With the band’s 21st studio album, Aftershock, out last month, Motörhead should be on top of the world. But with Lemmy Kilmister’s recent health scare, and the band taking off live shows until next year as a result, an interview in today’s New York Times finds the singer/bassist in a pensive mood. Kicked off by with the question “how are you feeling?” he answers “I just feel really down. I’ll never get a job again. I’m paying for the good times, I suppose. It’s a mixture of all the things I ever did — and I did plenty.” And while the caricature of Lemmy as a chain smoking, Jack Daniels’ chugging madman is seared into the public’s consciousness, that’s no longer the case, as he says he’s no longer smoking and only drinks wine now. It’s a bit sad to hear that one of rock’s most iconic frontman is bummed out, both unable to (for the time being) play live where he thrives, and continue to live the life of excess that’s made him the stuff of legend.
That said, in the Q&A, Lemmy is still his funny, witty self. When asked if to confirm if he’s slept with 1,200 women, he denies it, saying “I wasn’t counting. And when quoted back the infamous “Lemmy is God” quote from Airheads, he replies “No, Got is taller and he dresses better. He lives in a Cap Cod cottage on the end of Rhode Island.” And he’s not particularly impressed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, either, especially since they lost his Ace of Spades tour jacket and a pair of boots. Here’s hoping that he’s recovering nicely and that Motörhead are able to kick off their touring early next year like they’re hoping to.
