To understand Motorhead you must know the following:
1) Their credo is "Everything Louder than Everything Else."
2) They don't care what you think.

Motorhead is led by bassist/vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, who looks like a Hell's Angel, sings like a wolf with emphysema, and holds a spot in the British, and for that matter, worldwide, metal kingdom just to the right of Ozzy Osbourne. Drummer Mikkey Dee, who was an original member of King Diamond before joining Don Dokken for his solo effort, Up From the Ashes, joined Motorhead in 91, replacing the legendary "Philthy Animal" Taylor. We talked to him about clothes, the Motorhead Experience, and why the hell Lemmy keeps his mike stand so high...

BIG SHOUT: When did you first get involved with Motorhead?

MIKKEY DEE: The first time, I think, was 86, when I was still playing with King Diamond. We opened for Motorhead in Europe, and ever since then, they asked me to join the band, and Lem's been on my ass for a few years, so... I really had no reason to leave at that point. Later on I joined Dokken -- a lot of people go, "from King Diamond to Dokken, what's the deal?" and then to Motorhead, but as a drummer it's real simple. I was tired with what I did for King for so many years, musically, Dokken was perfect at that time. And then later on Motorhead. I realized I wasn't a pop drummer, I'm a rock drummer. I'm a heavy drummer. Motorhead was perfect when I left Don -- Lemmy called me two weeks later, and that's when we got going.

BS: Was it difficult switching into a band that was pretty established, one of the original metal bands?

MD: At first I didn't think of it at all -- I knew the guys really good, so that was no problem. To replace Philthy Animal on drums was nothing hard -- playing-wise -- but you know, he is a character, and he's been playing with Motorhead forever, so that could be a problem, because if you talk to a lot of loyal fans, they don't care how bad he was, they just want to see Taylor. And I can accept that -- but when we finally went out on the road and got going, it was so much better -- not just because of me, but I think we all got a kick in the ass -- Motorhead played 45-minute shows with Taylor, and now we play an hour and 40, 22 songs, and kick some serious ass, if you want to put it that way. And the kids had no problem with it... When they had Pete Gill in the band, he wasn't accepted at all.

BS: What do you think has kept Motorhead fresh over all these years?

MD: Motorhead is a band that tells the record company, and the people around them to basically fuck off. If they don't like it we don't give a shit, you know what I mean? A lot of bands today listen way too much to record company jerks -- let us do the fuckin' playin', and recording, and the creativity of it, and you guys do your job. I think Motorhead has always been a band that's said "hey, listen, this is what we've gotta do, if you don't like it, fine -- drop us, get rid of us or work with us, but we are not gonna change for you or anyone else." Motorhead has done what they want to do, and that's the bottom line. When we walk offstage, we grab our balls and say "hey, you do that if you can."

BS: One thing I've always been wondering is why Lemmy keeps the mike stand so high...

MD: Two reasons -- first reason is that when he sings upwards, it's easier for him to sing, he says. Second reason is that he doesn't look at the ugly crowd -- he says 'I don't have to look at your miserable faces.'

BS: Since this is our fashion issue, what about clothing?

MD: We don't really care how we look. I did that before, I admit, with King and Dokken it was more like -- I remember in Dokken where we did stage clothes and photo sessions, it was really important, we all had to go and buy all kinds of shit, and special made clothes, and that was all right for that kind of music, but in Motorhead, it's like whatever Lem puts on in the morning is what he ends up wearing on and off-stage, there's no difference. He doesn't even take his keyring off his fuckin' pants...

BS: How Motorhead been compared to your other bands?

MD: Like Lemmy says, "It's better than Spinal Tap, because you don't have a script..."