Hollywood Vampires Rock the 2016 Grammys in Fierce Tribute to Lemmy Kilmister
The 58th Grammy Awards show was highlighted by tributes to recently deceased artists, including Glenn Frey (the Eagles), David Bowie, Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire), and B.B. King. Plus, Stevie Wonder led a stirring tribute to the still-living Lionel Richie. But the tribute that rocked the Staples Center the hardest was by the supergroup Hollywood Vampires, which paid a fiery farewell to Motörhead vocalist/bassist/songwriter Lemmy Kilmister, who died on Dec. 28 of prostate cancer, cardiac arrhythmia, and congestive heart failure at the age of 70.
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“Many of us play rock ’n’ roll, but a rare few among us is rock ’n’ roll,” said Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who introduced the band. “Lemmy Kilmister was rock ’n’ roll,” he continued. “He was a rebel, an outsider, one of a kind, and a way of life. He was Motörhead. He was a legend, and I’m proud to call him my friend… As Lemmy taught us long ago, ‘The pleasure is to play.’”
That line is from Motörhead’s best-known song “Ace of Spades,” and it offered the perfect opportunity for the Hollywood Vampires – Alice Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, superstar drummer Matt Sorum, and actor and rocker Johnny Depp – to kick into a medley of Motörhead songs.
Instead, the band played the boisterous, bluesy “As Bad As I Am,” an outtake from its self-titled album, which came out last September. Cooper took the stage in a bloodstained white shirt, black gloves, and black leather pants, and marched back and forth as jets of flames licked the sky. Depp did a brief half-sung, half-spoken passage and launched into a solo. Then Perry took control with a seasoned, spicy lead that matched the groove of the tune.
(photo: Getty Images)
As entertaining as the song was compared to many of the night’s performers, it wasn’t at all effective as a tribute to Kilmister. Fortunately, the Hollywood Vampires pretty much made up for it, as McKagan picked the rapid-fire opening bass line of “Ace of Spades,” and a camera focused on a lone amplifier with Lemmy’s trademark cowboy hat on top, his military jacket hanging on the side, and one of his prized Rickenbackers in front.
McKagan and Cooper sang the song together, and throughout the frantic number, which was edited down to 1 minute and 40 seconds, Perry inserted dissonant guitar licks that complemented the chaos.
Depp was content to play rhythm guitar throughout, leaving Perry to play a couple more string-bending leads before the tumbling finale. Sadly, Hollywood Vampires ended right at one of the best moments, in which the music drops out and Kilmister sings, “You know I’m going to lose/’Cause gambling is for fools/But that’s the way I like it, baby/ I don’t want to live forever.”
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Still, hearing a song as explosive as “Ace of Spades” at a Grammy show that was otherwise packed with pop and R&B was a uniquely satisfying experience for hard rock fans around the world.
Interestingly, the Hollywood Vampires were a bunch of musicians who hung out and drank together at the Rainbow Bar & Grill – Lemmy’s favorite hangout – in the early 1970s. The clique included Cooper, Keith Moon, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Mickey Dolenz, and Harry Nilsson. Cooper initially planned to name the Hollywood Vampires’ album My Dead Drunk Friends, referring to his peers who didn’t live to a ripe old age. Kilmister is certainly welcome in that crew.
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