Duff McKagan revealed in a new interview that Motörhead made him an honorary member and that he keeps some of Lemmy Kilmister’s ashes at his home. The Guns N’ Roses bassist spoke to Metal Hammer about his friendship with the late singer and about the record that pushed him definitively toward the bass.
The honor came when Loaded, McKagan’s band, toured Germany with Motörhead: he would go on stage every night and play «Overkill» with them. «They made me an honorary member of Motörhead — I even have a plaque,» he said, saying he wants to believe he’s the only one, but suspects there are others.
The two met in 1987, when Guns N’ Roses traveled to London for their first shows outside America, at the Marquee Club, and found themselves invited to Motörhead’s studio. Lemmy took them under his wing and a year later Guns N’ Roses played at Donington. According to McKagan, 1980’s «Ace of Spades» was the record that made him gradually set aside the drums and guitar and lean toward the bass.
About Lemmy’s ashes his answer was clear: he keeps them in a small Lemmy hat, on the mantelpiece at his home — «he lives with my family, he’s safe with us». In June, McKagan had led the ceremony at the Download Festival in Donington, where some of the ashes were placed in a specially built slot machine in the Lemmy’s Lounge area, since Lemmy was known for his love of fruit machines. The gesture was part of «Lemmy Forever», the plan to place some of the ashes at places tied to his life, such as Hellfest, Wacken Open Air, the Rainbow Bar & Grill in Hollywood and Manchester’s O2 Apollo. Lemmy died on December 28, 2015, a few days after being diagnosed with cancer, and Motörhead ended with his death.
To wrap up
McKagan’s story with Motörhead spans almost forty years and runs from Guns N’ Roses’ first steps in London to the stages of Germany with Loaded. Not many bands can say they were honored like that by them.
See also
Motörhead: The 40 years of «Orgasmatron» with a new mix · Guns N’ Roses: They brought back «Think About You» after years
Source: https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/duff-mckagan-interview-guns-n-roses-lemmy-ozzy
