UPDATE 5:30 p.m. EST (U.S.) A response back to an email sent by RockRevolt’s Editor in Chief to Lemmy/Motorhead’s publicist read: “Thank you for the kind words of support. When a release is approved, I will get it to you right away.”
Some bad news for fans of Motorhead today. According to their drummer, they’ve had to cancel the remaining six shows of their summer 2013 European tour due to doctor’s recommendation that frontman Lemmy Kilmister be given more time to recover from a hematoma as well as the insertion of a heart defibrillator that he reportedly went through last month.
Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee told the Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet, Expression.se, and GT.se that Lemmy’s condition is improving but also said, “The doctors in Berlin are recommending that he rests for another couple of weeks. We can’t keep canceling show after show, it’s too costly. Therefore we unfortunately have to cancel the entire tour.”
“Everything started with him falling and getting a nasty blow to his hip a little over a week ago,” Dee told the Swedish newspaper. Following that fall, Lemmy further injured himself when a fire alarm went off at the hotel Royal Kensington in London where he was staying.
“He had to walk eight stairs in the middle of the night,” Mikkey said. “Lemmy’s personal assistant said that that was fucked up and that he had an injured hip.”
Dee was a little hesitant when it came to talking about the actual state of Lemmy’s health, referring to a “soon-to-be-issued press release that will offer more information.” But he said that a “snowball effect” had a negative impact on Lemmy’s physical condition.
“He needs to have his body drained of fluid and that can’t be done too quickly,” he said. “When he remains in bed and can’t move, he can easily get pnemonia…. If you can’t move properly, other issues will follow. He is devastated beyond belief. It has a bigger effect on him than it would anyone else. It’s like chopping off a piano player’s hands. This is his life.”
Asked if he is worried about his friend Lemmy, Dee said: “I am worried because he’s not doing so well right now. But he’s improving, even though it takes longer for him than anyone else to become well. Now that the doctors feel that he shouldn’t go out an play you’ll just have to accept that order.”
Motorhead have yet to confirm reports regarding either the hematoma or the defibrillator Lemmy apparently obtained recently to assist with an undisclosed heart problem, declaring only that the legendary singer and bassist underwent a “Motor-pit-stop for some medical maintenance this past spring.”
When asked if he had a message for fans planning to attend the shows, which were scheduled to run through Aug. 4 in Belgium, Dee responded, “We’re really sorry. But we’re not canceling because of a cold and this is something we’ve put a lot of thought into.” He seemed particularly sad about having to cancel a July 4 show in his hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden: “It’s so f—ing typical, but what are you going to do? You have to put health before everything else.”
As of this posting, no official statement has been issued from the Motorhead camp, nor have we received back a response from their publicist.
vlk/
