Not every guitarist gets to play in a band with their childhood idol. But Motörhead’s Phil Campbell did.
Campbell — who died March 13 at age 64 — was just 12 years old when he first met bassist Lemmy Kilmister, years before the two would share stages around the world in Motörhead.
At the time, Lemmy was playing with space-rock outfit Hawkwind, and Campbell was a devoted fan. The Welsh-born guitarist recalled catching the band’s show at the Cardiff Capitol Theatre — an experience that left a lasting impression.
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“It was my first time seeing Hawkwind, and they freaked the shit out of me,” he told Revolver. “They had all these amazing lights and all this weird sci-fi shit.”
Being the young fan he was, Campbell lingered in the theater foyer after the show, hoping to meet the band.
If somebody had said to me that day that I’d be in a big band with this guy and win Grammys and go around the world, I’d have thought they were crazy.”
— Phil Campbell
“Being the little kid that I was, I just stayed out in the foyer for about 20 minutes afterwards hoping to see them,” he said. “Lem was the only band member that came out, and he signed my program with his old-style autograph, going all the way down the page on his picture.
“If somebody had said to me that day that I’d be in a big band with this guy and win Grammys and go around the world, I’d have thought they were crazy. But it just proves that anything can happen.”
Roughly 11 years later, Campbell found himself auditioning for Lemmy’s band Motörhead. During the tryout, he mentioned their earlier meeting.
Lemmy didn’t remember it.
“But he did remember when I turned up to my audition with three different types of amphetamine,” Campbell joked. “Orange, white and pink!”
Campbell had first picked up the electric guitar at age 10, and like many players who came of age in the late ’60s and ’70s, he drew inspiration from the era’s giants.
He cited Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page as key influences, while also pointing to Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi for shaping the kind of heavy, riff-driven sound that would suit Motörhead.
I don’t really know how I developed my style — I guess just a mixture of all those guitarists. I’ve always just thought of myself as a blues guitar player, really.”
— Phil Campbell
His melodic sensibility came from players like UFO and Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker and Focus guitarist Jan Akkerman, while Todd Rundgren impressed him with his stylistic range.
At heart, though, Campbell always considered himself something else entirely.
“I don’t really know how I developed my style — I guess just a mixture of all those guitarists,” he said. “But I’ve always just thought of myself as a blues guitar player, really.”
Ironically, while Motörhead were frequently categorized as heavy metal, Campbell rejected the label.
“I’m definitely not a heavy metal player,” he said. “People think I might be, but they’re wrong. Motörhead was a rock and roll band that played loud. Lemmy thought the same.”
Motörhead was a rock and roll band that played loud. Lemmy thought the same.”
— Phil Campbell
That open-minded philosophy extended to his choice of guitars. Campbell played everything from Gibson Les Pauls to instruments by Caparison, PRS, Relish and Lag, which produced a signature Explorer-style model for him.
“With Motörhead, I would probably have 10 or 15 different guitars in there,” he told RockandRollGarage.com. “But I would never use a guitar just because it was a big-name guitar. If it was a $70 Walmart Strat and it happened to sound good with a bit of tweaking, I’d use that. We did whatever was good for the sound.”
For Campbell, the spirit of music was always about freedom rather than rules.
“I think that the beauty and the magic of music is that there are no rules — or there shouldn’t be, at least,” he said. “It’s just what happens. It’s how you run with it.
“If you’re not trying to create beauty, create something that makes a statement. Some of the most incredible players in the world probably can’t read music — and that’s fine as long as you have a feel for it.”
Create something that makes a statement. Some of the most incredible players in the world probably can’t read music — and that’s fine as long as you have a feel for it.”
— Phil Campbell
Campbell’s death comes roughly 10 years after Lemmy passed away on December 28, 2015.
His passing was announced on Facebook by his family. The guitarist died “following a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex, major operation,” according to a statement written by his children, Todd, Dane and Tyla Campbell.
“Phil was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as ‘Bampi,’ ” they wrote. “He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely.”
