YOU TAKE THE HIGH MIC...

Lemmy - Directed by Greg Olliver

Lemmy, the iconic rocker – respected by his peers, worshipped by his legions of fans. The newly released DVD directed by Gregg Olliver allows a peek into the strange world of Motorhead’s front man.

So many rock stars appear on this DVD, Metallica’s James Hetfield, Nikki Sixx, Henry Rollins, Alice Cooper and the familiar mumbling of Ozzy. His peers some of whom seem surprised that he’s still upright revere him – if the world ended tomorrow all that would be left would be 'Lemmy and cockroaches.'

Far from the trappings of Hollywood splendour the camera crew find him in a cramped apartment close to his beloved Rainbow Bar & Grill. As he sits hunched over a computer game it’s hard to see through the detritus that he has accumulated over the years. The - never been married- 63yr old proudly shows his action figures in the likeness of himself alongside lethal swords and Nazi military insignia that cover every square inch of his walls. It looks like a kleptomaniac’s paradise.

He cuts a fairly lonesome figure, dressing up in Nazi regalia to play with tanks in the day whilst at night he delivers 120dcb of pure rock to adoring masses. It’s loud. Very loud. I was deaf for a week after my first Motorhead gig.

Now with diabetes and high blood pressure he refuses to change his rock n roll lifestyle and prefers to be true to his image cultivated from his early days in Hawkwind. We’re treated to footage of bare breasted Stasia who accompanied them onstage to dance to ‘Silver Machine,’ much to the delight of hoards of testosterone fuelled lads.

The godfather of rock n roll appears to be filled with integrity but there are undertones of complex emotional detachment, particularly evident in scenes with his son Paul, as they discuss swapping girlfriends. It’s the small things that are more telling in this documentary like the bottle of “Allure’ in his bathroom.

‘This is what I am. This is what I do. This is what I’m supposed to do – right here.’

‘Any regrets?’ asks the interviewer.

‘No. Life’s too short.’