Lemmy from Motörhead appeared so tough that he appeared to be made of stone. Rumor has it that when he brought heavy metal to Rome, he snapped the limbs off of a Michelangelo sculpture and stuck the spike on top of the Shard because he didn’t like how the sculpture was staring at him. The driven musician even applied this genuine grit to his work.
Lemmy seemed to believe that someone manufactured the style of one classic rock band. Even though Keith Richards claimed that David Bowie’s performance was “all fucking posing,” it was clear that no one was hiding behind any posturing—he was acting like a space messiah, complete with a lightning bolt on the side of his head.
Lemmy, on the other hand, believes that The Rolling Stones had a moment of insincerity and that this undermined their reputation as a rock ‘n’ roll band. Although Mick Jagger‘s attendance at the London School of Economics is well known, the band has generally avoided questions about their grit and aroused a stance as rebellious radicals in the art world, except for his occasionally visible Tory political leanings.
Lemmy would have none of it. In his memoir White Line Fever, the Motörhead rocker makes fun of the Rolling Stones’ reputation, saying, “They were the mummy’s boys.” According to him, “They were all college students from the outskirts of London.” “They chose to starve themselves in London to project a certain level of disrespectability.”
It was obvious to him that this artifice represented their actual music’s lack of genuine roots. He goes on with his harsh comments. He says, “I liked the Stones, but they were never close to the Beatles. Not in terms of humor, originality, songs, or presentation. Mick Jagger was the only thing moving. Granted, the Stones produced excellent albums, but the Beatles were the equipment, and they were consistently bad live.
He even claims to have given them an opportunity. “The Rolling Stones were terrible and totally out of tune when I saw them in the park. He recalled their renowned 1968 London Hyde Park show, saying, “Jagger wore a frock.” Aside from the unique songs he enjoyed, such as “Sympathy for the Devil” . He believed they were more similar to a pool party hosted by Cliff Richard than a group of “hard men.” He went so far as to say that his band covers “beat them.” I believed we had exhausted it. Although I enjoy the Stones‘ representation, I think ours is superior.
It’s interesting to note that even though Lemmy called them “mummy’s boys” when he reestablished his bond with his mother, she was frequently spotted backstage at his performances. A prim fan whom he took great care to protect from any mischief, even if he was the one causing it. Indeed, the late rock star remains a mystery to this day. In a contentious act of altruism, he once gave a fan a Nazi antique, which he later sold for $2,500.
