One of Motorhead’s members attended a U2 concert once and related the following story that may or may not have anything to do with Motorhead; your call.---

Sometime during the U2 concert, Bono quieted everyone down and lit some candles. He then started to clap slowly and said, “Every time I clap, a child dies in Africa.” In retort, some guy in the front row yelled, “Then quit fucking clapping, you cruel bastard!”

Listening to Motorhead is like driving down the freeway at 80 m.p.h. without a steering wheel. They are wonderfully raw and uncompromising, and they basically invented Speed Metal. The base (pun) of the group is Ian Kilmister -- better known as Lemmy -- who was an ex-roadie for Jimi Hendrix. Lemmy, who’s in his 60s, has taken more speed than everyone in Utah combined. Lemmy plays the bass like Angus Young (of AC/DC) plays the lead and rhythm guitar.

Motorhead has been making albums for many years, and there aren’t many that aren’t good. Two stand out, though: No Remorse (1984) is excellent, but their masterpiece is Ace of Spades (1980), with its great anthem title track and songs like “(We Are) The Road Crew” and “The Chase is Better Than the Catch.” This is the perfect album to listen to after a bad day of work or after a U2 concert.