It was well known that among rock’s newer legends, Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister had a soft spot in his heart for Dave Grohl. The Foo Fighters frontman was Lemmy’s friend, and plays a special role in the documentary film Lemmy: 49% Motherfucker, 51% Son of a Bitch, in which he pops into the studio to record drums for a cover of “Run, Run Rudolph” that Lemmy was doing for a Christmas compilation. Now, in a new interview, Dave reveals that he wishes Lemmy were alive to see the new Foo Fighters album come out — and remembers seeing the singer in an especially memorable position back in the day.
In an interview with Classic Rock, as reported by Louder, Dave reminisces on how much Motörhead meant to his band. He then goes on to recall a time he went to Lemmy’s infamous LA apartment — and how Lemmy had dressed for the occasion.
“I was shocked at how fucking disgusting it was,” Grohl laughs. “These aisles of magazines and VHS tapes, stacked three to four feet high, Lemmy sitting on the couch, in his black bikini underwear with a spiderweb on them, after just dyeing his hair black, doing a phone interview, with a videogame on pause on the television.”
“I will never, ever forget every little detail of that day,” affirms Dave. “Especially not the black underwear, with a spiderweb and a black widow spider right where the dick is.”
With the interview over, Lemmy did the obvious: offered Dave a belt of Jack Daniels. “It was fucking 11:15 in the morning,” recalls Grohl. “I said, ‘Sure’.”
But for all the cluttered shelves and biker lingerie, Lemmy remains a legend in Dave’s heart, so much so that, speaking to Uncut, the Foo Fighters singer wishes the Man Himself was here to listen to the new record.
“I wish Lemmy were alive to hear it, because he would see how much an influence he’s been to me,” says Dave. “Many of us play rock ‘n’ roll but a rare few among us are rock ‘n’ roll. Lemmy was rock’n’roll. He was a rebel, an outsider, one of a kind, and a way of life. He was Motörhead. He was a legend and I was proud to call him my friend.”
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Words by Chris Krovatin
