Lemmy Kilmister: Rock is not a job but a vocation

First of all we’ll start with the music and then we’ll pass on to other interesting topics in your life.
Ok

So, you’ve been touring for more than 30 years now. I think that everyone is wondering: how did you do it? What is the secret of this very very long career of evangelist of rock’n’roll?
It’s what I do. This is what I am, it’s not a job anymore, it’s like, I don’t know, a vocation. Like when you become a priest or something, you feel you have to do it, you know and then it’s your life.

Ok. Do you remember not being in Motorhead?
No, I don’t remember, I can’t remember it now, I know that intellectually I wasn’t in Motorhead a long time, but I couldn’t tell you how it was, no

Do you believe that you have to have a special type of character, like, let’s say, a complete maniac, in order to succeed in the business?
Well, it doesn’t matter. Hahaha

So, there’s a movie made about you, a documentary called Lemmy. What were your feelings when this proposal first came to your attention?
It was funny, you know, I mean, they’ve been following us around for 2 years and a half, really so we even don't notice them anymore.

Are you expecting something in particular from this movie, do you want it to be treated in a certain style or another?
No, I just want to see what they do. I mean they shot some footage and they showed to us and we said ok, it was really good and we said ok

So you are not going to be further involved in the making of this movie?
No, I mean, we get the final edit, they’re gonna show it to us obviously before they put it out, you know

It’s known to the fans that you have a large collection of Nazi memorabilia. How did you start having this for a hobby, what was the reason?
I don’t really believe in it, you know, it just caught my eye, I was interested in the way they put on a show, you know, because Hitler was the first rockstar, hahaha…

So it’s rather connected to the visuals, to the art direction and everything
Yes, it’s that way, right, yeah. I mean everybody in Germany was wearing that uniform by the time the war ended and some people just threw their uniform in their closets, so you know...

A less controversial passion of yours is reading, if we’re not wrong…
Yeah, you’re not wrong

What’s the last book that you’ve read?
I don’t know… I just re-read Bomber by Len Deighton, which is a very good book, I don’t know if you ever seen it. It was the inspiration originally when I wrote the song Bomber, and I just read that again. And another book that I’m reading now it’s something about the Third Reich and a novel by Michael Crichton, called State of Fear, which is very good.

So I see, there are books from various genres. Do you have a favorite book genre?
No, as long as it’s a good book, that I can find interesting.

I wonder if you have a favorite among children books.
Nah, I don’t read a lot of children literature anymore… hahaha

We discussed about that war is a topic that you approach very often. What do you think about contemporary wars? Are they different?
The greatest disturbance is that the enemy is unidentifiable. I mean, in all the wars before both sides had a different uniform you could tell who you were fighting. If it goes to Iraq or Afghanistan everybody looks like the enemy right? The same for Vietnam so it’s impossible to fight a war like that, when you have to be suspicious of everybody…

Are they less fair, are fighting more of a coward fight?
I don’t look at it like that I mean you could say that if they had a normal army they would be terribly outnumbered and be wiped out rapidly so the only way they can fight really is that way. But it’s not like, you know, fair, but then, life is unfair, that’s it.

If you were to convince a person who hasn’t listened to Motorhead yet, what would be your argument?
I’d say their education is incomplete, hahaha

We get back to music a bit, last year you have released your 21 studio album, Motorizer, do you have a favorite song on this record?
The favorite track? Yeah I like The Thousand Names of God, the last track. I don’t know, I just like it, it’s in the structure, It’s an interesting song to write it’s an interesting song to sing on stage.

And how about your favorite album?
Oh, I don’t know, I like a lot of them, otherwise you would have never heard them, you know? Hahaha

I see. But maybe one of them seems closer to perfection?
Nobody makes the perfect album. You don’t make the perfect album, not unless you’re like Yes (mai zice nume de trupe) or  you know people like that, they make perfect albums, not me, hahaha

I wanted to ask you about something that in a way is quite personal to me, because this is how I got to know the band many years ago. I once got a very cheap music magazine, not connected to metal, and it said in that magazine that you were considered to be one of the nastiest in the business. I wonder if you had to put up with lots of opinions of this kind, during your career.
Well, yeah, people expect you to be an asshole hahaha but you can’t live up to that image all the time, you know, I mean, you have another life, too, you can’t be on stage all the time. But on stage, the music’s pretty nasty …

Yeah, this is why we all like it, no problem. But what is the difference between Mr Killmister, the man on the street, the citizen, and the artist? What is the normal person missing or has extra?
Well the only difference is that I don’t shout all the time when I am off stage hahaha

So, there is a polite Mr Killmister like the one polite enough to give us this interview…
Oh there is nothing wrong with being polite, you know...

Motorhead is one of those bands to possess and instantly recognizable sound, when you hear it, you know what it is. How did you manage all these years to keep the style so tight and so unchanged by the trends?
Well, nothing was better than what we were doing. As long as you have a good idea, why fuck with it? Hahaha

On the 2nd of July you will play for the first time in Romania. What should people expect from this show?
Well sorry if you better put your fingers in your ears… apart from that, just listen and then you tell me, after the gig.

That was it, thank you very much for your time and patience and we’ll meet again at the concert, at least I’ll see you, I guess you won’t see me in the crowd…
We’ll meet after the show, come to see us, yeah.

Ok. A message to the fans?
Well, come to see the band and I hope you like it and if you don’t , that’s a drag