Quick Chat: Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead

Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead discusses his impending solo record, his first.

Nearly four decades after founding the thunderous hard-rock band Motorhead, bass-playing vocalist Lemmy Kilmister is still one of the most unforgettable faces in rock ’n’ roll. The gravel-voiced 66-year-old and L.A. resident recently appeared on the 10th season premiere of VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show” and is about to step out with his first solo record.

You’ve worked with VH1 on various shows. Do you ever watch yourself on-screen afterward?

I usually watch them once, just to make sure I didn’t make too much of a fool out of myself.

You’ve mentioned that you’re a big fan of the strip club Cheetahs. Have you been there since they’ve started booking bands?

I haven’t been there much lately, but I know that’s a mistake. How desperate is that? I want to go there to see some strippers, not some dude with a guitar.

At this stage in your career with Motorhead, why release a solo record?

People kept asking me for one, and I have a lot of songs I couldn’t really do with Motorhead. I’ve been working on the thing for about seven years because I can only do it during the time I’m not with Motorhead. There’s not much of that.

Who have been some of your favorite collaborators on it?

Dave Grohl and Joan Jett were a couple great ones. I should have the album finished in a couple of months. No set release date yet.

You also have a rockabilly side project called Head Cat. Has that style of music always been a part of your life?

Yeah, it’s pretty much what I started out playing as a kid.

Any specific memories from your recent gig on Gigantour with Megadeath and Lacuna Coil?

Our L.A. show was probably the best show we’ve ever played out here. It must’ve been, because I had to miss the next four shows because of laryngitis. I just lost my voice.

Has that ever happened before?

Once or twice, I think.

Since you’re at home in L.A., where do like to hang out?

The Rainbow Bar is pretty much my local bar; it’s right up the street from me. I tend to chase women usually. I catch ’em now and again too.

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Photo: Lemmy, lead singer of Motorhead, is photographed inside the Rainbow Bar in West Hollywood. Credit: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times

6 ways to catch an onstage beat down from your favorite artist

In every large concert crowd there’s at least one one fan who is dead set on customizing his or her concert experience by testing an artists’ patience and maybe his right jab. Even in today’s world of social media and Internet streams that allow us to view concerts from afar, watching an artist dole out a bruising 15 minutes of fame to a belligerent heckler or overzealous fan elicits a certain amount of real-time excitement you can’t get from a computer screen. (Warning: Video links below contain violence and/or explicit language.)

Fans of A$AP Rocky got a taste of that this past weekend at SXSW, when an all-out brawl ensued at the Vice Kills Texas party on Sunday, where the Harlem rapper and his onstage entourage reacted with their fists after audience members chucked cans of beer at them. Check out the video here. According to reports from the festival, it all started when a member of Rocky’s crew allegedly had his do-rag swiped by an audience member 15 minutes into their super-late-night set. Rocky made some efforts to peacefully defuse the situation, but soon after, a rogue audience member decided to get some extra attention from the bristling posse by throwing beer at them. As video of the incident indicates, Rocky and company gave the audience member exactly what he wanted, at the expense of shutting down the show early.

Of course there are myriad ways to earn a beat down from your favorite artist that plenty of music-loving masochists might want to take note of. Here are a few off the top of our heads.

1) Standing in the wrong place at the wrong time:

First off, if you’re going stand in the front row at a concert, you have to know there are certain risk factors involved. One of them just might be a flying mike stand. In 2009, Beyoncé Knowles’ little sister, Solange, taught that lesson to an unlucky fan the hard way after she threw the equivalent of a weighted javelin just a little too hard at the end of one of her shows. To her credit, the apology she gave the fan after she ran off stage seemed 100% sincere, didn’t it?

 

Justin Bieber fans vote on the artwork for new single 'Boyfriend'

Casual Justin Bieber groupies might have found themselves in a mental tug of war on Friday as the final hours ticked away for online voting for the artwork on his new single, “Boyfriend.” In an effort to create some frenzy over the Mike Posner-produced track, out March 26, the 18-year-old pop star is allowing fans to vote via Twitter on two photo options for the single’s cover art. The voting ends Friday, though it's unclear from the website what time it officially closes.

To the untrained eye, the difference between these two nearly identical photos seems inconsequential. Wrong. Each one tells a very specific tale -- one that probably says more about the beholder than it does about Biebs himself. Behind these two equally expressionless gazes exist two very different sets of values, thoughts and fears that are worth examining.

Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Photo #1 (left)

At first, this pose appears to be a classic Bieber. The sight of his hand mussing through his phantom curtain of bangs that he shed long ago denotes a nostaligic feeling for the past. This look would probably appeal to a young, naïve idealist who is as passionate about ending war as about the use of quality hair care products. Unfortunately you can only focus on one passion at a time, and a bottle of Vidal Sassoon is much easier to attain than world peace. The look of confusion and uncertainty might also attract a Bieber fan who’s not quite ready to let go of the Biebs' days as the innocent, underage hearthrob. The chooser of this photo might even be apprehensive about moving forward in her or his own life — moving out of the house, getting a job, buying bed sheets without cartoon characters on them. It’s a big world out there and maybe you just want to keep your shirt buttoned up and be a kid for a little bit longer.

Photo#2 (right)

It's hard to catch the averted eyes of the brand new bad boy Bieber. With the panache and wisdom that comes with 18 years of living, this is the kind of photo you take when you’re trying to show the world your newfound independence. Casting off the shadow of an outworn, sweetheart persona, you too might be looking for a change in how people perceive you. You're also the kind of person willing to take a risk -- after all, not everyone chooses to expose a tank top underneath a collared shirt unless he's willing to be judged. Lately you’ve been easily distracted (obviously) by something new and enticing that’s come out of nowehere. A new life goal perhaps? A new love interest? A shiny object of some kind?

Results of the voting for the new artwork for the "Boyfriend" will be revealed Monday morning. Careful, there's a lot riding on this. Choose wisely.

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Photo: Two options for the cover art of Justin Bieber's new single, "Boyfriend."

Credit: www.justinbiebermusic.com

Umphrey's McGee will share song roots at House of Blues

Umphrey’s McGee is always looking for the next big thing to make its fans feel as connected to the Chicago-based jam band as possible. Events such as the UM Bowl and the band's “Stew Art” concert series have given fans the ability to manipulate the group's live set through online votes and texts in just about every context imaginable. So, it’s a little weird to think that an intimate “Storytellers”-style acoustic set, scheduled for a sold-out L.A. crowd Friday, is uncharted territory for the band.

“It’s definitely the first time we’ve done anything like this, as far as stripping back the layers of some of the meanings of our songs,” said keyboard player Joel Cummins.

On Friday, the band rolls into the House of Blues in West Hollywood for a double-set performance beginning with a low-key matinee set its members are calling “True Hollywood Stories.” However, unlike the popular E! documentary series, we’re not sure how much murder and scandal will be involved. But we do expect plenty of witty banter between jams.

"And there's plenty of embarrassing stories in there, as far as songs we've written," Cummins said.

The band is making its first L.A. stop since the release of “Death by Stereo” in September 2011. For Cummins, who recently moved to Venice from the band’s home base in Chicago, this will be his first hometown show as an Angeleno. And although surf and sun in the wintertime have been a welcome change from Midwest snowstorms, Cummins says L.A. has been a difficult market for Umphrey’s McGee to crack, with its sandal-wearing, virtuosic fusion of world music, folk and progressive rock, despite its enormous following at festivals throughout the country.

SXSW 2012: Omar Rodriguez Lopez targets male ego in 'Los Chidos'

When Omar Rodriguez Lopez picks up an electric guitar with the Mars Volta, his playing is usually defined by its otherworldly, psychedelic effects. But as a producer-director picking up a camera for his latest film, “Los Chidos,”  his artwork has medicinal properties that are more akin to ipecac than acid. That is to say, he’s more interested in purging and exposing the worst parts of reality than escaping from them.

Ahead of next month's reunion with his landmark band At the Drive-In at the Coachella festival in Indio, Calif., the El Paso native headed to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, this week to unveil his latest film, “Los Chidos.” Speaking on the phone with Pop & Hiss, he says that the main objective of this dark comedy about a Mexican family destroyed by machismo, misogyny, classism and homophobic values was to help him heal and become a better person.

And, of course, making movies forces the often reclusive guitarist to get out of his house.

PHOTOS: South by Southwest

“Anytime I make a film, I have to go out and meet people, I have to go book a place to rehearse, I have to meet strangers,” Rodriguez Lopes said. “That’s therapy for me. Because I’m the type of person that would rather hide from what I perceive to be a very crazy world and just be at home with people that know me and understand me.”

The film premiered this week at SXSW and has already garnered some buzz for its fearless, forthright and gut-churning commentary on the destructiveness of the male ego and long-held social stereotypes within Latin culture.

“On the posters for the movie, we wrote, ‘If you don’t criticize your culture, you don’t love your mother.’ You say that to someone and they're either on-board [with the film] or they're not,” Rodriguez Lopez said.

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund auctions VIP Coachella tickets

For every celebrated headliner or up-and-coming band gracing the Coachella stages this year in Indio, Calif., there’s probably a small army of local musicians in the area suffering from debilitating illness or extreme poverty that you’ll never hear about.

For the last 18 years, the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund has carried on a mission to help these artists in need, and this year, it's using Indio’s two-weekend uberfestival to do it.

To aid its cause, the national nonprofit is offering generous music fans a chance to turn their kindness into VIP Coachella tickets when they contribute to the organization’s fundraiser designed to help local artists in need in the Coachella Valley. That also includes the possibility of walking away with signed music equipment from the Black Keys, and a backstage meeting with Kaskade or the Shins.

The auction runs through March 15. There’s also a giveaway of two VIP passes for the first weekend of the event to anyone who registers with Sweet Relief and clicks the “LIKE” button on the organization's  Facebook page through March 21.

Sweet Relief is auctioning off several pairs of VIP Coachella tickets, donated by festival promoter Goldenvoice, for both weekends of the event, April 13-15 and April 20-22. Since the auction was announced Tuesday, the bidding for the coveted prizes ranges from $400 (two VIP passes for Weekend 2 with a meet-and-greet with DJ R3hab) to $1,750 (VIP passes for Weekend 2 with a meet-and-greet with Andrew Bird). Too rich for your blood? You can still bid on a number of signed gear that’ll cost you far less (a signed ukulele from Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, anyone?).

“We are extremely grateful to be able to assist musicians in need who reside and work in the Coachella Valley,” said Rob Max, executive director of Sweet Relief. “This ticket auction will raise much needed funds for musicians fighting cancer, MS, heart disease and other career-threatening challenges.”

Check out the Sweet Relief auction page here as well as the organization's Facebook page for additional  details.

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Goldenvoice unleashes pre-Coachella concert calendar

It's that time again. For the hordes of secret show fanatics and would-be Coachella goers, April is the key month to keep an eye on L.A.'s Goldenvoice lineup. On Monday, the mega concert promoter, headed by Paul Tollet, unleashed an impressive lineup of concerts for local venues including the El Rey, the Fonda, the Orpheum and the Fox Theater in Pomona.

Check it out and please, try not to disturb your co-workers with the major freakout you're about to have:

Rapper B-Real, medical marijuana advocates rally at L.A. City Hall

For the first time since Occupy L.A. rolled out of town, it was smoke instead of smog that permeated the air on Thursday outside Los Angeles City Hall.

More than 100 medical marijuana enthusiasts gathered on the steps outside Los Angeles City Hall on Thursday afternoon for a peaceful protest rallying against the city’s ongoing attempts to ban or limit medical marijuana dispensaries. The “SmokeOut for Safe Access Rally,” featuring Cypress Hill's B-Real, Tommy Chong and the band Kottonmouth Kings, drew a respectable crowd ready to march in support of medical pot. And let’s not forget their mission to snag some easy promotion for the Cypress Hill SmokeOut Festival happening Saturday at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino. The protest was a joint effort (rim shot, please!) between festival organizers, Americans for Safe Access and the Medicine & Music Project.

The event began at 4 p.m. on the west steps of City Hall, where Cypress Hill rapper B-Real, Americans for Safe Access California Director Don Duncan, rapper MC Supernatural and comedian-activist Tommy Chong came to deliver brief speeches to protesters.

“Nothing better than rolling up a fat one, sittin’ on the courthouse steps, watch me rap one… yo I can handle this they’re so scandalous, tryin’ to ban medical marijuana in Los Angeles,” rapped MC Supernatural.

!!!'s Nic Offer says band is testing new songs on the West Coast

 
The band !!! (a.k.a. "Chk Chk Chk") has plenty of justifiable reasons for being excited about a West Coast tour in the middle of winter. First, unlike their current home base in Brooklyn, we barely even get winter here. Second, their quick stint of club dates up and down the coast is affording the Sacramento-bred band time to test out new material for an album they’ll be recording in March.

Since forming in 1996, the band's crowd-pleasing brand of dance-punk has landed them on just about every major festival stage from Coachella and Bonaroo to Spain’s Primavera Sound. But in the spirit of testing a new crop of unreleased songs, the band has decided to give fans an intimate round of shows for their quick-hitting “Caliiifornia” tour. And despite the perceived difficulty of fitting a spastically energetic six-piece band on a small club stage, front man Nic Offer says !!! is definitely an act that can rock on all terrain.

“People always ask us how we’re able to fit our show on small stages," Offer said. "But through the ups and downs of our careers, and being all the way at the bottom, we’ve been able to play anywhere.”

More important, this four-date outing between Santa Barbara and San Diego from Feb. 28 to March 2 offers their raw, sweat-drenched club music a chance to thrive in its natural habitat. Before Thursday's show at the Echoplex, Offer spoke with Pop & Hiss about their forthcoming record steeped in a mixture of unapologetic electro, rough-and-tumble rock guitars and a newfound work ethic inspired by Prince.

Pop & Hiss: Having played so many huge festival stages in the last few years, what does it feel like to be playing your music in a club where it really seems to be most at home, stylistically?

Nic Offer: We kind of like it all. It’s exciting playing the bigger stages, but when you’re at a club and the people are just right there in your face, the energy is just more compacted. Taking the energy of a huge stage and putting it in a small room makes it all the more explosive. Everyone that was at the show last night who came up to us was like, “Oh, I saw you at Coachella and this was so much better.” I think people are just blown away by something that intimate. It’s more exciting.

UCLA JazzReggae Festival premieres new concert video series

The outdoor concert season is still months away, but the UCLA JazzReggae Festival is already prepping for its Memorial Day weekend event. Now in its 26^th year, it's become the largest student-run fest in the country and offers a two-day mash-up of hip-hop, reggae and yes, even a slice of actual jazz. To whet your appetite, the organizers have put togther a series of performance videos from last year’s festival, the first of which is premiering on Pop & Hiss.

The video includes a performance of horn-drenched soul courtesy of Lee Fields & the Expressions,  who played their weather-appropriate tune “Sunny” for a full crowd at last year's sold-out festival. Singing to an audience packed with locals in lawn chairs and Bruins sporting beach wear, Fields delivered a gut-wrenching love song backed by skintight rhythms from his suit-wearing six-piece ensemble.

Almost a year later, the 61-year-old Fields — who went from singing with Kool and the Gang in the mid-'70s to becoming an underground legend in soul music — is preparing to release a new record, “Faithful Man,” on March 13 via Brooklyn-based Truth and Soul Records.

The video series will be available on the festival's website starting in March and will feature footage from 2011 performers Little Dragon, the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble and others.

Stay tuned for updates on the 2012 lineup and check out the video below:

 

Lee Fields -- 'Sunny' from JazzReggae Festival on Vimeo.

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Photo: Screen grab from Lee Fields' performance of "Sunny" at the UCLA JazzReggae Festival in 2011. Credit: UCLA JazzReggae Festival.