Burslem bets on the legacy of Lemmy
The first-ever Urban Rock Festival in the mother town marked the beginning of a bigger plan to turn Lemmy’s memory into a cultural force
It’s 10.30am on a gorgeous sunny morning at the first-ever Burslem Urban Rock Festival. Blue skies hang over the mother town, while the Lemmy statue — unveiled just over a year ago — basks in the sunshine as keen fans begin gathering near the stage for a day of heavy metal. Outside new venue Old No. 6, visitors sup Motörhead-themed ales against a backdrop of photos, band artwork, and other memorabilia.
There are big plans afoot for the town, the centrepiece of which is a proposal to transform the Art Deco Queen’s Theatre into Kilmister Halls, a 1,500-capacity music venue complete with a recording studio and music school. At the forefront of the project is festival organiser IFK Legacy, which is dedicated to keeping alive the memory of Burslem’s most famous son, Lemmy Kilmister, who was born here on Christmas Eve in 1945.
The bands haven’t even started but it’s standing room only at Old No. 6 as I grab a few words with director of the IFK Legacy David Ovenden, and Andy Edwards, the Stoke-born creator of the statue that’s already attracted thousands of visitors to gaze on Lemmy’s likeness, with his long hair, tight jeans, bass, and trademark high mic position. Over the low hum of bikes revving their engines, Ovenden confirms that the viability study for Kilmister Halls is set to be finished within the next month.
He says they will also be speaking with the Arts Council, Architectural Heritage Fund and the National Lottery to bring the venue back into use. “The first phase will be the auditorium, but we’re asking for a lot of money, like £19 million, so it’s going to take time. But we’re thinking about bringing it into use earlier without even painting the walls, just get the electrics sorted out and the toilets, so we could do that next year.”
Reviving the Queen’s Theatre will not be straightforward. The building has sat largely unused for years and securing multi-million-pound heritage funding in the current climate will be a challenge. But supporters believe Lemmy’s international fanbase gives Burslem a cultural hook few towns of its size possess.
“We’re hoping to open up Kilmister Halls as early as next year” - David Ovenden, director, IFK Legacy
People from all over the world have come to pay tribute to Lemmy since his statue was unveiled just over 12 months ago, says Edwards as we chat in Old No. 6. “The main thing about this place is the atmosphere is so good, and every time you come in, it’s different. You sit around a table and there’s three different nationalities. It feels like home to me and it seems like I’m not the only one. The walls are full of donated memorabilia, even though we’ve only been going for three weeks.”
