Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee discussed why modern bands cannot replicate Motörhead’s approach in an interview with Drummer’s Review.
“Money’s too important today for bands, which is understandable because it’s extremely hard to be touring and recording and to make a living in the music industry today. So I understand that money is more important today than it was in our days,” Dee said.
“It’s always important, but we never felt that we needed to have a hundred million in the bank. Lemmy [Kilmister] was happy having his whiskey and live day to day and not run out of money. But he wasn’t a big spender at all, how he lived and all that. And that’s kind of how we all were. We just wanted to have a good life and a fun life,” he explained.
“So I don’t think that the industry could take another Motörhead today. It would be clashing right away, that’s what I believe,” Dee continued. “And this political correctness that we live in today, it’s a f*cking joke. Motörhead would never exist in this. We would’ve been arrested day two if we started that kind of band again.”
“Like Lemmy would’ve said, we would be in jail, because they couldn’t take our sense of humor. You’re really barely supposed to have any sense of humor today, which was the big fuel in Motörhead — to give sh*t and take some sh*t, and just enjoy it and laugh about it,” he added.
Dee’s insights stem from his decades of experience in the music industry.
His early career featured notable work with King Diamond in the mid-1980s. During this period, as documented by Mabumbe, he contributed to landmark albums, including ‘Abigail’ (1987) and ‘Them’ (1988).
Dee’s musical journey continued beyond Motörhead. He joined the Scorpions in 2016. His recent work includes contributions to their album ‘Rock Believer’ (2022).
The drummer’s career spans multiple eras of the music industry. This experience gives him unique insight into the business’s evolution.
His time with both old-school bands like Motörhead and contemporary acts like the Scorpions provides firsthand knowledge of the music business’s changing landscape.
