Why Lemmy Kilmister Once Smashed a $2M Mixing Desk with a Cheeseburger

Motörhead’s legendary frontman Lemmy Kilmister was known for his sharp wit, iron will, and occasional flashes of chaos — and one studio incident perfectly captured all three. According to longtime guitarist Phil Campbell, Lemmy once became so frustrated during an argument that he slammed a cheeseburger into an expensive mixing console.

The story resurfaced in a new interview with Metal Hammer, where Campbell reflected on his 32 years playing alongside Lemmy in Motörhead. The outburst took place at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, during a recording session with drummer Mikkey Dee and producer Howard Benson.

“Lem Was Wrong”

“Me, Lem and Mikkey ended up arguing about something,” Campbell recalled. “Howard said, ‘I can settle this for you now — I’ve been recording the last 20 minutes.’ It turns out Lem was wrong.”

Lemmy, never one to take defeat lightly, responded in his own unique fashion. “He was eating this cheeseburger,” Campbell continued, “and he suddenly rammed it into the mixing desk, getting all this cheese and lettuce gummed up into this $2,000,000 [£1,535,010] desk. Poor Howard had to call out and say, ‘Can we get a repairman? Lemmy from Motörhead’s just trashed our desk with a cheeseburger.’”

“He Was a Gentleman — Until You Pissed Him Off”

Despite the rock ‘n’ roll mayhem, Campbell emphasized that Lemmy was rarely aggressive without cause. “He was a gentleman 99% of the time,” he said, “until something pissed him off and then he’d fight for his rights. You could only push him so far. He couldn’t stand to be surrounded by idiots.”

Drummer Mikkey Dee offered his own colorful take on Lemmy’s temper. “Sometimes he was a little fuckin’ girl, if he was screaming at us about nothing,” he joked. “But we would scream right back! We had great arguments, in such a friendly way — like a family should have. There was never any pissing or moaning, no trash talk behind anyone’s back.”

The Legacy Lives On

Lemmy Kilmister passed away on December 28, 2015, just four days after his 70th birthday and two days after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Following his death, Campbell and Dee confirmed that Motörhead would not continue without its founder. Campbell went on to form Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, while Dee joined Scorpions.

In May, Lemmy’s hometown of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, honored him with a life-size statue. At the unveiling, Lord Mayor Lyn Sharpe celebrated the rock icon’s roots, declaring, “Lemmy was one of us.”

Motörhead’s spirit continues to roar — most recently through Killed By Deaf, a new punk rock tribute album featuring performances from Rancid, Anti-Nowhere League, GBH, and Pennywise.