Photo: WENN
More insight has been given Motorhead frontman Lemmy's recent health troubles, as it emerges that the hard rock icon has been fitted with a pacemaker.
Earlier this month, the 'Ace Of Spades' rockers rescheduled their UK and European tour after dates were postponed to allow frontman Lemmy to recover from his health issues. The bassist suffered a haematoma and he was fitted with a defibrilator because of previous heart problems.
Now, in a new interview with WalesOnline, guitarist Phil Campbell has spoken out about Lemmy's health and recovery.
"Lem had a pacemaker fitted earlier in the year because he’d been suffering from irregular heartbeats, and then his diabetes started playing him up," he said. "But his ticker's fine now and he’s made sufficient changes to his lifestyle and diet in order to combat the diabetes, it’s just that he felt he wasn’t 100% ready to go back on the road just yet."
He continued: "The main problem is that he’s displayed such a hard persona all his life that it makes it difficult for him to let people in. He’s like the John Wayne of rock – always wanting to soldier on and handle things on his own, you know?"
Watch Motorhead performing 'Ace Of Spades' below
In a statement on the band's website earlier this year, Lemmy addressed the current issues with the tour schedule and his health in a letter to fans.
"We have made the decision because I am not quite ready to hit the road yet, and am working my way back to full fitness and rude health," said Lemmy. "Don't worry - I'm not about to start promoting veganism and alcohol-free beverages, but it is fair to say that I personally have been reconfiguring areas of my life to make sure I can come back fitter and stronger than ever. It disappointed me tremendously to have to say I wasn't quite ready to hit the road yet, but not nearly as much as it would've disappointed me to go out, play some average shows and watch my health give way long before the tour was over. When people come to see a Motörhead tour, they expect a Motörhead show, and that is exactly what you will get as soon as I am fit and ready to rumble."
It seems that Lemmy will be 'ready to rumble' by February. The new rescheduled UK and European dates are as follows:
FEBRUARY
13 - GLASGOW Academy
14 - NEWCASTLE City Hall
16 - MANCHESTER Apollo
17 - WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Hall
19 - LONDON Brixton Academy
20 - NOTTINGHAM Royal Concert Hall
22 - PARIS Zenith
24 - DEINZE Brielpoort
25 - HAMBURG Sporthalle
27 - MUNICH Zenith
MARCH
01 - FRANKFURT Jahrhunderthalle
02 - BERLIN Velodrom
04 - DUSSELFORF MEH
05 - STUTTGART Schleyerhalle
08 - LINKOPING Cloetta Center
10 - HORSENS Forum
12 - OSLO Sentrum Scene
14 - HELSINKI Hartwell Arena
For more information visit Gigwise gig tickets.
Below: Motorhead, QOTSA and more rock Download Festival 2013
