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Metal Assault in association with CWG Magazine presents

May 6th 2010, Key Club, Hollywood CA

Jim: How did The Head Cat come about? What's the backstory?
Lemmy: We were doin' an Elvis tribute album, Jonny Ramone was, that had drummer Slim Jim Phantom (of The Stray Cats) and guitarist Danny B. Harvey, among others, play in the studio with him. I've known Jim since the 90s when he was in the Stray Cats. After we finished recording (the Elvis tribute), we were in the studio, and I picked up an acoustic guitar. We started playing some old songs. We realized we knew every fucking song. We did an album 10 years ago.

Jim: I noticed you guys play a lot of covers.
Lemmy: Yeah, that's what we are, we're a cover band.

Jim: Exactly! But is there a chance of you guys writing your own songs?
Lemmy: We did two on this new album. "American Beat" is one of 'em. Then there's the "Slow Blues" that we did tonight.

Jim: So, "Slow Blues" is one you guys wrote together?
Lemmy: Just me.

Jim: Just you?
Lemmy: Yes, but we split the publishing, because that's just the sort of chap I am! You kind of have to. You don't want one guy gettin' all the bread, it's not right. It's no good for the band as an entity. Pete Townsend of the Who, he kept all the money.

Jim: Same thing with KISS, right? Gene does all the royalty splits.
Lemmy: Gene and Stanley, yeah. But Jesus! Doesn't there come a point when money isn't everything?

Jim: Do you have tour plans with The Head Cat?
Lemmy: Well, no, cause I gotta go on tour with Motorhead at the end of this month. We're going to go to Europe, we're doing festivals.

Jim: Will we see Motorhead in the United States anytime soon?
Lemmy: Possibly in September or October, but not before that.

Jim: You were in a few other bands before Motorhead.
Lemmy: Several.

Jim: You were a guitar player?
Lemmy: A very mediocre one.

Jim: What made you switch from guitar to bass?
Lemmy: I was a great rhythm guitarist. Lead was like ... foreign to me. Then bass showed up, and I was thinking, 'Why didn't I do this earlier?' Cause I'm made for bass - I'm supposed to play bass, that's what I'm supposed to do.

Jim: If you could put together your ultimate band of all time- with anyone alive or dead, and you only had one show, who would be in your band?
Lemmy: One show? Hmm ... Jeff Beck. Clapton and Jimmy Page for different songs. Me on bass. Ringo and Matt Sorum on drums. Piano ... I don't know who I'd get for piano, but there would have to be a piano player - and a brass section, probably Bobby Keys.