Motörhead 'Is Over' After Lemmy Kilmister's Death, Drummer Says

As fans grieved the death of Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister yesterday (Dec. 29), few expected the band to continue without him. Kilmister was the band’s only original member and essentially, the source of its identity. Motörhead’s drummer has confirmed the obvious.

“Motörhead is over, of course,” Mikkey Dee told the Swedish publication Expressen. Lemmy was Motörhead. But the band will live on in the memories of many.”

The drummer (who has played with Motörhead since 1992) described Lemmy powering through the band’s most recent tour, despite deteriorating health.

“He was terribly gaunt, he spent all his energy on stage and afterwards he was very, very tired. It’s incredible that he could even play, that he could finish the Europe tour. It was only 20 days ago. Unbelievable.”

The tour wrapped on Dec. 11 at Berlin’s Max-Schmeling-Halle. According to Setlist.fm, Motörhead ended what will go down as its final concert with an encore performance of the 1979 song “Overkill.”

The band had been active since 1975, when Klimister formed it along with guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox.