By Ian Rose
What can I say about the great Lemmy Kilmister that hasn’t already been said in his fifty year-plus career? Lemmy is God, the stuff of true legend, few could argue against it. Anybody that has ever rocked out, knowingly or not owes a lot of gratitude to the founding father of Rock N’ Roll. He was a roadie for Hendrix, he blew psychedelic minds with Hawkwind, and he dedicated his life to fast, loud, heavy as all hell music with Motorhead before thrash or punk where even musical terms. Most of all, Lemmy survived, with no compromising him and the boys of Motorhead have consistently pumped out albums nearly every year and toured the world for decades since 1975 with absolutely no signs of slowing down.
What can I say about the great Lemmy Kilmister that hasn’t already been said in his fifty year-plus career? Lemmy is God, the stuff of true legend, few could argue against it. Anybody that has ever rocked out, knowingly or not owes a lot of gratitude to the founding father of Rock N’ Roll. He was a roadie for Hendrix, he blew psychedelic minds with Hawkwind, and he dedicated his life to fast, loud, heavy as all hell music with Motorhead before thrash or punk where even musical terms. Most of all, Lemmy survived, with no compromising him and the boys of Motorhead have consistently pumped out albums nearly every year and toured the world for decades since 1975 with absolutely no signs of slowing down.
As anybody that attended Lemmy’s most recent Toronto mass (held on February 26th at the Kool Haus) will tell you, even at the tender age of 65 the icon does not skip a beat and delivers a note for note high paced show that can only come from Motorhead. To call him a senior seems almost heretical, but this rock n’ roll drill sergeant delivers more punch on stage then guys a third his age. So what makes this mutton chop supporting, Rickenbacker shredding, Jack Daniels guzzling, Marlboro smoking, slot-machine-playing-speed-freak with a voice of broken glass and a stripper on his lap, tick? Well luckily for us, directors Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski embarked on a three year journey to get under the belly of the beast and give an insight to the man behind the mole.
By no means an easy (or safe) task to create, I can say without a doubt that Lemmy provides a highly entertaining, thought provoking, badass roller coaster ride for anybody willing (or daring enough) to see it. The appeal of the documentary goes beyond the metal crowd. Lemmy is a cultural icon, and his life is the stuff of myth and lore. That is not to say that there aren’t a few surprises revealed throughout the film, showing both his bad to the bone on stage stature and his intelligent, philosophical, down to earth approach to life in general. From the opening scene of the Rock deity making fries (My God, he’s human?!) to sit down conversations with close friends and musicians, one thing is evident…Lemmy is Lemmy, there is not a fake bone in his body, and his persona is not an act, this man is the real deal. To support his case a star studded line up for metal alumni has come out to sing their praises, including everyone from Ozzy, Alice Cooper and Metallica to Dave Grohl, Joan Jett, Ice-T and Billy Bob Thornton.
At 116 minutes the movie leaves you feeling ready to take on the world, I literally felt my balls get bigger with every passing segment. The absolute treat comes in the form of the ‘Ultimate Badass Edition’, a 2 disc version loaded with hours upon hours of special features. I briefly decided to check out just one of them, and then hours later found myself up in the middle of the night having gone through only about half the content. The no-bull Motorhead Live bonus on the first disc gives a what-better-way-then-to-witness-it approach to the world of Lemmy by providing 8 live cuts of the trio performing at various locations. Disc two covers everything from the classic Clarke-Kilmister-Taylor line-up (and it’s very nice to see Fast Eddie and Phil the Animal involved in this project) to Lemmy rehearsing and performing with his disciples in Metallica. All this accompanied by features on his current band mates, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell, the infamous Road Crew, the dedicated Super Fans, Funny Stories from the man himself and a 747 load of others. Personal favorites would be Metallica performing as ‘The Lemmy’s’ in full costume for the frontman’s 50th birthday, and a quick shot of a roadie passed out stage left during yet another ‘turn it up to 11’ Motorhead set.
The last of a dying breed, Lemmy is still here to wave the flag for everything that is authentic about rock n’roll. He never compromised, especially when the odds we’re stacked against him, he never gave up, even when diabetes tried to end his career. Lemmy is the embodiment of standing on your own two feet, and this documentary is an inspirational dedication to living true to yourself, and to not bending for anything but your own will. At a time when everything is either sugar coated or made up of horse manure, Lemmy has given us something to believe in, something that is true and honorable…and that is, without a doubt, exactly what we need.
-Posted by CORE Member Ian Rose
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