Motorhead Drummer: ‘Motorhead Is Over, Of Course’
Following the death of Lemmy Kilmister, current Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee stated the obvious about the state of the band: Without Lemmy, there is no Motörhead. “Motörhead is over, of course. Lemmy was Motörhead,” Dee told Sweden’s Expressen hours after Kilmister passed away Monday following a short battle with “an extremely aggressive cancer.” “We won’t be doing any more tours or anything. And there won’t be any more records. But the brand survives, and Lemmy lives on in the hearts of everyone.”
Dee, who replaced Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor as Motörhead’s drummer in 1992, also revealed that Kilmister appeared to be struggling health-wise on their recent European tour, yet the singer soldiered on. “He was terribly gaunt, he spent all his energy onstage and afterwards he was very, very tired,” Dee said. “It’s incredible that he could even play, that he could finish the Europe tour. It was only 20 days ago. Unbelievable.”
Dee also paid tribute to Kilmister. “It feels fantastic that we were able to complete the tour with him. It’s heartening that we didn’t cancel because of Lemmy,” Dee said. “I’m incredibly grateful over the years we had, and that we had such a good time together.”
Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell, a member of the band since 1986’s Orgasmatron, remembered Kilmister on Twitter early Tuesday morning. “My dear friend and brother passed away yesterday,” Campbell wrote. “Life won’t be the same. Thanks for all the well wishes. PLAY IT LOUD.”
Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, who toured briefly with Motörhead in 2009 while Dee was filming the Swedish version of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, Instagrammed a photo of himself with Kilmister alongside the caption, “Honored to have known this great man, under the tough exterior he was a kind and gentle soul, I loved him deeply.”