The legendary Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, founder of MOTÖRHEAD and Grammy Award-winning cultural icon, has had a portion of his ashes enshrined at this year’s Hellfest in Clisson, France within a new, giant statue of the man, and the official ceremony to recognize this unique memorialization will occur on June 23.
After the SCORPIONS — whose current lineup includes former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee — close the show, Dee and former MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell will say a few words, a tribute video to Lemmy will play, and Phil and Mikkey will raise a toast to the immortal and eternally popular Kilmister at the monument itself. The ceremony formally recognizes Lemmy‘s love of both the road and the fans, which is where he always felt most comfortable.
Hellfest was one of Lemmy‘s favorite festivals (MOTÖRHEAD played the first-ever Hellfest and was a staple of the festival ever since), and the band has always had a tremendous bond with its French rock and roll family. It is therefore fitting that Lemmy will forever be present at the site, with fans able to congregate and pay their respects to him at every Hellfest from here on out. This ceremony will also give fans an opportunity to participate in their own memorialization of Lemmy and see a miniature replica of the custom urn that houses Lemmy‘s ashes at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
Fans who wish to share their own tributes, memories, experiences or pay their respects can post using the hashtag #LemmyLivesAtHellfest. This year’s edition of Hellfest is taking place over two weekends in June. Hellfest is an annual open-air festival held in Clisson, and one of the biggest metal festivals in all of Europe.
The all-new Lemmy statue replaces the previous sculpture of the MÖTÖRHEAD main-man which was erected six years ago but was reportedly falling apart due to the fact that the plaster, of which it was partly composed, was seriously crumbling. The upgraded Lemmy statue is the creation of Caroline Brisset, an emerging French sculptor who has exhibited her work in France and Belgium. Primarily inspired by energy over form and viewing the human as a subject of both fascination and fear, she constructs steel works that marry the concrete and the abstract to achieve a dreamlike effect.
Brisset was approached by Hellfest organizer Ben Barbaud last November about creating the Lemmy sculpture and she immediately agreed to get involved. “I said yes because it was a great project,” she told Ouest-France. “And it was also quite a challenge to make such a big statue in such a short time.”