Doro: Lemmy pub session almost cost me my career

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By ( Louder ) published

Pesch recalls fearing she'd blown chance for major label deal after meeting Motorhead icon in pub

Doro Pesch has recalled how a drinking session with Lemmy almost scuppered her band Warlock’s chances of landing a major record deal.

She met the Motorhead icon in 1985 when her band Warlock were in London to play a show to be attended by record label execs.

Doro tells MetalSucks: “I was rehearsing with the band before, and decided to go around the corner. There was a pub and it was my first time in one. I went in and saw Lemmy sitting there smoking, with a whiskey and cola in one hand. I was just like, ‘Wow!’“I couldn’t speak English well back then, so I was a little nervous. But we were chain-smoking and drinking – and after a while he reminded me I had to play a gig.“

Doro “had such a buzz” as a result of the alcohol, and that everyone was waiting for her when she got back to the venue.“I got up with the band, and I had had so many drinks I couldn’t remember the lyrics,” she says. Everyone was staring in shock – the agencies and important people – and I just sat down and waited until the band was done.
“Everyone was telling me I ruined my career, I’d never get a record deal. I said, ‘I met Lemmy! He’s my hero, my idol and we had a few whiskey colas.’

“Everyone started laughing and forgave me – and we got the deal anyway so it worked out.“Lemmy and Doro went on to develop a lifelong friendship. She says she’s never met anyone quite like him in the business, adding: ”I would say Lemmy is the one I love the most. I know so many bands and musicians, but he’s number one.“Meanwhile, Doro has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help produce a high-quality video for her single Love’s Gone To Hell. She says: “It is our dream to bring this wonderful song to life in the form of a beautiful, fantastic music video, and it is our goal to create this high-quality vision together with you.”

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.