ANTHRAX Guitarist Scott Ian Talks MOTÖRHEAD Legend Lemmy - "From Early On He Was An Icon; He Was Almost Like a Mythical Creature"
November 28, 2014, 10 years ago
Legendary heavy metal musician, author, and television personality, Scott Ian, had a lot to say on the European and United States legs of his groundbreaking Speaking “Swearing Words” Tour. After decades-worth of international touring with Anthrax, bumping elbows with illustrious (and sometimes ridiculous) characters all over the media spectrum, and undergoing general “you won’t believe this” experiences - Scott Ian certainly had some hilarious and surprisingly personal stories to share. The DVD is out now.
Ian recently spoke with PunkNews.org about the DVD. An excerpt from the interview is available below:
Q: There’s a part of the film where you talk about meeting one of your musical heroes, Lemmy of Motorhead. At the time, what did Lemmy represent to you?
Scott Ian: "He was an absolute hero -- still is. From early on, Lemmy was an icon up there with Gene Simmons and Steve Harris and Rob Halford. I looked at Lemmy in that same light. He was almost like a mythical creature. He was so amazingly cool and awesome. I just listened to the records and would go see him live. It was like someone transplanted a pirate from 500 years ago and stuck him in the modern age. That was the sound he makes. I couldn’t describe the impact he had on me and his influence."
Q: When you see Lemmy now, do you say “Oh, there’s my friend Lemmy,” or do you still say, “Wow! There’s Lemmy of Motorhead!”
Scott Ian: "It’s a combination of both. I’ve known him for a long time and we’ve spent some time together. On one hand, I can say, 'Oh, there’s Lemmy' and go have a conversation with him. On the other hand, I still feel like I’m 13 years old when I see him and it’s like 'Oh, shit there’s Lemmy!'"
Click here for the complete interview.
In the clip below, originally posted on Facebook, Ian recalls interviewing Gene Simmons and talking about the influence of "Jimmy Cricket" on the KISS icon's life:
Swearing Words is an honest look at the insane life that Scott has led for the last 31 years, the people he’s met, and the events that coincide. Now, you can experience Scott’s Swearing Words Tour by way of Swearing Words In Glasgow, available via Megaforce Records.
Billboard is exclusively premiering a clip from Swearing Words In Glasgow. In it, Ian recounts the crazy excitement he feels when he meets one of his personal idols, like Lemmy or Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.
The Swearing Words In Glasgow DVD is a full performance recording, filmed towards the end of the tour run in Glasgow, Scotland, and is being funded by a wildly popular PledgeMusic campaign, which surpassed its goal with the help of gracious and dedicated fans!
Another preview clip below features Scott telling the hysterical story of the first time he met Lemmy back in the early Anthrax days, and the alcohol-soaked hilarities that followed.
The clip entitled Mistaken Identity, features Scott discussing being sadly mistaken for another heavy metal musician with… similar taste in facial hair styling.