Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Lemmy (The Movie)

As a man and a band, it was an interesting movie, but it wasn't great movie-making or anything. He drinks, he smokes, he puts out albums and he tours for them. He lives in a crappy little apartment and spends his free time at the local bar. He seems tired and somewhat unhappy, but dutifully continues with the simple patterns of his legendary life. He references dying several times in the film, almost seeming to look forward to it. He turned 65 last year.

The way you're probably feeling after reading that is about how I felt after watching it, and I put the blame on the film-makers. Maybe I just didn't really want to know what a working-poor Rock Star's life is really like.

He is undisputedly a Heavy Metal and popular culture icon though.

In the film, someone is talking about how he hits the stage, spits out his cigarette, and launches into the first song. When I saw them at First Avenue in 1985, he hit the stage, walked up to the edge and carefully handed me his still burning butt, and then launched into the first song. Loudest show I ever saw.

3 comments:

queasyfish said...

I completely just realized why he's like that. He's a speed freak.

Randy said...

I remember you kept that cigarette. Do you still have it?

queasyfish said...

No :) I stuck it right in my mouth, took a drag, and nodding approvingly, glanced around to see the repulsed slash envious looks.