Phil Taylor

When I was a kid, Motörhead ruled my life. They were supposed to be METAL, nah ... proper rock and roll. I wore the badge with pride and for my "sins" had to have fistfights with punks because I was apparently the enemy. Soon after, the same people were coming to me asking to buy my Motörhead collection.

Philip John (Philthy Animal) Taylor was the drummer in what will always remain the definitive line up. The jpeg is the cover of the No Class single, it came in three covers each with an individual member of the band on the front. I bought Phil's cover without hesitation. A proper drummer and cool as fuck!

I only ever got to see him play live once ... on the Ace Of Spades tour at the Manchester Apollo (at the age of 14, right down the front, off my tits on mushrooms and cider and walked out deaf!).

Phil died yesterday and was just past his 61st birthday. His passing has just been made public. He is one of the people responsible for showing me that there was more to life than the unutterably grey and bleak humans that surrounded me. I love him a lot!

This is the live (and appropriately named) Golden Years 12" EP released on Bronze Records in 1980.

Nice one Philthy!