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The punk legends Lemmy dismissed as “a joke”
Lemmy Kilmister, frontman of Motörhead, was known for his blunt, often derisive opinions of the punk rock scene, despite his own band sharing much of its rebellious, drug-fuelled spirit with the movement that emerged around it in mid-1970s Britain. While Motörhead is frequently cited by punk purists as an honorary exception within the genre, Lemmy himself rarely returned the affection, dismissing several of the era's figures and acts with characteristic scorn.
Among his targets were the pioneering all-female punk band The Slits, whom he branded "a joke" and "fucking awful" in a 2010 interview, despite the group's influential fusion of punk and reggae on albums such as Cut. Lemmy did, however, express some fondness for Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, recalling that he used to sleep on Motörhead's couch. His comments about The Slits also touched on a past relationship with drummer Palmolive, remarks the article suggests reflect the wider misogyny the band faced during the 1970s.
In short
- Lemmy called punk band The Slits "a joke" and "fucking awful"
- He admired Sid Vicious but scorned most other punk acts
- Comments seen as reflecting sexism The Slits faced in the 1970s
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Examining Lemmy's dismissal of The Slits offers important perspective on the systemic misogyny that marginalised female musicians in 1970s punk. The Slits' demonstrable artistic merit and innovative punk-reggae fusion make his characterisation of them as 'a joke' seem disproportionately harsh, and when combined with the personal history referenced, his criticism reflects the gender bias that women artists consistently faced from influential male figures in the scene.
The case against
Lemmy was renowned for unsparing and often harsh judgement of countless bands throughout his career, reflecting a deliberate embrace of contrarianism rather than necessarily revealing gender-based bias. Without clear evidence that he applied standards uniquely or disproportionately harsh specifically to female artists, attributing misogyny to his criticism of The Slits risks imposing contemporary analytical frameworks onto what was characteristically blunt musical disagreement from an artist whose caustic opinions were famously applied across the board.
Explained simply
Motörhead were a British rock band led by singer and bassist Lemmy Kilmister. They emerged in the 1970s, around the time punk became prominent in Britain, and shared some of its loud, rebellious style.
The Slits were an all-female punk band whose music combined punk with reggae. Their album Cut became influential, though women in the punk scene often faced dismissive attitudes. Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious was another figure from the era; Lemmy recalled that he had sometimes slept on Motörhead’s couch.