Filmmaker David Gregory Remembers Lemmy

Severin Films’ David Gregory remembers the time he walked with a legend.

Im not qualified to write a full obit for the man that personified rock n roll, having first seen MOTORHEAD perform the best of 30 years ago at Rock City in Nottingham on the (appropriately enough) Rock N Roll Tour in the mid 80s which was already a few years after their greatest period. But I did get to see a few sides to Lemmy the day we shot a promo for the Blu-ray release of Richard Stanleys HARDWARE six years ago, so can share that story if its of interest…

We were due to shoot at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip at noon and had to be out of there by 2 so they could start setting up for the evening. The location was chosen by Lemmy because it was walking distance from his home and from the Rainbow Bar where he would spent many an afternoon when he was in town. We were asked by his manager to have two full bottles of Jack Daniels, four cans of coke and a bucket of ice on the table when he arrived for Lemmy had a process before doing any work. The time was also set by him because he didnt like to get up early. The man walked in about 25 minutes late and made himself comfortable at the table with the booze. For the next 40 or 50 minutes he sat there and proceeded to drink the whole of the first bottle of Jack and part of the second. Over ice. He didnt touch the coke. He pleasantly chatted with the promos actress, Lorry Stone, and chain smoked. We were told not to tell him when we were ready to go we were ready before he got there but that he would let us know when he felt like it. Right, lets do this, he announced as he got up and parked himself against the bar for the interview part of the shoot, which wasnt exactly in-depth.

Example interaction:

What do you recall of the director, Richard Stanley?

Goth bloke, wasnt he?

But thats not what we were really here for. We wanted him to recreate his cheeky cameo from the 1990 film for a new ad. Wed rented a battered LA cab and a green screen and transcribed his dialog then updated it a touch to make it fit with the promo for the Blu. I suggested we move outside to the car park where we were ready to roll and he said, Hold your horses. This dialog needs work. Here He grabbed a sharpie then took the printed out page and proceeded to cross out about half of it and rewrite it in his own words. By the time that was done we had about 20 minutes of our time left.

He jumped in the cab and did it in a couple of takes, called it a wrap then announced, Were going to the Rainbow! Cant be denied that the Severin team was pretty excited at the prospect of downing a few liquors with God at one of the worlds most famous rock bars. When we got there he plonked himself down at the poker machine at the bar and proceeded to feed it coins and stare at it while sipping more Jack, saying barely more than a few words, while we stood nearby ruminating over the footage we got. It was not quite the wild afternoon wed imagined when he invited us along.

Now, when the fried bar food arrived he jumped up from his regular spot and proclaimed, Best food in the world, before tucking in like he hadnt eaten, well, all day. This is when he opened up, not about chicks and drugs and metal, but about military uniforms, music (classical and THE BEATLES mainly) and Monty Python. And he was informed and articulate and funny about all three..

Wed seen the rock n roll Lemmy with the superhuman capacity for fags and booze intake, then the working Lemmy with the no nonsense shoot, then a bit of the man at the pub Lemmy as he regaled us with his opinions on three subjects he truly loved.

The last time I saw MOTORHEAD was just four months ago. Lemmy looked tired and it was no surprise that he had to cancel a show or two just a few days later. But he was still Lemmy in his trademark pose, growling through song after song that could make your ears bleed, the man everyone with a passing interest in modern rock music knew by name and by one look at him.

The personification of Rock n Roll indeed…