Justin Hawkins has addressed his past conflict with Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister on his YouTube show Justin Hawkins Rides Again.
“Some people have sort of alluded to the situation as you think you understand it regarding Lemmy [Kilmister],” Hawkins stated. “Let me explain that one to you. Lemmy made some disparaging remarks about the Darkness in the early part of our career like a lot of people did.”
“And my reaction in those days as a drinking person was always to sort of hit back with something stronger,” he continued. “So, I said something really mean about Lemmy. I said some mean things about just about everybody that didn’t like the Darkness in those days. Because you know you stick up for yourself. That’s how I was brought up. You fight fire with fire.”
“So, I went a bit overboard I suppose. And then what I didn’t realized though was that Lemmy was actually complimenting the band,” Hawkins revealed. “And the things that he said he meant in a nice way. I didn’t realize that until he tried to get in to see us play in LA.”
“He wanted to come to one of the two shows that we did there that was sold out the first time we went to America. I was like, ‘Well, if you say mean things about the band and then try and get in on the guest list the answer is no. I don’t care if you’re the reanimated corpse of the boy king of Tutankhamun. If you say some shitty stuff about the Darkness and then ask to get on the guest list, the answer is going to be no. I don’t care who you are.’ So, that was my attitude…,” the frontman shared.
“I didn’t let Lemmy come in. And afterwards, Dave Grohl sat Lemmy and I down and we sort of freshed it out and became firm friends. He explained that the comment he made. He actually meant it as a compliment and I’d got it completely wrong. And I was like, ‘Oh, sh-t.’ So, we were friends after that,” he concluded.
Lemmy explained his comments were meant as compliments. This resolution led to a friendship between the two musicians.
The incident took place during The Darkness’s early rise to fame. This period proved transformative for the band.
Data from Wikipedia shows The Darkness’s debut album ‘Permission to Land’ sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. The band earned three BRIT Awards in 2004.
Hawkins launched his YouTube show in 2021. IMDB notes the platform serves as his outlet for discussing music industry insights and sharing personal experiences.
Hawkins’s life has taken new directions in recent years. Viva reports his marriage led him to embrace a vegan lifestyle. This change reflects his commitment to sustainability and animal welfare.
The resolution with Lemmy demonstrates how direct communication can overcome misunderstandings in the music industry. Their reconciliation highlights the importance of mutual respect.
