ON DECEMBER 28, 2015, the metal world lost one of its most iconic figures. Lemmy Kilmister, the singer, bassist and founder of Motörhead passed away in his Los Angeles apartment from a combination of prostate cancer, cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure. The singer had reportedly only been diagnosed with cancer mere days before his passing, and weeks before had even still been touring with the band, playing their final show in Berlin on December 11.
The sense of grief in the metal community was seismic. Friends, fans and bands that had been inspired by Motörhead paid tribute to both Lemmy and the band he’d helmed for 40 years, inspiring subsequent generations to get greasier, dirtier and –perhaps most importantly –louder than everybody else, their 1979 single Overkill even being credited with kickstarting the extreme metal boom of the 80s with its iconic double-bass drum intro.
“FUCK ELVIS AND KEITH RICHARDS, LEMMY’S THE KING OF ROCK’N’ROLL”
In that spirit, on January 9, 2016, a funeral service was held and livestreamed to celebrate Lemmy’s life and contributions to music. Lasting more than two hours, Lemmy’s friends, family and bandmates each shared anecdotes about his life and what he meant to them. Livestreamed by 230,000 fans, the event highlighted just how beloved Lemmy was.
But while the metal world still mourns its loss, celebrations of the band continue even a decade after they passed into legend. Now publisher Z2 Comics have announced the release of a 176-page tribute to the icon –No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories Of Lemmy Kilmister And Motörhead. As the title suggests, it features anecdotes about Lemmy from former bandmates, friends and fans, all rendered in graphic novel form.
Z2COMICS. INSET: ROBERT JOHN/PRESS
Among those featured are longtime Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee, wrestler Triple H (whose theme, The Game, was performed by the band), Slash, Chrissie Hynde and Lars Ulrich, each sharing colourful stories that show how much of a singular force Lemmy was in the metal world. The book also features contributions from author Neil Gaiman and music film and TV figures including Matt Pinfield, Penelope Spheeris and Riki Rachtman.