“He said, You’re gonna be attacked from every side.” Motorhead legend Lemmy offered brilliant career advice to one of rock’s hottest new bands when they were starting out
Airbourne have recalled receiving career advice from Motörhead frontman Lemmy when the Australian rock band were at an early stage of their career. The encounter took place while Lemmy was appearing in the video for their 2007 single Runnin’ Wild, and O’Keeffe says the musician’s warning that they would be “attacked from every side” offered valuable perspective on the pressures surrounding success in rock music.
Lemmy agreed to feature in the video with a deliberately simple set of requests: two large bottles each of Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola, onion rings and a limousine. In an interview for Classic Rock magazine, Airbourne frontman Joel O’Keeffe describes waiting during filming when Lemmy arrived by limousine and shared his hard-earned experience with the group.
- Lemmy gave Airbourne early-career advice about criticism and pressure.
- He appeared in their 2007 Runnin’ Wild video.
- Airbourne describe the advice as invaluable.
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Airbourne are an Australian hard rock band formed in the early 2000s, known for loud, fast songs and energetic live shows. Their 2007 single Runnin’ Wild helped introduce them to a wider international rock audience.
Lemmy, whose full name was Ian Kilmister, was the singer and bassist of Motörhead, a British band influential in heavy metal and hard rock. He led the group from the 1970s until his death in 2015 and was widely known for his direct manner and long career in the music business.
The story concerns an early meeting between the established musician and Airbourne’s members during a video shoot. It reflects the pressures newer bands can face as attention, expectations and criticism grow around their success.