Happy Birthday God

Today would have been Lemmy Kilmister’s 75th birthday. He was a legend in his own life time, the only true God of rock and an important influence on me.

Music has always had a role in my life and, as a very young man, with very few friends, and almost no social skills, Motorhead were the first band that I discovered by myself.

No matter how much my musical tastes have changed, and will continue to change in the future, Motorhead have, and will continue to, always remain my all time favourite band.

Lemmy was always a big part of that, he just wanted to play rock n roll. He lived his life and played his music, he did it his way, whether it made money or not and that is something that deserves respect.

For me he seemed to embody the spirit of being your own person and, as long as you’re not hurting anyone else, doing what you want. Growing up as the weird outsider, that perceived attitude really spoke to me.

I’m not going to say that Lemmy made me the man I am today, because that’s simply not true, but he definitely affected me. The attitude I perceived him to have inspired, and continues to inspire, me and give me pause for thought. In a world where everyone, and everything, is constantly telling you how to think and feel, the ability to think to yourself “what would I do?” is an important one and I feel like Lemmy played a major role in teaching me that.

Happy Birthday!

Gimme Some Motörhead

As I'm sure you're all aware Lemmy Kilmister, the founder member of the band Motörhead, died recently. Ever since I was a young boy Lemmy has been something of a hero to me, so when I heard of his death I felt a genuine sadness and a sense of loss. Motörhead were the first band I discovered for myself, they introduced me to a whole new world of music that changed me and my life forever. Motörhead, and metal in general, has given me a release I wouldn't otherwise have, a safe way of de-stressing and working out my pent up aggression. I am a better person for having the music of Motörhead in my life.

I was 12 when I first discovered Motörhead, my parents had recently given me a small CD player for my birthday and I was searching the bargain bins of local shops for any cheap CDs that appealed to me. I pulled out a cd called "The Best Of Motörhead" and was immediately struck by the image on the case, a snarling monstrous chrome pigs head with giant tusks and bright red eyes. That was the first CD I ever chose myself and paid for with my own money, I rushed home and immediately put the CD in my player and started to listen. It was a sound like I'd never heard before, it was loud and fast and heavy and aggressive. Listening to it made me feel energised, it made me want to growl, I listened to it almost exclusively for several weeks. Over time I bought more CDs and discovered more bands, I tested my personal preferences and developed my own taste. No matter what I listened to it always came back to Motörhead, they were my starting point and Lemmy was the nucleus of it all.

Memorial Service and Celebration of Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister