PHIL CAMPBELL
Metallica loved Motörhead. Motörhead loved Metallica. Their bromance led to partying, cover songs and a Grammy win
Metallica had released the Motörheadinfluenced Kill ’Em All before you joined Motörhead in 1984. When did you first become aware of them?
“It was summer 1984, and both bands were playing a festival in Belgium [the Heavy Sound Festival]. We headlined, Twisted Sister supported, and Metallica were third on the bill. They were really impressive, aggressive and powerful: they weren’t there on a jolly boys’ outing, they meant business. You could tell they had something special about them. They played like they wanted to take over the world… and, of course, that’s exactly what they went on to do.”
Metallica are huge Motörhead fans. Was it weird seeing them go massive in the early 90s?
“I know they’re big fans of the classic Motörhead line-up, and they were always lovely to us when our paths crossed. But when you’re in a band, you’re so busy that you’re not always aware of what’s going on with other bands, so it was a while after the fact that we realised how massive they’d become. Everything lined up perfectly for them on The Black Album: they had great songs, a producer who knew how to get a huge sound, a record company who supported them and management who’d worked with big bands before and understood how the industry works. We were happy for them; their success was well deserved.”
Did you ever play onstage with them? “No, the closest I got was when they played the show as The Lemmys in LA for Lem’s 50th birthday, with the stick-on moustaches. That was a great night, from what I can remember! They wouldn’t have wanted me onstage with them that night… I’m not sure I could have stayed upright for a whole song!”
What do you make of the Motörhead covers Metallica have recorded? “They did great, because they’ve a genuine love for the music. I’m sure it led to some of their fans checking us out. I remember telling Lars, ‘I just wish you’d covered one of the songs that I co-wrote!’”
What made Motörhead cover Metallica’s Whiplash?
“I honestly can’t remember. When it was suggested, I was like, ‘I can’t play that fast!’ so I worked on a different interpretation. I was really happy with how it turned out. I’ve never heard what they think of it, but I’m sure they told Lem. It was a great honour to win a Grammy for it.”