Can Lemmy save his hometown from beyond the grave?

Back in May, the statue of Ian Fraser Kilmister – better known as Lemmy, the frontman and founder of Motörhead – was unveiled in his hometown of Burslem.

The ceremony happened in front of thousands of fans, all packed into Market Place as the life-sized, bronze-cast sculpture was uncovered.

For many, it marked a high point for the town – one of the six that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent – after decades of struggle.

"It's got to be the biggest thing that's happened to Burslem for as long as I can remember," said Jon Plant, founder of local firm Moorland Pottery.

The so-called "mother town" of Stoke-on-Trent long had ceramics at the heart of its economy, being home to the likes of Josiah Wedgwood and William Moorcroft.

But the sector has been in decline since the latter part of the 20th Century, and the town has long been feeling the effects.

This has been evidenced by the degrading state of some of its most historic buildings, like the Queen's Theatre, the fire-hit Leopard pub and the Wedgwood Institute.

The town centre was recently deemed to be "at risk" by Historic England due to many of those buildings being affected by "neglect, decay or inappropriate development".

Mr Plant said the town had suffered like many others but believed it to be "one of the worst" examples of decline in the UK.

"I've been here 38 years and in all that period of working in Burslem, all the town has done is go down, down and down," he added.

But he said there was now hope on the horizon, potentially in the form of the town's homegrown heavy metal hero, a decade on from his death in 2015.

Lemmy's legacy was undeniable – Motörhead released 22 studio albums, composed hundreds of songs, like their defining anthem Ace of Spades, and won multiple awards, including a Grammy.

Such was his career, Lemmy was often credited by his contemporaries, including the late Ozzy Osbourne, with helping to pioneer the heavy metal genre.

His popularity was clear from the turnout for the statue's unveiling – its sculptor, local artist Andy Edwards, said they counted approximately 3,000 people.

Asked what he felt when looking back at the event, he said: "All the obvious things – excitement, personal pleasure - but I felt a great sense of affirmation, seeing people still wanted to be with each other to experience things at the same time."

Vicky Hungerford, director of Bloodstock Festival in Derbyshire, knew Lemmy well and met her husband Alan when he was the Motörhead singer's personal assistant.

She said the atmosphere at the statue's unveiling was "incredible", adding that it had "put Burslem on the map" for those who did not know about the town.

"I think Lemmy would have been very humbled," she said. "He would probably say everyone was making an unnecessary fuss but he would have absolutely loved it."

The statue has been visited by people from all over the world, including a German couple who went to see it as part of their 40th wedding anniversary.

Its unveiling was followed up in August with a festival in the town centre to celebrate Lemmy's legacy.

There are also plans to regenerate the vacant Queen's Theatre into a 900-seat venue, cafe, museum and music studio called Kilmister Halls.

The proposal recently took a step forward after a memorandum of understanding was signed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and project lead the IFK Legacy Community Interest Company.

The response to the statue and the various projects has created a renewed sense of optimism in Burslem, including from Mr Plant.

While he remained an advocate for Burslem's ceramics heritage, he said the town could not rely on it for its regeneration and needed to get behind initiatives like so-called "Burslemmy".

"It gives me real hope for the future," he added. "It's a perfect recipe for success."

Mr Edwards said Burslem had "taken a kicking" over the years but had the potential to become the "cultural capital" of Stoke-on-Trent.

He said the Kilmister Halls development was "vital" in realising that vision.

"Burslem is very culturally rich and I think it's going to have its day again," he added.

If Kilmister Halls came to fruition, it would be "huge" for both Burslem and the metal community, potentially attracting people from all over the world, Mrs Hungerford said.

"Lemmy is a worldwide icon for heavy metal, as anyone in metal and rock will know," she said. "It's a huge thing for Burslem and it's a huge thing for the metal world."

She added: "He was very proud of where he was brought up, where he lived, where he was born. He talked about it a lot. He was very proud of his Staffordshire roots.

"Nobody will ever forget Lemmy. He will be talked about in another 100 years from now. We will always keep raising the flag or, should I say, raising the horns for him."

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