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| Sunday, 3 July 2005 |
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Motorhead the British rockers Motorhead's overwhelmingly loud and fast style of heavy metal was one of the most groundbreaking styles the genre had to offer in the late '70s. Though the group's leader, Lemmy Kilminster, had his roots in the hard-rocking space rock band Hawkwind, Motorhead didn't bother with his old group's progressive tendencies, choosing to amplify the heavy biker rock elements of Hawkwind with the speed of punk rock. Motorhead wasn't punk rock -- they formed before the Sex Pistols and they loved the hell-for-leather imagery of bikers too much to conform with the safety-pinned, ripped T-shirts of punk -- but they were the first metal band to harness that energy and, in the process, they created speed metal and thrash metal. Unlike many of their contemporaries, Motorhead continued performing into the next century, and although the band changed its lineup, many times - Lemmy was its only consistent member - they never changed their raging sound. The son of a vicar, Lemmy Kilmister (born Ian Fraiser Kilmister; December 24, 1945) first began playing rock & roll in 1964. Over the course of the '60s, he played with a number of bands -- as well as briefly working as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix. In 1971, he joined the heavy progressive rock band Hawkwind as a bassist. Lemmy was originally slated to stay with the band only six months, yet he stayed with the group for four years. During that time, he wrote and sung several songs with the band, including their signature, number three U.K. hit 'Silver Machine' (1972). Lemmy was kicked out of Hawkwind in the spring of 1975, after he spent five days in a Canadian prison for drug possession. Once he returned to England, Kilminster set about forming a new band. Originally, it was to have been called 'Bastard,' but he soon decided to call the band Motorhead, named after the last song he wrote for Hawkwind. Lemmy drafted in Pink Fairies guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox to round out the lineup. Motorhead made its debut supporting Greenslade in July. Two months later, the group headed into the studio to make its debut album with producer Dave Edmunds. Motorhead but Edmunds clashed over the direction of recording. resulting in the group firing the producer and replacing him with Fritz Fryer. At the end of the year, Fox left the band and Lemmy replaced him with his friend, Philthy Animal, an amateur musician. Motorhead delivered its debut album early in 1976, but their label rejected the album. Shortly afterward, former Blue Goose and Continuous Performance guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke joined the band. Following one rehearsal as a four-piece, Wallis left the band, leaving Motorhead as a trio; the lineup that would later be recalled as the group's classic period. However the band spent most of 1976 struggling, performing without a contract or manager and generating little money. By the summer of 1977, the group had signed a one-record contract with Chiswick Records, releasing their eponymous debut in June. A year later, the band signed with Bronze Records. Overkill, Motorhead's first album for Bronze, was released in the spring of 1979. The album peaked at number 24, while its title track became the band's first Top 40 hit. Motorhead continued to gain momentum, as their concerts were selling well and Bomber, the follow-up to 'Overkill', reached number 12 upon its fall release. The band was doing so well that their rejected album was released at the end of the year as 'On Parole.' 'Ace of Spades', released in the fall of 1980, became a number four hit, while the single of the same name reached number 15. 'Ace of Spades' became Motorhead's first American album, yet the group was making little headway in the U.S., where they only registered as a cult act. Back in England, the situation could hardly have been more different. Motorhead was at the peak of its popularity in 1981, releasing a hit collaboration with the all-female group Girlschool entitled Headgirl and entering the charts at number one with their live album, No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith. Though the group was rising commercially, there was tension within the band, particularly between Clarke and Lemmy. Clarke left the band during the supporting tour for 1982's Iron Fist, reportedly angered by Kilmister's planned collaboration with Wendy O. Williams. Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson replaced Clarke. The new lineup released Another Perfect Day in the summer of 1983 which turned out to be a disappointment, only reaching number 20 in the U.K. Robertson left two months later, being replaced by two guitarists: former Persian Risk member Phillip Campbell and Wurzel. Shortly afterward, Taylor left to join Robertson's band Operator, and was replaced by former Saxon drummer Pete Gill. This lineup released a single, 'Killed by Death,' in September of 1984, but shortly afterward the group left Bronze and the label filed an injunction against the band. As a result, Mot”rhead was prevented from releasing any recordings, including a bizarre collaboration between Lemmy and Samantha Fox, for two years. Motorhead finally returned to action in 1986, first with a track on the charity compilation 'Hear 'n Aid' and later with the Bill Laswell-produced 'Orgasmatron,' which was released on their new label, GWR. 'Orgasmatron' was successful with the band's still-dedicated cult audience in England and America, and received some of the group's best reviews to date. The following year, they released Rock 'N' Roll', which was equally successful. In 1988, the live No Sleep at All appeared, and two years later the band signed to WTG and released The Birthday Party. Taylor briefly re-joined the band in 1991, appearing on that year's 1916, before Mikkey Dee, formerly of King Diamond, took over on drums. Dee's first album with the band was 1992's 'March or Die' which didn't chart in the U.S., yet played into their U.K. cult following. WTG dropped the band after its release and the band started their own label, appropriately called Motorhead, which was distributed through ZYX. Their first album for the label was 1994's 'Bastards'. For the remainder of the '90s, Motorhead concentrated on touring more than recording. Outside of the band, Lemmy appeared in insurance commercials in Britain. He also acted in 'Hellraiser 3' and had a cameo in the porno movie 'John Wayne Bobbit Uncut'. In 1997, the group moved to the metal-oriented indie label Receiver and released 'Stone Dead Forever'; the live 'Everything Louder Than Everyone Else' followed in 1999, and a year later they returned with We Are Motorhead. 'Hammered' followed in 2002 and in 2004 they released their highly acclaimed 'Interno' album in 2004. In February this year, they picked up their first Grammy in the Best
Metal Performance category for their cover of Metallica's 'Whiplash'
beating Cradle of Filth (Nymphetamine), Hatebreed (Live for This),
Killswitch Engage (The End of Heartache) and Slipknot (Vermillion). To
celebrate their 30th anniversary last month, Motorhead returned to the UK
with a host of concerts 'ear-splintering', guitar blazing. |
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