Lemmy in bad shape

Wow, that one came unexpected! I respect Lemmy, although I'm not a great Motörhead fan, but to see this brave Ur-Rocker (and fellow Beatles fan) so fragile and broken, really touched me. This amazing generation of true rockers is fading away. Sad

 

Yeah, its a tough call. In any situation like this (any artist) we want to have compassion and we respect the artist , but on the other hand, in this case many people at the show probably assumed that because the show was going on as planned Lemmy was feeling better, or they didn't even know he had been sick in the first place.

At a certain point it's unfair to the concert goers to pull the plug on a show a couple of songs in, no matter how much the artist ( any artist) wants to try to give it a go.

 

I understood Lem stopped smoking a few years back and has somewhat (I say somewhat) moderated his alcohol intake. I also understood he had stopped taking non- prescription drugs.

I don't think he can go on like this. Presumably at some point he'll be deemed too unreliable by promotors and will start having trouble getting bookings. Chuck Berry is, and BB King was, at least on stage for the full show.

Perhaps he could scale it down to a couple of gigs a week, three or four weeks at a time.............

I first saw Motörhead in 1978, and I love 'em. And the gnarled old warhorse will Do It His Way, that's for sure.....

 

Fragile... perhaps. Broken ? Well, as you said, you're not a great Motorhead fan...

D.D.

 

That would bug me if I were driving in from Corpus to see them (I'm not - saw them twice in the 80's with Philthy and Fast Eddie) - Saxon is fine, but it's not the same as seeing Motorhead.

 

Given that, as Lemmy always says, their music is rooted in old-school rock 'n' roll, I can imagine a lot of Motorhead stripped down to maybe two acoustic guitars and standup bass. Kind of like a more aggressive version of Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two. Like, imagine "Overkill" with the drums replaced by an acoustic guitar doing that chucka-chucka-chucka-chucka thing. I reckon it'd work.

 

Yeah. Those who want refunds should get refunds. Those who like Saxon should go see Saxon.

 

I looked up ticket price for the show in Detroit, good grief.

 

Looking it up, they just straight up refunded the show. The Saxon show will be at a different venue with tickets at the door.

 

Don't get me wrong. I didn't want to belittle Lemmy, but yes, when walking back on stage to thank the audience and apologize for not being able he seemed "broken" to me... But maybe it's just not the right word. Maybe I should have used "sad" instead. Whatever. I hope he can recover.

 

Not the worlds biggest Motorhead fan but did see them at Download, Donington a couple of years back (Mastodon, Motorhead, Queens of the Stone Age & Maiden - one hell of a line up for a day!); between that and

• The documentary featuring his buying of the Beatles in Mono CD box and his praise for the band
• His championing of the Ramones and writing a damned good song for them & pitching up at their last concert
• THAT appearance in the Bambi episode of The Young Ones

fill me with respect for the man for whom the phrase 'staying true to oneself' could well have been invented. An unpretentious man who's passion for rock and roll makes the majority of us look like the rank amateur enthusiasts we are.

Not listened to 1916 in about 20 years. Must give it a spin. Best of British Lemmy.

 

That 3rd song clip where Lemmy cut the song off and later came back on to announce the show was done was actually really tough to watch. Lemmy's always projected the image of a hardass but it's obvious he was really upset he couldn't do it.

Having seen Lemmy and Motorhead many times at their peak dating back to the early/mid 80's, seeing the guy in such frail health the past few years knowing all the medical issues that seem to be piling up on him as he continues to stubbornly try to extensively tour is frankly sad to see. I know he keeps plugging the romanticized ideal of "play 'til I die on stage" but more than likely, it's come close to or at the point that he can't perform on a stage, much less die on one.

It comes back to the hope that with some time off and some good medical care and following whatever regime he needs to improve his health, he'll be back at some point to deliver the goods for whatever time he has left on this Earth.

 

It's sad and all, but if you can't play songs you played thousands of times and keep cutting it short then perhaps it's time to hang it up. He's cheating the fans and himself, he needs to get better priority number 1. Maybe make a couple albums here and there and not tour as crazy as they do.

 

Motorhead is not my cup of tea but I wish Lemmy health. Maybe he should stop touring so hard. He proved everyone everything. He looks painfully exhausted in this video.

 

I don't think I would ask for my money back either, had I been at that show. However, it's possible that the venue could claim that Motorhead didn't fulfill their contract and they may refuse to pay them. So Lemmy might not end up seeing any of the ticket money, even if the fans don't ask for refunds.

Perhaps the best thing to do might be to but a t-shirt from their merchandise table, then ask for a refund from the venue on the way out (which will reimburse you for the shirt). At least that way you know the money (or at least part of it) is going to Lemmy.

 

My friend saw the full LA show a week ago. They enjoyed it but implied that Lemmy really should drastically cut back live appearances.

 

Mobility is now an issue for him.

How does he compare to Johnny Winter's final years?

 

I'm not sure if the ticket price was in the same range for the Austin show, ( I would guess they would be similar) but tickets for the Detroit show are listing from around $ 63.00 to $200.00.
That's your choice not to ask for a refund but if I paid say...$ 100.00 for a ticket and Motorhead pulled out after two songs I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for a refund. It's not like the tickets were $20.00 or so.
It's nice to think about supporting Lemmy and all but he or his minders should have assessed the situation and postponed some shows.

 

Like a lot of people on this thread, I'm not much of a Moorhead fan but liked Lemmy's contribution to Hawkwind.

And like everyone else on here, I've got nothing but respect for the man, whom I once had the pleasure of meeting. Completely unassuming and unstarry with, I believe, a heart of solid gold beating beneath the leather. Amazing that he's made it to this age given some of his lifestyle choices (must have been made by the same firm that made Keef) and sad that the flesh can seemingly no longer follow the spirit.

 

I paid $45. It was general admission.

 

Saturday would be the first time I ever see the band, hoping he's good enough til then!

 

Nice. That's certainly better than $63.00 to $200.00

I'm not sure it would be worth the hassle to ask for a refund for that amount but if I paid over say...$ 75.00 I'd probably ask.

 

I know Lemmy is a proud man, as well he should be, and all, but he's not getting any younger and Motorhead does not play leisurely music. It's forceful, ballsy, and performed with the cry of pure rebellion. That's not easy to summon when you ache just standing there. Rest up, Lemmy. Mend youself, and then do a few shows, as @The Slipperman suggests. Or an EP. Or, an Unplugged-in-the-studio. Whatever feels comfortable. (Heck, reissue classic Motorhead on 180-gram vinyl!) But take the time, and get healthy!

 

Lemmy is actually an excellent acoustic guitarist and I think he would sound great sitting on a stool playing some of his songs.

I'm pretty sure Lemmy is touring because that's his only reliable source of income and you have to pay your medical bills somehow.

 

Watching Motorhead 25 & Alive "Boneshaker" as I read this thread.
Excellent live show.