WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.279 Welcome in, everyone. We are really glad you're 00:00:02.279 --> 00:00:04.219 joining us today for this deep dive. Absolutely. 00:00:04.339 --> 00:00:06.059 Thanks for being here. We're going to be exploring 00:00:06.059 --> 00:00:09.560 the life of someone who completely redefined 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:12.539 what it meant to be a rhythm section. We aren't 00:00:12.539 --> 00:00:14.560 just talking about a musician today. We are talking 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:18.019 about the literal engine behind one of the loudest, 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:20.679 most relentlessly high energy bands to ever walk 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:23.320 the earth. The one and only. Right. I'm talking 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.359 about Philip John Taylor, known to fans all over 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:30.050 the globe as Filthy Anol Taylor. the legendary 00:00:30.050 --> 00:00:32.750 drummer for Motorhead. That's right. And for 00:00:32.750 --> 00:00:34.390 our mission today, we're going to be unpacking 00:00:34.390 --> 00:00:37.789 a comprehensive Wikipedia article detailing Taylor's 00:00:37.789 --> 00:00:40.409 life. We are going to trace his path from this 00:00:40.409 --> 00:00:43.149 chaotic, almost accidental entry into the music 00:00:43.149 --> 00:00:46.299 scene all the way through to the very... real, 00:00:46.340 --> 00:00:49.259 very heavy physical toll of the life of pure, 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:52.060 unfiltered rock and roll takes on a human body. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:54.619 It's a heavy toll, yeah. It really is. Our goal 00:00:54.619 --> 00:00:56.380 for you today is to uncover how a completely 00:00:56.380 --> 00:00:59.820 unique mix of pure chance, sheer willpower, and 00:00:59.820 --> 00:01:02.600 raw, undeniable talent came together to cement 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:05.480 what is widely regarded as the definitive classic 00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:08.799 Metterhead lineup. And I want to set the tone 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:11.459 right out of the gate here. You do not need to 00:01:11.459 --> 00:01:14.079 be a heavy metal historian or even a massive 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:16.359 Motorhead fan to appreciate what we're about 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:18.760 to get into. Oh, not at all. Honestly, if you 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:21.540 just love a good character study, this deep dive 00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:24.719 is for you. This is a story about profound resilience, 00:01:25.340 --> 00:01:28.620 chaotic creativity, and the deep, unbreakable 00:01:28.620 --> 00:01:32.120 bonds of brotherhood. It's about a guy who lived 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:35.379 life at 100 miles an hour and left a massive 00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:38.090 mark on music history. It really is a fascinating 00:01:38.090 --> 00:01:41.530 human story before it's even a music story. Because, 00:01:41.650 --> 00:01:43.950 you know, to really understand the man, you have 00:01:43.950 --> 00:01:46.230 to look at the contrast of his early years. Right. 00:01:46.250 --> 00:01:49.430 He was born in Haslin in 1954. Exactly. And then 00:01:49.430 --> 00:01:51.609 moving to Ashington and eventually bouncing around 00:01:51.609 --> 00:01:53.950 working class towns until he landed in Leeds. 00:01:54.170 --> 00:01:56.890 But here's the detail that matters most. Before 00:01:56.890 --> 00:01:59.609 he became the pioneer of this grimy, blistering 00:01:59.609 --> 00:02:01.670 speed metal drumming, he actually took formal 00:02:01.670 --> 00:02:03.909 drum lessons. At the Leeds College of Music. 00:02:04.129 --> 00:02:06.290 Yes. And he did it simply on the advice of his 00:02:06.290 --> 00:02:09.180 father. I find that contrast absolutely fascinating. 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:11.860 You picture this guy who eventually embodies 00:02:11.860 --> 00:02:15.699 the dirtiest, most chaotic era of punk and metal, 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:18.860 but he starts out sitting in a formal music college 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:21.360 practicing his rudiments. Right, reading sheet 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:24.180 music. Exactly. What does that kind of formal 00:02:24.180 --> 00:02:27.360 training actually give a drummer who ends up 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:29.919 playing as fast and loose as he did? Well, it 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.020 gives him the underlying architecture to survive. 00:02:32.699 --> 00:02:35.300 playing that fast it's a brilliant juxtaposition 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:38.099 because it shows that beneath the wild persona 00:02:38.099 --> 00:02:40.879 that would later emerge there was a foundation 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.180 of actual musical instruction he wasn't just 00:02:43.180 --> 00:02:45.139 hitting things randomly he knew what he was doing 00:02:45.139 --> 00:02:47.460 he really did he understood the mechanics of 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:49.759 the instrument when you were playing at the tempos 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:52.000 motorhead played at if you don't have proper 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:54.199 technique your wrists and arms will completely 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:57.060 give out just cramp up and die exactly that formal 00:02:57.060 --> 00:03:00.039 training gave him the physical capacity to push 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.939 the drum kit to its absolute limits later on. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:05.319 That makes perfect sense. He had the structure 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:07.960 so he could afford to break the rules. And speaking 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:09.719 of breaking the rules, OK, let's unpack this. 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:13.979 It turns out Taylor actually crocked paths with 00:03:13.979 --> 00:03:17.960 Lemmy Kilmister back in 1973. Lemmy, the legendary 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:21.460 frontman of Motorhead. the man himself at the 00:03:21.460 --> 00:03:23.460 time lemmy was still playing in a band called 00:03:23.460 --> 00:03:26.460 hawkwind which was deeply entrenched in the space 00:03:26.460 --> 00:03:28.419 rock scene right for anyone listening who might 00:03:28.419 --> 00:03:30.379 not be familiar with that term space rock was 00:03:30.379 --> 00:03:33.680 essentially this psychedelic heavily atmospheric 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:37.319 trippy style of 70s rock. Yeah, very different 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:39.000 from Motorhead. But what's really interesting 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.039 is how they bonded. They didn't bond over a shared 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.419 love of jazz fusion or music theory. They bonded 00:03:45.419 --> 00:03:47.780 over being what was referred to at the time as 00:03:47.780 --> 00:03:50.500 speed users. Meaning they were both heavily into 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:52.479 amphetamines, which, when you think about it, 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:54.479 is a chemical that really fueled that frantic, 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:56.599 aggressive energy of the music they would eventually 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:59.280 create together. It was a gritty, very underground 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:02.539 connection. It was. But that chance meeting set 00:04:02.539 --> 00:04:05.319 the stage for a massive turning point in 1975. 00:04:05.900 --> 00:04:08.900 Right. 1975 is when Motorhead is trying to record 00:04:08.900 --> 00:04:11.840 their first album on parole. They had a drummer 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:13.719 named Lucas Fox, but things were just falling 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:16.899 apart. And this leads to what has to be one of 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:20.529 the most hilariously pragmatic. unglamorous auditions 00:04:20.529 --> 00:04:22.670 in the history of rock music. Oh, it's the best. 00:04:23.149 --> 00:04:25.709 Taylor ends up replacing Fox, but not because 00:04:25.709 --> 00:04:28.170 he came in and blew everyone away with a magical, 00:04:28.250 --> 00:04:30.689 technically flawless drum solo, right? Not at 00:04:30.689 --> 00:04:33.490 all. Lemmy is on record explaining exactly how 00:04:33.490 --> 00:04:36.290 it went down. Fox wasn't working out. And they 00:04:36.290 --> 00:04:38.649 brought Taylor in because, and this is practically 00:04:38.649 --> 00:04:41.930 a direct quote, Taylor had a car and could give 00:04:41.930 --> 00:04:44.329 them a lift back down to the studio. Wait, really? 00:04:44.430 --> 00:04:46.870 He had a car. That's it. That was his golden 00:04:46.870 --> 00:04:49.160 ticket. He was a guy with a driver's license, 00:04:49.300 --> 00:04:51.699 a vehicle, and a willingness to act as a chauffeur 00:04:51.699 --> 00:04:53.920 for the day. I mean, how many incredible moments 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.839 in history hinge on something that mundane? It's 00:04:56.839 --> 00:04:58.699 staggering when you think about it. If we connect 00:04:58.699 --> 00:05:01.180 this to the bigger picture, it highlights how 00:05:01.180 --> 00:05:03.800 much of music history and just history in general 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:06.980 hinges on entirely practical favors. A ride to 00:05:06.980 --> 00:05:10.600 the studio. A simple ride. That favor accidentally 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:13.100 shaped the entire trajectory of Heavy Metal. 00:05:13.459 --> 00:05:16.079 Because Taylor getting that gig didn't just solve 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:18.319 their immediate transportation problem. It set 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:21.439 off a chain reaction that built the band. Because 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:23.579 once Taylor's in the room and behind the kit... 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.019 He becomes the connective tissue for the rest 00:05:26.019 --> 00:05:28.639 of the lineup. He ends up introducing Lemmy to 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:31.259 the guitarist, Fast Eddie Clark. Right. And how 00:05:31.259 --> 00:05:34.620 did Taylor know Fast Eddie? Was it from the underground 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:37.379 metal club scene? No. They had worked together 00:05:37.379 --> 00:05:40.160 painting a houseboat. Painting a houseboat. You 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:42.459 have a drummer who got the job because he had 00:05:42.459 --> 00:05:45.040 a car, introducing a guitarist he knew from a 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:47.480 random painting gig, and suddenly, completely 00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:49.980 by accident, you have formed the definitive, 00:05:50.060 --> 00:05:53.579 iconic... Motorhead Trio. Lemmy, Filthy Animal, 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:56.579 and Fast Eddie. Exactly. And a great reminder 00:05:56.579 --> 00:05:58.720 to you listening that sometimes the most legendary 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:02.319 partnerships aren't born in boardrooms or through 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.660 rigorous vetting processes. They happen because 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:06.920 people are just in the right place at the right 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:09.839 time. Doing the work and saying yes to the weird 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:12.370 opportunities in front of them. That sheer luck 00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:15.290 of getting the gig is one thing, but what kept 00:06:15.290 --> 00:06:17.750 him in the seat is a whole different story. A 00:06:17.750 --> 00:06:21.550 story of almost superhuman pain tolerance. The 00:06:21.550 --> 00:06:24.250 sheer absurdity of Taylor's physical resilience 00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:26.949 is just mind -blowing. It really defies logic. 00:06:27.490 --> 00:06:30.509 Let's fast forward a bit. They record the absolute 00:06:30.509 --> 00:06:34.209 classic album Ace of Spades in 1980. They are 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:37.389 on top of the world. And shortly after that peak... 00:06:37.629 --> 00:06:40.189 Taylor breaks his neck. Yes, and the way he broke 00:06:40.189 --> 00:06:42.670 it is just as chaotic as everything else in his 00:06:42.670 --> 00:06:45.250 life. Oh, yeah. It wasn't a car crash or a stage 00:06:45.250 --> 00:06:47.870 dive gone wrong. He was lifted above the head 00:06:47.870 --> 00:06:50.149 of a friend in a spontaneous test of strength, 00:06:50.269 --> 00:06:52.589 and he was simply dropped on his head. Boom. 00:06:52.689 --> 00:06:54.910 Broken neck. Wait, how is it physically possible 00:06:54.910 --> 00:06:57.740 to play speed metal with a broken neck? Didn't 00:06:57.740 --> 00:07:00.319 that risk completely carolizing him? For almost 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.379 anyone else, that is the end of the tour, the 00:07:02.379 --> 00:07:04.160 end of the year, maybe the end of the career. 00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:06.180 You would certainly think so. You need your neck 00:07:06.180 --> 00:07:08.300 to play the drums, especially the way he played. 00:07:08.519 --> 00:07:11.220 But instead of quitting or checking into a hospital 00:07:11.220 --> 00:07:14.220 for months of rest, Taylor just wore a medical 00:07:14.220 --> 00:07:16.620 neck brace and kept on playing the tour. Unbelievable. 00:07:16.740 --> 00:07:18.740 In fact, if you go and watch the music video 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:21.500 for the song Ace of Spades, you can actually... 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:24.660 spot the neck brace. Really? Yeah, he's just 00:07:24.660 --> 00:07:27.480 sitting back there on a kit, blasting away, fully 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:30.180 immobilized from the shoulders up. That is insane. 00:07:30.500 --> 00:07:33.000 The trauma actually left a permanent mark on 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.639 him. He developed a prominent lump on the back 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:38.360 of his neck, which was a calcium deposit from 00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:40.660 the spinal trauma healing improperly. And he 00:07:40.660 --> 00:07:43.339 had a name for it, right? He did. He affectionately 00:07:43.339 --> 00:07:47.779 referred to this lump as his knob. That is just, 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:50.180 I don't even have words for that level of stubbornness. 00:07:50.180 --> 00:07:52.639 But that's not even the only insane injury story. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.759 Tour disrupting injuries were apparently just 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:57.660 a normal Tuesday for him. They really were. Later 00:07:57.660 --> 00:08:00.680 on, Taylor breaks his hand. Oh. Because he was 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:04.209 punching a guy outside his flat in London. Naturally. 00:08:04.350 --> 00:08:06.370 Again, an ordinary drummer cancels the gigs. 00:08:06.470 --> 00:08:08.410 He physically cannot hold a drumstick with a 00:08:08.410 --> 00:08:11.129 shattered hand. So what does he do? He uses gaffer 00:08:11.129 --> 00:08:12.889 tape. Gaffer tape. Which, for those who don't 00:08:12.889 --> 00:08:15.670 know, is that incredibly strong, heavy -duty 00:08:15.670 --> 00:08:18.009 cloth tape they use on film sets to tape down 00:08:18.009 --> 00:08:21.290 cables. And he just physically straps the drumstick 00:08:21.290 --> 00:08:23.750 to his broken hand so he can keep playing. What's 00:08:23.750 --> 00:08:25.990 fascinating here is what this tells you about 00:08:25.990 --> 00:08:28.829 the ethos of the band. We often talk about the 00:08:28.829 --> 00:08:31.509 image of rock stars, the leather, the spikes, 00:08:31.670 --> 00:08:34.389 the tough guy posturing. Yeah, the whole aesthetic. 00:08:34.610 --> 00:08:36.990 Right. For a lot of bands in the 70s and 80s, 00:08:36.990 --> 00:08:38.669 that was just a costume they put on in the dressing 00:08:38.669 --> 00:08:41.450 room before they went on stage. But for Motorhead, 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:44.149 and especially for Phil Taylor, it wasn't an 00:08:44.149 --> 00:08:48.750 act. Their gritty, unstoppable DIY survivalism 00:08:48.750 --> 00:08:51.590 was just their daily reality. Taping a piece 00:08:51.590 --> 00:08:53.409 of wood to your broken hand so you can go play 00:08:53.409 --> 00:08:56.370 blistering heavy metal for two hours. You can't 00:08:56.370 --> 00:08:58.789 fake that kind of grit. It almost sounds like 00:08:58.789 --> 00:09:01.389 a form of madness. It forces you to think about 00:09:01.389 --> 00:09:03.830 the sheer dedication required to push through 00:09:03.830 --> 00:09:06.330 that level of agony. It wasn't just about the 00:09:06.330 --> 00:09:08.549 music. It was about an uncompromising commitment 00:09:08.549 --> 00:09:11.110 to the lifestyle and to the momentum of the band. 00:09:11.289 --> 00:09:14.009 Like a runaway train. Exactly. They were a runaway 00:09:14.009 --> 00:09:16.820 train. And Taylor was the engine room. He refused 00:09:16.820 --> 00:09:19.059 to let the train stop, even if the engine was 00:09:19.059 --> 00:09:21.600 literally falling apart. But even a runaway train 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:24.279 eventually hit some rough tracks. Taylor didn't 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:26.200 actually stay in Motorhead uninterrupted. He 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:29.399 left the band in 1984. He did, yeah. During that 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:31.519 time away, he made appearances with a band called 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:34.220 Wasted, and he joined up with former Motorhead 00:09:34.220 --> 00:09:37.480 and thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson to form 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:40.340 a band called Operator. He also played in Frankie 00:09:40.340 --> 00:09:43.000 Miller's touring band around 1986. But he couldn't 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:45.159 stay away forever, right? No, the pull was too 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:48.820 strong. He returned to Motorhead in 1987, and 00:09:48.820 --> 00:09:51.309 his attitude about coming back is... brilliant 00:09:51.309 --> 00:09:53.889 how so he casually shrugged the whole departure 00:09:53.889 --> 00:09:56.929 off saying i always regretted leaving let's just 00:09:56.929 --> 00:09:59.070 say i took a three -year holiday a three -year 00:09:59.070 --> 00:10:01.850 holiday that's one hell of a way to frame quitting 00:10:01.850 --> 00:10:04.629 a world -famous rock band it fits perfectly with 00:10:04.629 --> 00:10:07.129 his whole persona it does but this is where the 00:10:07.129 --> 00:10:09.649 story takes a much heavier turn he comes back 00:10:09.649 --> 00:10:13.009 in 87 but by 1992 the magic had really started 00:10:13.009 --> 00:10:16.799 to fade it had And this is the sobering counterweight 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:19.039 to all the humor and the wild resilience we've 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:21.700 talked about so far. Over the previous two years 00:10:21.700 --> 00:10:24.840 leading up to 1992, Taylor had been warned three 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:27.360 separate times by the band to get his act together. 00:10:27.620 --> 00:10:30.519 Three strikes. Yeah. Finally, after recording 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:33.659 just one track, the song I Ain't No Nice Guy 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:36.600 for the March Erdi album, he was officially fired 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:38.100 from the band because of his poor performance. 00:10:38.419 --> 00:10:42.019 Man, that is tough. Fired from the band you helped 00:10:42.019 --> 00:10:44.879 build from the ground up? The psychological toll 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:47.399 of that has to be devastating. Absolutely devastating. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:49.500 I think there's a real lesson here for you listening. 00:10:49.820 --> 00:10:52.419 It shows that even the most legendary, seemingly 00:10:52.419 --> 00:10:55.500 indestructible partnerships require upkeep. You 00:10:55.500 --> 00:10:57.659 can be the guy who tapes a drumstick to a broken 00:10:57.659 --> 00:10:59.240 hand. You can be the guy who played through a 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:01.980 broken neck. But raw talent and past glories 00:11:01.980 --> 00:11:04.700 can't always outrun personal decline. That is 00:11:04.700 --> 00:11:07.620 the core tragedy of this phase of his life. This 00:11:07.620 --> 00:11:09.659 raises an important question about human limits. 00:11:10.139 --> 00:11:12.879 Taylor's entire brand, his entire existence in 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.519 the band, was built on the idea of pushing past 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:18.690 limits. Pushing until things break. Yes. But 00:11:18.690 --> 00:11:21.370 eventually, the physical and perhaps lifestyle 00:11:21.370 --> 00:11:24.970 tolls accumulate. The firing wasn't out of malice. 00:11:25.210 --> 00:11:28.070 Lemmy deeply loved him. It was because the machine 00:11:28.070 --> 00:11:31.490 of Motorhead demanded a level of relentless performance 00:11:31.490 --> 00:11:34.990 that Taylor could simply no longer provide. It's 00:11:34.990 --> 00:11:37.070 a harsh reality of the music business. And of 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:38.909 getting older. But the thing that strikes me 00:11:38.909 --> 00:11:41.169 is that he didn't just fade into total obscurity 00:11:41.169 --> 00:11:44.250 after that. He had this relentless, undeniable 00:11:44.250 --> 00:11:46.850 drive to play. He really did. Even after being 00:11:46.850 --> 00:11:49.250 let go from the band that defined his entire 00:11:49.250 --> 00:11:52.669 identity, he stayed incredibly busy. From 2005 00:11:52.669 --> 00:11:55.350 to 2008, he played with a group called The Web 00:11:55.350 --> 00:11:58.419 of Spider. In 2007, he worked on a project called 00:11:58.419 --> 00:12:00.799 Capricorn. He even formed a band called Little 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:03.720 Villains. Which actually led to two albums that 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:06.820 were released posthumously, Filthy Lies and Taylor 00:12:06.820 --> 00:12:09.120 Made. Oh, wow. That's right. He also joined the 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:12.399 American thrash metal band Overkill in 2009 for 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:14.679 a set at the Islington Academy. For context, 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:17.960 thrash metal is a genre of incredibly fast, aggressive 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:21.039 metal that was massively influenced by Motorhead. 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:23.809 Full circle. Exactly. In fact, Overkill took 00:12:23.809 --> 00:12:26.570 their name directly from a Motorhead album. So 00:12:26.570 --> 00:12:28.629 here he is playing with a band that wouldn't 00:12:28.629 --> 00:12:31.169 exist without him, and they actually covered 00:12:31.169 --> 00:12:33.259 a Motorhead song together that night. Why do 00:12:33.259 --> 00:12:34.919 you think he couldn't just put the sticks down? 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:37.100 He had nothing left to prove. He was already 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:39.940 a legend. Why keep grinding away in smaller clubs 00:12:39.940 --> 00:12:42.620 and side projects? Because for someone like Taylor, 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:45.159 it was never just about the fame or the arena 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:47.899 tours. It was about the physical act of playing. 00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:50.620 The drums were his primary mode of communication 00:12:50.620 --> 00:12:52.840 with the world. That makes total sense. When 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:55.399 you spend your entire adult life generating that 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:58.320 kind of volume and momentum, the silence of retirement 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:01.519 is probably deafening he played because he had 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:03.399 to it was in his blood he just had to keep moving 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:05.659 oh and i have to throw in this amazing visual 00:13:05.659 --> 00:13:07.720 from the history books just to show that through 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:09.980 all of this he never lost his sense of humor 00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:13.559 oh the girl school video yes back in 1980 taylor 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:16.360 actually made a comedic cameo in a promotional 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:18.960 video for the band girl school for their song 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:22.000 yeah right he appears midway through the video 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.960 dressed in full drag aggressively brandishing 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:27.840 a rolling pin it perfectly encapsulates who he 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:31.210 was He was a terrifyingly fast heavy metal drummer 00:13:31.210 --> 00:13:34.049 who looked like a biker, but he didn't take himself 00:13:34.049 --> 00:13:36.789 too seriously. He understood the absurdity of 00:13:36.789 --> 00:13:39.070 rock and roll. He really did. But jumping back 00:13:39.070 --> 00:13:41.809 to his later years, there is an incredibly poignant 00:13:41.809 --> 00:13:45.230 moment that happens on November 6, 2014. They 00:13:45.230 --> 00:13:47.429 are at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. 00:13:47.629 --> 00:13:50.779 Yes. This is a... Deeply moving moment in heavy 00:13:50.779 --> 00:13:53.740 metal history, Taylor reunites on stage with 00:13:53.740 --> 00:13:56.360 Lemmy and Fast Eddie Clark. The classic trio. 00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:58.740 Back together during a performance of their signature 00:13:58.740 --> 00:14:02.279 song, Ace of Spades. But here's the critical 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:05.360 detail. Taylor doesn't play. He doesn't get behind 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:07.740 the drum kit. What does he do? He simply walks 00:14:07.740 --> 00:14:10.019 out onto the stage, waves to the massive crowd, 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:13.299 and leaves. Wow. Just walking out to wave, to 00:14:13.299 --> 00:14:15.139 stand there and hear the roar of the crowd one 00:14:15.139 --> 00:14:18.019 last time. It serves as this beautiful, unspoken 00:14:18.019 --> 00:14:20.720 final closure for that classic lineup. To stand 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.039 in front of their fans together one last time. 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:25.440 Not to perform, not to prove they can still play 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:27.379 at lightning speed, but just to acknowledge the 00:14:27.379 --> 00:14:29.379 legacy they built together. That is so powerful. 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:33.039 It's a quiet... dignified moment for a man whose 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:36.340 entire life was defined by extreme volume. That 00:14:36.340 --> 00:14:38.539 really gives me chills. Just a wave goodbye to 00:14:38.539 --> 00:14:40.500 the people who understood him best. Which brings 00:14:40.500 --> 00:14:43.019 us, inevitably, to the final chapter of his story. 00:14:44.019 --> 00:14:46.299 Filthy animal Taylor passed away on November 00:14:46.299 --> 00:14:49.919 12, 2015, in London. He was 61 years old, and 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:52.220 liver failure was cited as the cause after a 00:14:52.220 --> 00:14:55.100 period of illness. The tributes from his bandmates 00:14:55.100 --> 00:14:57.389 poured in immediately. And they reflect exactly 00:14:57.389 --> 00:14:59.490 what we've been talking about today. Fast Eddie 00:14:59.490 --> 00:15:01.950 got a statement, didn't he? He did. Fast Eddie 00:15:01.950 --> 00:15:04.929 Clark released a touching tribute saying, My 00:15:04.929 --> 00:15:06.950 dear friend and brother passed away last night. 00:15:07.340 --> 00:15:09.519 I have known Phil since he was 21, and he was 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.779 one hell of a character. Fortunately, we made 00:15:11.779 --> 00:15:13.740 some fantastic music together, and I have many, 00:15:13.820 --> 00:15:15.740 many fond memories of our time together. Rest 00:15:15.740 --> 00:15:18.500 in peace, Phil. And then there is Lemmy's reaction. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:21.299 Lemmy gave an incredibly raw interview to Classic 00:15:21.299 --> 00:15:24.360 Rock magazine right after Taylor died. And just 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:26.139 to be clear to you listening, we're sharing his 00:15:26.139 --> 00:15:28.659 exact words here just as a historical record 00:15:28.659 --> 00:15:31.240 of his grief, not as a political statement from 00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:33.799 us. Right, purely as a historical document. Lemmy 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.460 was completely devastated. He said, I am feeling 00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:38.820 very sad at the moment. In fact, devastated because 00:15:38.820 --> 00:15:42.299 one of my best friends died yesterday. I miss 00:15:42.299 --> 00:15:44.980 him already. His name was Phil Taylor, or Filthy 00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:47.600 Animal, and he was our drummer twice in our career. 00:15:47.940 --> 00:15:50.360 Now he's died, and it really pisses me off that 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:52.000 they take somebody like him and leave George 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:55.519 Bush alive. It's just so raw. It is. Lemmy went 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:57.919 on to say, so muse on that. We're still going. 00:15:57.940 --> 00:16:00.080 We're still going strong. It's just first worsel 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.000 and now filthy. It's a shame, man. I think this 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:05.039 rock and roll business might be bad for the human 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:08.399 life. Analyzing that quote purely in the context 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:11.600 of human emotion, what you're seeing there is 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.809 Lemmy's raw, unfiltered grief. It's the chaotic 00:16:15.809 --> 00:16:18.570 anger of losing someone you deeply love. Just 00:16:18.570 --> 00:16:21.269 lashing out at the world. Exactly. When people 00:16:21.269 --> 00:16:23.470 are in the throes of sudden loss, they lash out 00:16:23.470 --> 00:16:25.429 at the unfairness of it all and they reach for 00:16:25.429 --> 00:16:28.169 whatever targets they feel represent that unfairness. 00:16:28.210 --> 00:16:31.350 It's a stark, painful portrait of a man looking 00:16:31.350 --> 00:16:33.730 at the mortality of his inner circle and realizing 00:16:33.730 --> 00:16:35.830 that the indestructible armor of rock and roll 00:16:35.830 --> 00:16:39.450 was just an illusion. It's just pure, devastating 00:16:39.450 --> 00:16:42.500 loss. And that last line, Lemmy said, I think 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:44.200 this rock and roll business might be bad for 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:47.340 the human life. It ended up being grimly, tragically 00:16:47.340 --> 00:16:49.860 prophetic. It was the start of a tragic domino 00:16:49.860 --> 00:16:52.379 effect. Lemmy gave that quote while grieving 00:16:52.379 --> 00:16:55.080 his best friend. Less than seven weeks after 00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:57.779 Phil Taylor died, Lemmy himself passed away on 00:16:57.779 --> 00:17:00.740 December 28, 2015. Less than seven weeks later. 00:17:00.899 --> 00:17:03.240 That is heartbreaking. It is. And the tragedy 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:05.910 didn't stop there. Just a couple of years later, 00:17:05.990 --> 00:17:09.930 on January 10th, 2018, Fast Eddie Clark died. 00:17:10.589 --> 00:17:13.710 In just over two years, the entire classic Motorhead 00:17:13.710 --> 00:17:16.349 lineup, the three men who accidentally came together 00:17:16.349 --> 00:17:19.430 and redefined heavy music, was completely wiped 00:17:19.430 --> 00:17:21.829 out. It's staggering to think about. A band that 00:17:21.829 --> 00:17:24.569 felt absolutely indestructible. A force of nature 00:17:24.569 --> 00:17:26.710 that just steamrolled everything in its path. 00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:29.769 Gone in the blink of an eye. Yeah. So, what does 00:17:29.769 --> 00:17:31.890 this all mean for us as we sit here looking back 00:17:31.890 --> 00:17:34.369 at his life? We've taken a deep dive into the 00:17:34.369 --> 00:17:36.390 life of Filthy Animal Taylor. We've seen that 00:17:36.390 --> 00:17:38.390 he wasn't just a guy keeping time in the back 00:17:38.390 --> 00:17:41.430 of a band. He was the literal engine of a musical 00:17:41.430 --> 00:17:44.210 revolution. The driving force. He was a guy who 00:17:44.210 --> 00:17:46.269 got his life -changing job because he happened 00:17:46.269 --> 00:17:48.329 to have a car to give someone a lift. And he 00:17:48.329 --> 00:17:50.710 kept that job because his spirit and his almost 00:17:50.710 --> 00:17:53.430 frightening pain tolerance was utterly unbreakable. 00:17:53.630 --> 00:17:56.069 He lived at the absolute extreme edge of what 00:17:56.069 --> 00:17:59.049 a human body and a human life can sustain. And 00:17:59.049 --> 00:18:01.230 I want to leave you with a final lingering question 00:18:01.230 --> 00:18:03.720 to ponder on your own. after we finish up here 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:05.700 today. Let's hear it. Look at the incredible, 00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:08.839 iconic art born from Taylor's reckless breakneck 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:12.140 lifestyle and then juxtapose that with the ultimate 00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:14.759 tragic physical cost that Lemmy mentioned right 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:17.819 at the end. It raises a fascinating question. 00:18:18.099 --> 00:18:20.960 Does the chaotic fire required to create truly 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:24.240 groundbreaking, rebellious art inevitably consume 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:26.759 the artist in the end? Can you have the revolutionary 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:30.000 impact without the devastating burn rate? That 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.500 is a phenomenal question to chew on. Is the destruction 00:18:32.500 --> 00:18:35.619 the ultimate price of the genius? Wow. Well, 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:37.279 thank you so much for joining us on this deep 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.519 dive into the loud, chaotic, and incredibly resilient 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:42.940 life of Filthy Animal Taylor. It's been quite 00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:45.799 the journey. It really has. We hope you walk 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:47.940 away with a new appreciation for the man behind 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:50.980 the kit. Keep questioning, keep exploring, and 00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:51.859 we'll catch you next time.