A little ditty, written by the other half of the show, Mark. For those who *don’t* live in Phoenix, it’s one of America’s most beautiful cities, surrounded by mountains. The kind people paint. The kind you see in majestic photographs. The kind you shouldn’t attempt to hike when the temperature exceeds 100 degrees. Which, in Phoenix, is usually three months of the year. Inevitably, some dipstick thinks they’re going to be fine, and gets helicoptered off a mountain every day. And so…Mark created this ode to the stupid…

I’ve always liked Phil. Seems like a fairly down-to-earth guy. Clearly part of one of the biggest bands of his era. And yet, comes across as humble. Early on, I had a chance to meet him & Joe Elliott backstage at a Motley Crue/Cinderella show. They, had just played the local outdoor amphitheater. I, was a young kid…just starting out. They both treated me like a professional (which I’ve always aspired to be. Maybe, someday). They even invited me to join them as they completely demolished Cinderella’s dressing room! Yes…I did. It was the best. Understandably, Phil doesn’t remember. His blood-alcohol that night was somewhere just south of “nuclear.” So…it’s understandable.

A class act all the way…

So…when you agree to have Ted Nugent on your radio show, there are certain things you have to expect:

1. He *will* bash the President
2. He’s going to swear
3. You’re barely going to be allowed to speak
4. He will love himself more than any man, woman, or animal life in the known history of mankind has ever loved itself
5. It will be fun to listen to

Ted…is as entertaining as they get. He’s a wordsmith, and a storyteller, and highly entertaining. He’s probably the most polarizing guest I’ve ever had. Half the audience worships him. The other…listens to loathe.

I promised Ted (& his wonderful wife, Shemane), that I’d present him honestly. I love the fact that he speaks his mind…even if I may not agree with him on everything. Long story-short…he’s good radio.

And so, I present to you, the unedited hour that I spent with Ted Nugent. Hope you enjoy!

We’re pretty lucky here in Phoenix. A lot of celebrities & musicians make it their home. Many have vacation homes here. Some…like Nils, live here full time. Occasionally, they stop by the station to plug their upcoming things.  Or, in this case, Nils was playing a small club show, and wanted to show us his new career-spanning Box Set. He hung out for a while, and was a really good sport.

So, without further ado, here’s Nils Lofgren

Part I:

Part II:

Part III:

Part IV:

In case you haven’t heard, Lemmy isn’t doing so well health-wise. The band has been cutting short their shows, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to be around much longer.

Lemmy Kilmister Motörhead was my *first* interview. It was a Sunday afternoon in late 1986. They were playing with Cro-Mags & Malice. I was an 18-year old college kid, with a bad Boston accent. I arrived at the Channel at about 2:30 in the afternoon with my friends Mike & Buji. It was exactly like something out of “Almost Famous.” I knocked on the back door of the club, and a roadie opened the door. “Whaddaya want?” “I’m here for the inta-view” “Bus is over there!” SLAM!

So…I walk nervously to the bus, knock twice…the door opens, and I’m greeted by Michael “Wurzel” Burston (R.I.P.). He asks what I need. So polite. It was really disarming. I told him I was there to interview the band. He opens the door wide and says “C’mon.” So, I followed him, and shut the door behind me.

On the bus…the acrid aroma of sweat, and filth. I sat in the seat at the little table, which contained a plate of donuts…presumably from sometime in the past week or so. Wurzel goes behind the curtain for a second, and returns with Lemmy.

They sit, and we proceed to talk about the band’s latest album, “Orgasmatron,” and all that comes with it. During the conversation, a roadie walks on the bus with a 30-gallon rubber barrel. Which he proceeded to fill with ice…and Foster’s “oil cans.” Lemmy asks if I want a beer. I say “no” (because we’re recording), and nod “yes.”

At one point, Lemmy gets up to go to the back of the bus, and Wurzel says to me, “Don’ tell anyone…but I’m leavin’ the band.”

I just stared.

Then, he said it again. Told me he was quitting the band. And nobody else knew it. (Side note: he would stay in Motorhead until 1995). Said he was making a solo record, and was leaving after the tour. I was being given secret information. And I couldn’t tell anyone. Long story short, I spent the rest of the afternoon drinking with Motorhead. They were the coolest guys I’d ever met. Just salt-of-the-earth dudes.

My firmest recollections of the actual show are;

Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell used to go to the bar with a Mr. Spock doll. So he could order *two* drinks at once. One for him. One for Mr. Spock. He would then hang the Mr. Spock doll from his amplifier during the show.

And…

Some skinhead kid, spit at Lemmy. This, was a bad decision on his part. Lemmy, took off his Rickenbacker bass, and clocked that kid in the skull.

It was awesome!

That night, I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life.

If you were to ask me my favorite bands of all-time, Motorhead wouldn’t be my first response. However, they are certainly responsible for my career. That experience, was the first of many that I can thank Lemmy for. He was the right guy, at the right time. My only wish for him…is to be able to be happy doing what he does. He’s a legend in every sense of the word. And music is better because of his contributions.

If it means he calls it a day, he’s earned it.

It it means he presses on, and the sad day comes when it all ends on the road, that’s his destiny. He chose it. He deserves whatever he wants.

Thank You Lemmy! For everything.