In a new interview with Classic Rock, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich says Motörhead were responsible for uniting fans of all genres at a time when music was “way more segregated.”
Ulrich, who was once the president of US Motörhead fan club, spoke to the publication in celebration of 40 years since the release of Motörhead’s hit album, Ace of Spades, praising the iconic group for their ability to reach fans of every genre.
“The one thing that was different about Motörhead was that they united people from all these different genres,” Ulrich began.
“Back in 1980, the music world was way more segregated than it is now. So if you were a heavy metal guy there was a particular look, a uniform. If you were a punk kid it was the same, or an alternative kid, if you liked Joy Division or whatever. Everything was very segregated, especially in England.”
Ulrich continued, “So all these punks, skinheads, alternative kids and metal kids… fucking everybody loved Motörhead. In a time of division and segregation and ‘Fuck you, you can’t be in my gang’ and ‘I don’t wanna be in your gang’ and ‘We’ll beat each other up, football hooligan-style’, Motörhead were the first band to really unite fans across all these different genres.”
“They blew away all that division. That’s an important piece to remember in the story of Motörhead.”
Ulrich went on to say that the legendary rockers had “an honesty” about them and were “so fucking transparent.”
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“Kids of my generation, we loved Led Zeppelin, we loved Kiss, we loved all these different bands, but they were larger-than-life characters – with Kiss, like cartoon figures. But Motörhead were the guys next door, the guys down the pub. Motörhead were our friends. Motörhead were who we were.”
Lemmy Kilmister, the founding member and frontman of the British heavy metal band, died on September 28th at the age of 70, just days after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Check out Lemmy Kilmister performing with Metallica:
