“I put those details in because if you don’t, people sense there’s something not quite right”: A permanent bronze Lemmy is being erected tomorrow in Stoke-on-Trent
Ten years on from the Motörhead frontman’s passing, a permanent 8ft bronze Lemmy statue is set to be unveiled in his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent. The official ceremony will take place tomorrow (Friday 9 May), and will be preceded by an official motorcade.
The procession will kick off at 4pm, starting at Grumpy’s bar and ending at the official installation site at Burslem Market Place. Once installed, Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell will share a few words before placing a portion of Lemmy’s ashes inside the statue’s plinth.
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Following the ceremony, fans are encouraged to head back to Grumpy’s for the official afterparty from 6:30pm. The evening will celebrate the life of Lemmy, with an auction hosting items supplied by Motörhead’s record label and merchandise companies. Motörhead tribute band Motörwrecked will also be performing.
Lemmy’s statue has been two years in the making, with sculptor Andy Edwards first proposing the idea back in 2023 to the Stoke-on-Trent council. Edwards has previously crafted the iconic Beatles statue in Liverpool, as well as immortalising the Bee Gees at the Douglas seafront on the Isle of Man – but it’s the first time he’s been able to honour an artist from his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent.
Edwards initially posted a GoFundMe to raise £50,000 for the statue’s completion. However, the ball really got rolling when Motörhead’s management heard about the project. They helped fund the project, and spread the word to fans. The Stoke-On-Trent council also did their part in contributing towards the permanent memorial statue.
Edwards has previously told the BBC that Lemmy was one of his “personal heroes”. As a result, he has made every effort in making the Lemmy statue as true-to-life as possible.
Modelled after live photos of Lemmy featured within 1979’s Overkill‘s liner notes, the bronze Lemmy wears a bullet belt and Wrangler jeans. He’s also playing a Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar from his 1981 Vale Park performance.
“You’ve got to care about it, it’s got to come from the heart,” Edwards explains. “I put those details in because if you don’t, people sense there’s something not quite right. They won’t hang around as long. You want people to hang about because you want people to go back in time and get their imaginations going.”
“This new statue of Lem is special. Not just because I share the same birthplace as him or because of how much he personally means to me, but because it’s so important to have a permanent international landmark celebrating him where he was born.”
“Motörhead are the hardest, loudest band in the world – why wouldn’t you make those your heroes? We’re from Stoke-on-Trent and Lemmy’s one of us,” he concludes.
In a new interview with The Guardian, bandmate Campbell also praises Edwards’ work. “It’ll be wonderful, finally getting an incredible statue in his hometown,” Campbell says. “It’ll be solemn in a way, with enshrining his ashes, but also a celebration of the music and the fantastic character he was.”
“Anything to do with Lem is significant and really special. He’s missed by many. He’s still in my dreams two or three times a week, getting on my case about something.”
This wont be the first time Lemmy’s ashes have been sprinkled in a place that means a lot to him. Last year, his ashes were placed in the London strip club Stringfellows.
Ashes have also been scattered at the German metal festival Wacken Open Air, Nottingham’s Rock City and are displayed at Bloodstock Festival each year.
The post “I put those details in because if you don’t, people sense there’s something not quite right”: A permanent bronze Lemmy is being erected tomorrow in Stoke-on-Trent appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
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