Lemmy Kilmister is a rock god and a sex legend. So what’s the Motörhead frontman doing at the least sexy (unless you get aroused by very large television sets), least rock ‘n’ roll event on the planet, the Consumer Electronics Show?

Actually, His Metalness’s presence there is something of a gimmick. The bassist-cum-frontman is promoting merch, specifically, a new line of headphones and earbuds called (what else?) Motörheadphones.

And while Lemmy might not be eager to discuss all the gory specs or the fine points of why Motörheadphones are better than, say, Monster Beats by Dr. Dre, he’s more than happy to tell you about CES needing more women, the indescribable superiority of a good vinyl record to a collection of MP3s, and the everlasting value of loudness.

VentureBeat: For the guys who were making the headphones, what specific things did you tell them to do?

Lemmy Kilmister: You want people to hear the mid-range. And we wanted them to be loud.

VentureBeat: A lot of the guys in the rap industry have their own lines of headphones — Dr. Dre, Kanye West. How are these headphones better for rockers, or even better in general?

Kilmister: Because their stuff is so bass heavy that you can’t hear any other instrument. You can’t even hear the drums on some of ‘em. And when you hear the band playing, most of it’s digital as well.

VentureBeat: How important is loudness?

Kilmister: It’s important to me because I’m deaf. [Laughs] Rock ‘n’ roll should be loud. It should be allowed to be loud.

VentureBeat: Have you tried them out, and if so, do you have a favorite model? Would you use them in the studio?

Kilmister: I like the ones that cover your ears up so you get total immersion. Those in-ear things — I’ve got the wrong ears for ‘em.

VentureBeat: Speaking of the studio, aren’t you getting ready to go record your new album this month? What are some of the songs about?

Kilmister: We’re starting in February. We go in the studio for four weeks and record it. We don’t write anything before; we’re doing other work.

VentureBeat: One big complaint everyone has about CES is that it doesn’t enough chicks — it’s all a bunch of nerdy, white guys.

Kilmister: You’re right. I mean, if you’re a guy, a nerdy guy, even nerdy girls would be better.

VentureBeat: So, you’ve got a line of wine and beer. You’ve got a line of headphones. Is Motorhead selling out?

Kilmister: Nobody’s offered us any money to sell out. [Laughs] We’re taking advantage a little bit; we’re gently draining the market. We’ve got some wine out, some vodka, and we’re bringing out some bourbon. But it’ll be hard to get that in the States; it’s really nailed down.

VentureBeat: You’ve been in the music business for 40 years now. What’s the best or worst thing about having your catalog as digital MP3s now instead of analog records or tapes?

Kilmister: I don’t think that you get the real feel of it through MP3s and things like that. You don’t get the raw power. The sound that comes through MP3s, it’s been sanitized. … I’m against Dolby. Records take up more storage space — they’re a bit heavier — but fuck it.

VentureBeat: Besides Motörhead, what are your favorite bands to listen to right now?

Kilmister: I listen to the old stuff, a little bit of new stuff. I like Skunk Anansie. They’ve got a great girl singer. They’re not metal; you can’t compare ‘em to anyone else. They’re not on the radio, either; that’s all controlled, and it’s all the same.

VentureBeat: I’m a bass player and also a frontwoman. Any performance advice?

Kilmister: Just be cool, you know? Wear black — it lasts longer. The main thing is to look as if you mean it. Really commit to it. Give it to ‘em straight in the eyes.

When we were in Japan, we met these three little girls. They said, “Hey, Lemmy, we’re in a rock ‘n’ roll band called Thug Murder!” [Laughs] And they’re all 4-foot-6. But they were good!

Image credit: All images courtesy of Motörhead

After writing a post about a new line of headphones from metal band Motörhead, reader/entrepreneur/metal fan Bradford Stephens pointed us to this amazing video clip of a band of robots playing Motörhead classic “Ace of Spades.”

Why is this on VentureBeat? you might be asking yourself.

Simply put, we’re always looking for the interesting ways in which technology bleeds into other industries. The music industry, the robotics industry, the viral video-making industry… there’s too much overlap between too many awesome disciplines here for us to pass it by.

The band you see above is Compressorhead. From the band’s website:

Did you ever wonder what Danny Carey would sound like if he had 4 arms?
How about if Angus Young had 78 fingers? Imagine what Robert Trujillo would sound like if he was actually made of metal?
Well, wonder no more, meatbags.
Compressorhead is the worlds heaviest metal band. … Stickboy (drums) was created to exacting specifications: 4 arms, 2 legs, 1 head, no brain. … Fingers (guitar) joined Stickboy in 2009 and brings 78 purpose built fingers, enough to play the entire fret board and pluck. Bones (bass) is the highest-precision bass player in known existence, and the youngest member of the band. inception date 2012.
Stand aside, meatbags. Oil is thicker than blood.

Compressorhead is touring Australia this month as part of the annual Big Day Out festival where the band will be playing on both main stages. If you live in Australia and don’t have or immediately make plans to see this amazing marriage of technology and metal, we, the staff of VentureBeat, are collectively and massively disappointed in you.

Once, I was sitting at the legendary Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Strip, nursing a cranberry and tonic (and a Djarum Black) at the outside patio bar. I looked to my right, and who should I see? Rock god Lemmy Kilmister, ringleader of Motörhead, one of the most objectively awesome bands of all time.

At that moment, I had a one-track mind. I sat frozen in time and space, wanting desperately to bite the bullet and go say hello — even just to tell him I was a huge fan — and end up with tales of glory with which to regale my metalhead friends ever after.

But I ended up chickening out like a loser and deciding that in this case, the chase was better than the catch. By the time I got the nerve to say hi, it was too late, too late — Lemmy was absorbed in a video poker with a face that said “Die, you bastard” to anyone who might have the temerity to interrupt him.

Meanwhile, back at the funny farm, I’m going through my morning email, and what should I find?

Motörheadphönes! The newest gadget from music legends to satisfy your burning earholes with expensive ‘phones and ‘buds for those times when the devil’s in your head and you need to rock out.

Beer drinkers and hell raisers, this line was created (or at least marketed) with you in mind. The earbud line, with models called Overkill and Trigger, are all-metal, “no silly plastic pieces here!” And the headphones, called Motörizer, Iron Fist, and Bomber, promise to deliver DJ-caliber sound quality and cradle-to-the-grave physical durability — fit to earn the ultimate badge of honor, the logo of the self-proclaimed “loudest band in the world.”

For the naysayer with a heart of stone hollering, “I won’t pay your price; I don’t believe a word,” we can only respond: Listen to your heart and shut your mouth. God was never on your side.

These mean machines were built for speed and will leave you stone deaf in the USA. For example, the Bomber ‘phones bring you “extra powerful 30mm speakers that can take stand six times the standard amount of power.” You might think that’s overkill, but the fools will tear ya down, steal your face, and leave you smiling like a killer.

So, one more f***ing time: If you were born to raise hell and demand ace-of-spades-level quality and sheer loudness from your audio gear, don’t play fast and loose with those Beats pieces of garbage. Seriously, Dre and those guys are out to lunch. Don’t waste your time; you’ll be the one to sing the blues.

Motörheadphönes are enjoying a preview at CES next week. Down the line on another perfect day, I hope to be able to report back to you, “I got mine.”

Can you spot all the Motörhead song titles in this post? List them in the comments for your chance to win!*

*You get NOTHING! You LOSE! Good DAY, sir!