Here’s the Life-Size Statue of Lemmy They Erected at The Rainbow
This summer, we heard that the Rainbow Bar & Grill would be opening a new “Lemmy Lounge”, which would feature a life-size statue of Lemmy Kilmister himself following the singer’s untimely passing in December.
Well, last night, artist Travis Ryan unveiled the bronze statue to the public, and, well, here it is:
…eesh.
Among those attending the unveiling were Motörhead’s longtime manager Todd Singerman, who said the following about Lemmy:
“I look at him no differently than Johnny Cash, the Beatles and so on. He was real. He didn’t bullshit. The way he went on stage was the way he was at home. Go find that today.”
That’s a heartwarming statement by Singerman. But the message behind it is exactly why I absolutely hate this statue.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of reasons I dislike this thing — bronze is an ugly, ugly metal, and Lemmy was much more of a chrome kind of guy. Ryan also chose Lemmy at his oldest and most frail (look at that neck) when this statue was meant to remember the man’s entire life, not just the last time we saw him. On top of all of that, this strips Lemmy’s look of its teeth. No iron cross? I call bullshit.
But it’s the posture, and the look on his face, that really gets me. It looks like the dude’s on line to receive communion. That’s not who Lemmy was, and we know it. Lemmy was a rock and roller, first and foremost. When I imagine him, he has a massive smile on his face and his bass strapped to him, and is maybe giving someone the finger. He was full of fire, and energy, and attitude. Sure, he was noble and intelligent and thoughtful, but you don’t have to strip him of one side of his personality to showcase the other. Singerman says the way Lemmy went onstage was the way he went home — was it like this? Hands folded, eyes raised in serene respect? Might as well have put fucking wings and a halo on him.
Look, I’m a massive Motörhead fan, and will always remember Lemmy as the ultimate rocker, the dude we will always dream of being, so I’m glad there’s a monument to him at the Rainbow. I’m just nonplussed that it’s such a dire one. If there was one thing Lemmy was about, it was having fun, and this statue is no fun at all.
[via Classic Rock]
