Photo: Wikimedia.
It’s been two years since the sad passing of Motörhead frontman and legendary rock and roll superstar Lemmy Kilmister. A larger than life personality and a prevalent figure in the folklore of rock music, Lemmy’s death effectively put an end to the band but triggered an outpouring of accolades from the musical world. His memorial service was streamed live on YouTube and watched by 230,000 people and, in a bizarre but fitting tribute, a newly discovered extinct crocodile species was named after him, Lemmysuchus. Evidence of the widespread impact that his life and career have had on popular culture.
Aged 70, Lemmy died just a few days after receiving a diagnosis of cancer, and a mere two weeks after performing onstage with Motörhead in Berlin. Surviving bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee have both spoken previously about the idea of staging select tribute shows to honour their friend and colleague, and perhaps this year, the time is right to do so.
Sadly, on 10th January, the news broke that sole remaining member of the ‘classic’ Motörhead line-up ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke had also passed away. Clarke died peacefully in a hospital after contracting pneumonia. As the original Motörhead line-up is no longer with us, it seems fitting that Campbell and Dee have decided to honour the decades of innovative music and electrifying performances that the band has given fans in all their many incarnations. The rock legends earned their place in pop culture infamy with the 1980’s hit ‘Ace of Spades.’
Though there are currently no dates set for the tribute shows, Dee has suggested that waiting until it feels right to stage them is important. In his current position as drummer for the Scorpions, he’ll be kept more than busy enough this year with his new band’s European tour. Since celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band in 2015, the Scorpions have been touring the world and working on the forthcoming album ‘Born to Touch Your Feelings.’ Dee joined them in 2016, replacing James Kottak on drums.
Phil Campbell is staying active too, as his band Phil Campbell & the Bastard Sons released their debut album ‘The Age of Absurdity’ on 26th January. The band features three of Campbell’s own family members, his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla, and with a European tour planned for the beginning of this year, his new venture is filling his time. Despite this, Campbell has also found time to start recording his long-awaited solo album with guest appearances from Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider and Slipknot’s Chris Fehn amongst others. There’s even talk of him returning to his abandoned autobiography, a project that he put aside once before due to work commitments.
With such a busy schedule for both musicians, it may be a while before news of the tribute shows is released. However, with their contacts in the world of rock and roll, they are guaranteed to have some special guests. Names mentioned already have included Metallica’s James Hetfield and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl.
Aged 70, Lemmy died just a few days after receiving a diagnosis of cancer, and a mere two weeks after performing onstage with Motörhead in Berlin. Surviving bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee have both spoken previously about the idea of staging select tribute shows to honour their friend and colleague, and perhaps this year, the time is right to do so.
Sadly, on 10th January, the news broke that sole remaining member of the ‘classic’ Motörhead line-up ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke had also passed away. Clarke died peacefully in a hospital after contracting pneumonia. As the original Motörhead line-up is no longer with us, it seems fitting that Campbell and Dee have decided to honour the decades of innovative music and electrifying performances that the band has given fans in all their many incarnations. The rock legends earned their place in pop culture infamy with the 1980’s hit ‘Ace of Spades.’
Though there are currently no dates set for the tribute shows, Dee has suggested that waiting until it feels right to stage them is important. In his current position as drummer for the Scorpions, he’ll be kept more than busy enough this year with his new band’s European tour. Since celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band in 2015, the Scorpions have been touring the world and working on the forthcoming album ‘Born to Touch Your Feelings.’ Dee joined them in 2016, replacing James Kottak on drums.
Phil Campbell is staying active too, as his band Phil Campbell & the Bastard Sons released their debut album ‘The Age of Absurdity’ on 26th January. The band features three of Campbell’s own family members, his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla, and with a European tour planned for the beginning of this year, his new venture is filling his time. Despite this, Campbell has also found time to start recording his long-awaited solo album with guest appearances from Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider and Slipknot’s Chris Fehn amongst others. There’s even talk of him returning to his abandoned autobiography, a project that he put aside once before due to work commitments.
With such a busy schedule for both musicians, it may be a while before news of the tribute shows is released. However, with their contacts in the world of rock and roll, they are guaranteed to have some special guests. Names mentioned already have included Metallica’s James Hetfield and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl.
