It’s hard to imagine a more iconic face of balls-out, guts-in rock ‘n roll than Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, the legendary (god-like for most of us) lead singer, chief songwriter, bass player, and heart and soul of Motörhead, arguably the UK’s greatest ever export.

Lemmy lead the charge for hard-hitting, simple and honest rock ‘n roll (he insisted it wasn’t metal) for more than 40 years, and inspired countless punk and metal bands along the way.

One-of-a-kind humans are a rarity, but Lemmy sure was one of them, living his life his way right up until death came a calling on December 28th, 2015, just four days after his 70th birthday.

Keeping the Legends Alive

The Motörhead machine traversed the globe more regularly than some orbiting satellites, and had seen a number of personnel come and go over four decades. While the classic line-up of “Fast” Eddie Clarke, Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, and of course, Lemmy, have all gone off to that great gig in the sky, few may know that original Motörhead guitarist Larry Wallis has recently joined them.

But Motörhead and its founder Lemmy are immortal, and we see so many ways in which this incredible, once in a lifetime phenomenon is commemorated.
Some examples, like famous model kit makers Airfix’s contribution to Motörhead memorabilia, may seem trivial, but to true fans it's a must-have collectible. The limited edition 1:72 scale model of a German WWII Heinkel bomber, celebrates the 40th anniversary of Motörhead’s 1979 album “Bomber”, and comes complete with original (historically correct) marking plus Motörhead “Bomber” markings.

Fans around the world eagerly await the much-anticipated release of the Motörhead ’79 Campaign’s box set release, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Overkill and Bomber albums. The box set is the start of what will be many re-releases of classic Motörhead recordings and contains hardbound book packs plus a double CD or triple LP (vinyl) release format.

“If You Like to Gamble”

The opening line to arguably the most famous Motörhead song ever released, 1980’s Ace of Spades, reveals more about Lemmy than many people might realize. Lemmy loved to gamble or, to put it more accurately, loved to play the slots.

Since moving to LA in 1990, Lemmy’s favourite place to hang out, when not on tour, was the Rainbow Bar and Grill. Lemmy wasn’t like any other rock star or Hollywood celebrity; he was truly a man of the people. Anyone who happened to be visiting the Rainbow while Lemmy was in, could walk right up to the living legend, get a handshake and an autograph, or snap a quick “selfie” with the king of rock ‘n roll, and be on their way.

Where would you find Lemmy if you were at the Rainbow? By the bar of course! More accurately, by the slot machines next to the bar. Lemmy had his own seat at the corner of the bar, and spent his time drinking Jack Daniels and Coke and spinning slot reels for hours on end. He had a small apartment just two blocks from the Rainbow, and would walk there to play slots.

Interestingly, digital casino software company NetEnt recently released a tribute slot honoring Motörhead’s contribution to modern pop culture. The slot forms part of their “NetEnt Rocks" series, which also includes homages to Guns ‘n Roses and Jimi Hendrix.

The slot, simply titled “Motörhead”, features a genuine soundtrack of top Motörhead classics including Ace of Spades, real live footage and video clips of the band that appear in between the gameplay, and even a “Bomber” bonus round.

The slot features 5 reels and 76 paylines and opens with a live rendition of Ace of Spades, complete with stunning black and white footage of the band playing live.

The HD footage looks incredible and, if you’re playing the slot, be sure to run it through your sound system as the sound quality is superb. We tried the slot out for ourselves at Betway Casino, and were suitably impressed. In fact, not being slot fans really, this one actually makes you want to play on, and we’re quite sure that Lemmy himself would’ve gotten a real kick out of playing this one too.