Lemmy Kilmister dead at age 70!
So soon after little Philbert ... even Lemmy was only immortal for a limited time.
Future generations looking up the definition of rock 'n' roll should find a picture of this man in the Encyclopedia Britannica. I saw somewhere that he recently gave up his JD & coke on health grounds, switching (IIRC) to vodka & orange. That's about as close as he was ever going to get to compromising his lifestyle ... takes real dedication to get sacked from Hawkwind for doing the
wrong drugs.
Don't know
How long I've been awake
Wound up
In an amazin' state
Can't get enough
And you know it's righteous stuff
Goes up like prices at Christmas
Absolute legend, absolute icon.
From the Guardian, who were quoting the announcement on the band's Facebook page:
We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness; there aren’t words. We will say more in the coming days, but for now, please … play Motörhead loud, play Hawkwind loud, play Lemmy’s music LOUD. Have a drink or few.
Share stories.
Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself.
HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT.
The band signed off: “Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister
1945-2015
Born to lose, lived to win.
'No sleep' is turned up full, the beer's chillin' for later, here's a tale or two:
I saw Motörhead three times: the 'No Sleep' mini-tour in '81, Iron Fist in '82, and the 10th Birthday party at Hammersmith Odeon (where else?) in '85 - I never really got past Eddie leaving. Each gig louder than the one before. The last one was a Friday night, an extra show added because of demand for tickets, and we returned from a holiday in Devon a day early via London to go. Legend had it that they had called the seven biggest PA hire companies in London, told them "drop off everything you've got at the Odeon, and make sure it's labelled so you'll get it back". I don't know if that's true, but it's still the loudest thing I've ever heard - my ears were still ringing on Tuesday.
I was on a train once, an age ago, a gangly, long-haired scruffy herbert, wearing a Motörhead - Born To Lose sweatshirt. sat opposite a rather severe-looking old lady of the sour faced, blue-rinse type (think Mrs Richards from Fawlty Towers, but without the hearing aid). She couldn't resist: "Born to lose? That's rather negative, isn't it". I was delighted to explain to her that "It didn't preclude one from living to win".