. 25 - Anaheim CA - House of Blues
Jan. 28 - Reno NV - Knitting Factory
Jan. 29 - Las Vegas NV - HOB
Jan. 31 - San Diego CA - HOB
Feb. 02 - San Francisco CA - Warfield
Feb. 04 - Seattle WA - Sodo
Feb. 05 - Portland OR - Roseland
Feb. 07 - Vancouver BC - Vogue
Feb. 09 - Edmonton AL - EEC
Feb. 10 - Calgary AL - Flames Central
Feb. 12 - Winnipeg MT - Burton
Feb. 15 - Minneapolis MN - 1st Ave
Feb. 16 - Milwaukee WI - Rave Ballroom
Feb. 17 - Kansas City MO - Midland Theatre
Feb. 19 - Chicago IL - Congress
Feb. 20 - St. Louis MO - Pops
Feb. 22 - Grand Rapids MI - Orbit
Feb. 23 - Detroit MI - Royal Oak
Feb. 25 - Kitchener ONT - Elements
Feb. 26 - Toronto ONT - Koolhouse
Feb. 28 - New York NY - Best Buy
Mar. 01 - Boston MA - House of Blues (Avalon)
Mar. 03 - Sayerville NJ - Starland Ballroom
Mar. 04 - Atlantic City NJ - House of Blues
Mar. 08 - Austin TX - Stubb's
Mar. 10 - Tempe AZ - Marquee Theatre
Mar. 11 - Los Angeles CA - Nokia Live
Motorhead's new album, "The World Is Yours, will be released in North America on February 8, 2011.
Column
The Rockstar Ramblings: The Ozzy Hangover Cure
Ozzy Osbourne has gotten into another traffic altercation, this time rear ending another car while driving a Ferrari. In honor of this monthly event, let’s have a quiz: Which of the following are true of Ozzy’s driving habits? A. It took him 19 attempts at the driving test in order to get his license. B. Ozzy once fell asleep during a driving test, the instructor was gone when he awoke. C. Ozzy repeatedly showed up with alcohol in his body to his driving tests. D. All of the above… More...
Visons Of Atlantis To Play Wacken 2011
Visions of Atlantis has announced it will be performing at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, which is set to take place in Wacken, Germany from August 4th - 6th. Additional details on the festival can be found at this location.
Other confirmed bands for the festival include:
Motorhead
Airbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
Avantasia
Judas Priest
Apocalyptica
Motorhead Confirms Festival Appearance
British heavy metal legends Motorhead have announced its participation for the forthcoming edition of Germany's infamous Wacken Open Air festival. Wacken 2011 is set to take place between August 4th, 5th and 6th in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
The confirmed line-up now includes:
ACCU§ER
APOCALYPTICA
AVANTASIA
BLAAS OF GLORY
BLIND GUARDIAN
EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS
HEAVEN SHALL BURN
HAYSEED DIXIE
IN SOLITUDE
JUDAS PRIEST
KHOLD
KNORKATOR
MAYHEM
MOTORHEAD
OZZY OSBOURNE
PRIMAL FEAR
RHAPSODY OF FIRE
RUSSKAJA
SEPULTURA
SKALMOLD
SKI KING
SODOM
STIER
SUBWAY TO SALLY
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
TOKYO BLADE
TRIVIUM
WARRANT
Onslaught Posts New Music Video Online
British thrash metal veterans Onslaught has posted their new music video online, for their cover of the classic Motorhead song, "Bomber." You can check it out below. The song features guest appearances from Sodom frontman Tom Angelripper and Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell. The track is expected to appear on the band's forthcoming new studio album, "Sounds Of Violence." More...
New Motorhead Music Video Posted Online
Heavy metal legends Motorhead have teamed up with MetalInjection to release its new music video. The video was shot for the track "Get Back In Line" and is taken from the forthcoming studio album, "The World Is Yours." "The World Is Yours" is being released on December 14, 2010 with Classic Rock Magazine Presents: Motorhead. Following this four-week exclusive period, "The World Is Yours" will be released on January 17, 2011 in a standard CD format. You can view the video below:
