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!

Download 2020

Is it just me or is Download 2020 shaping up to be the best lineup in about a decade? I’m on the verge of ordering a new 2 man pop-up tent and dropping a small fortune on a weekend camping ticket (I swore I’d never camp there again after the last time, the camp site was overrun by complete and total cunts, trust me I do not use that word lightly).

I Don’t Understand Music And I Wish I Did

I love music, I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember, it’s always been a big part of my life, however, I don’t understand music and I wish I did. Though I don’t anymore, and I’m not entirely certain I could even If I tried, in the past I’ve played a variety of instruments and learned to read sheet music, tablature etc. But it’s always been just that, reading and copying what someone else has written, I’ve never been able to produce music of my own and on the odd occasion that I’ve tried it’s always sounded horrible and completely discordant. I just don’t seem able to grasp the basic structure of music, how it fits together, what notes, chords, progressions etc. work with and complement each other. I don’t even know what it is that prevents me from understanding it, maybe I’m just not a creative person, maybe the way I think is too linear, maybe I’m too dependant on logic to grasp the analogue nature of sounds and rhythms, maybe I’m just tone death. I honestly don’t know and I probably never will.

It's Been A Long Week...

It's been one of those weeks were it feels like a large whisky, a couple of bowls, a ton of freshly brewed coffee and some doom laden music are called for.

Jonathan Davis: Black Labyrinth

I'm not actually a huge Korn fan, I like their music but I can largely take it or leave it. With that said Jonathan Davis' new solo album, Black Labyrinth, is excellent. I've listened to it all the way through a couple of times now and I can honestly say that I've really enjoyed it. I feel like I've connected with it, in a way that I don't often do, and I think I can tell where he is coming from. Several of the tracks on this album are extremely emotionally charged and that comes across well in the lyrics, his voice and the musical styles he uses. This is a real departure from his work with Korn and I feel that is to his benefit, it portrays him in a completely different light and really showcases his versatility as an artist. Black Labyrinth is definitely one of my favourite albums this year.

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