Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee says he has no regrets about turning down the band when they initially approached him in the 80s, saying he “wasn’t ready”.
Dee was playing with King Diamond when Motorhead approached him and in an interview with Finland’s Rock Radio, he says he was happy to stay with the Danish outfit rather than drop his sticks and join Lemmy and co.
“They asked me in 86 or 87 but we were doing good with King Diamond,” he says. “We were a bunch of friends that really enjoyed what we were doing and I’m glad I didn’t join Motorhead at that point – I wasn’t ready. I just said, ‘Thanks very much, I’m gonna stay with King Diamond,’ or ‘our own band’ as we called it.”
The Swedish drummer also revealed his musical hero is Deep Purple’s Ian Paice, who he says was a huge inspiration.
“That’s where I found interest early,” he says. “His way of playing drums suited me perfectly – he has a drive and a swing that very few drummers have.”
Motorhead’s reissue of Aftershock was due to be released this week but a production error has pushed back the release until Aug 25. The expanded edition will contain a bonus live CD, which was recorded earlier this year.