METALLICA As THE LEMMYS: In-House Video Footage Of Legendary 1995 Performance

March 22, 2013

Whisky A Go Go has uploaded in-house video footage of THE LEMMYS — the MOTÖRHEAD tribute band composed of members of METALLICA — performing at MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy's 50th-birthday party on December 14, 1995 at the legendary West Hollywood, California venue. Check out the clip below.

"They all dressed up as me, and I thought that was great," Lemmy later told VH1.com. "They all had long black wigs on and penciled-in mustaches, and a tattoo drawn on one arm, with a black marker. Besides, they got their tattoos on the wrong arm, too, every one of them."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told the band's fan magazine So What! about the gig: "After some initial hesitation, I also donned the wig and shades (try playing MOTÖRHEAD songs when you have a three-foot black wig on and can’t see shit!!),and as we walked towards the Whisky stage (for the first time since supporting SAXON in 1982!!),the fucking look on people's faces… classic. I started 'Overkill', immediately swallowed half the wig, but… who gives a fuck?! And off we [went]!"

THE LEMMYS' setlist was as follows:

01. Overkill
02. Damage Case
03. Stone Dead Forever
04. Too Late, Too Late
05. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
06. We Are The Road Crew (Jason Newsted sings, Lemmy plays additional bass)
07. Overkill (reprise)

METALLICA and MOTÖRHEAD have long enjoyed a mutual admiration of one another's work.

"In 1981, I ended up running some of the MOTÖRHEAD appreciation stuff and also following them around on tour," Ulrich explained in an interview. "A few years later, when they were in L.A., I went down to the hotel room to see Lemmy. I started drinking and ended up passed out in his room having thrown up over myself. He took a picture of that and put it on one of MOTÖRHEAD's records."

MOTÖRHEAD picked up its first Grammy in 2005 in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the band's cover of METALLICA's "Whiplash", which was featured on "Metallic Attack: Metallica - The Ultimate Tribute" album.

(Thanks: Carl Alvarez)

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