A nod to the oldschool - my first interview with Lemmy Kilmister

In honor of yesterday's announcement of Motörhead's return to Vancouver February 7th (with Clutch and Valient Thorr, no less - what a bill!), in support of The Wörld is Yours, I thought I'd recall and post this old chestnut from the first time I got the chance to sit down with His Lemness back in 2005 (the second time, in 2009? That's here). This was the only time I've ever come down with a serious case of starstruckedness and, haha, it shows in my delivery and ridiculously too-long introduction. This was not the first in-person interview I'd ever conducted, but it was the first one I'd conducted with someone of Lemmy's magnitude.

Originally published Summer 2005 in the very short-lived North-Vancouver-based music magazine POINT, whose editor saw fit to bump this interview as a cover story in favor of one on Alexisonfire - is it any wonder the mag folded after three issues? Story (and scans) of the interview after the jump.

I arrived at the venue way too early, butterflies in my stomach, and hung around outside the front door for half-an-hour, like an idiot. Phil Campbell shuffled by me on the street two or three times; each time he stared at me, like he was sizing me up. He could probably sniff a fanboy a mile away and wanted to give off the 'fuck off' vibe before I dared approach. I took the hint.

Finally, I slunk around to the back alley behind the Commodore, only to find a shit-ton of people either unloading a truck, or waiting for a glimpse of... Lemmy? Mike Dean from CoC (they were opening) was back there on his mountain bike, and Vancouver's metal encyclopedia Gerald Rattlehead was bullshitting with him. I looked around for somebody with a laminate to approach but saw none. Finally I approach a dude who's helping unload the truck, who looks like he knows what's up. I go through my spiel, explaining I'm here to interview Lemmy and manage to name-drop the tour manager. This guy goes and grabs the tour manager who ushers me right in like he's been waiting for me.

He takes me across the stage and up to the dressing room area, where I wait outside in the hall. A few minutes later, tour manager comes out and they're ready for me. The tour manager opens the door, and I presume I'm to wait for Lemmy in there, but as I go through the door, Lemmy's already there waiting for me. Jesus Christ. Lemmy Kilmister. For a second, as his eyes lock mine and he stands up to greet me and shake my hand, I'm transported: Thirteen years old again and hearing No Sleep At All's lead track, "Doctor Rock", for the first time, all agog that a human being could make their voice sound like that; that rock and roll could sound so fast and dirty; that I liked it so much.

I (barely) regain composure and stumble a greeting, fumble out my hand-held cassette recorder and camera. Lemmy offers me a beer, but I'm too nervous. He also explains that he's sick and rather miserable, and I thank him (probably too profusely) for agreeing to do the interview. He waves it off and we sit down to do the interview. The rest is consigned to posterity below. Enjoy.


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